My, now not so new, second job is doing collections for a hospital. I work w. some interesting people and talk to some, uh, crazy people. Now most people are nice but I have been yelled at more than once. Some of the phone conversations are unbelievable and it is outrageous that some humans can be so incredibly rude. Most of it is frustration and ignorance. YOU are the one responsible for your hospital bill. Should you have insurance it is up to YOU to know your benefits. NOT ME!! And, heaven help you if you have Medicare. Non-covered drugs are a huge issue. Esp. when we are not a pharmacy and do not charge pharmacy rates.
Make sure you know your benefits.

Here is one conversation I had w. someone I sent directly to the collection agency after speaking w. her.

Hello

Hi, this is Nancy from patient accounts calling some balances you have here.

Balances?

Yes when you saw Dr. Smith.

I really can’t talk right now I am in the bathroom.

(what?)

Can you call me back, these accts are getting ready to go to collections.

Well, I am getting ready to go on a plane and I have to turn my phone off right now.

(huh, i thought you were in the bathroom.)

I need you to take my number and call me back, I would not want to see these accts go to collections.

I can’t take your number I am driving right now…..click.

What?? Bathroom, airplane, driving….. This was just crazy and she did swear at me. Of course she was about 22 years old and they do not care about their credit right now. Wait until she wants to buy a house and can’t because her credit sucks because she did not take care of her medical bills.

The thing is if patients cannot afford to pay there bills and they qualify for financial aid the hospital will write off their bills. Like the 22 yo we worked with and worked with and he would not follow thru w. a few pieces of paperwork. Wanna know how much I am sending to collections that will affect his credit for a very, very long time? SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS! This kid is so screwed.

Today is the first day I have taken pictures in a long time. I love this one.

I will be posting photos most days again at my photoblog.

Bad things around our house this week. One of my son’s classmates was killed in a car accident this week. This has been a hard year for his class. A few months ago another classmate lost his mom to breast cancer. My son is a bit of a mess but doing ok. The driver that caused the accident had three DUI’s and a suspended license. She only got a broken ankle. She killed two people and Cooper’s dad is still in ICU. It is unbelievable that she was even driving. My son is freaking about this and has now joined SADD.

Tommy showed me Cooper’s wall on facebook and I think it is one of the saddest things I have ever seen.

Hug your loved ones. And, don’t sweat the small the stuff.

Don’t read this article unless you have a box of tissues.

The obiturary

My prayers are with the Campbell family.

Have you seen Into the Wild yet? I can’t stop thinking about it and it has been on my mind ever since I saw it. This movie resonated with me on many different levels. Not the first of which is that Chris McCandless was born a few months before my sister and died two weeks before my sister was killed. Suffice to say I cried thru the whole movie and totally lost it when I realized this.

This movie speaks to the part of me that has always wanted to runaway and do it my way. Just leave all this behind. Deeply ingrained in my upbringing is the need to be RESPONSIBLE at all times, at all costs. I wonder how it would have been if JOY or FUN had been so ingrained into my psyche?

Eddie Vedder is amazing! I am not a big Pearl Jam fan but this soundtrack blows me away. I think this is my favorite song. Eddie’s voice is so pure on this track. Why is this not on the radio?

Here is a list of the 50 crime writers to read before you die. A good list to check if you are looking for something else to read.

I just added a page for my 2008 booklist. I have been writing down what I have read, but it is downstairs and I am too lazy to go get it. I just added the two I have read this week and could remember.

I also have to update and finish off my 2007 list. And, I want to make a list of my most-loved reads of 2007.

For this year the books I have loved the most are the Black Jewels trilogy by Anne Bishop. Wondering if I can do a review that will be worthy of the books. Even got my mother to buy them for my niece and she loved them as well.

Currently, I am reading the New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. Are you watching/listening to the webcasts from Oprah and Eckhart? Way cool stuff. Highly recommended and I will be posting about it in the future.

Little nervous here as I have finished all my library books….eek….now I have to look at my stacks of books and pick something. Is it odd that I feel better when I have a giant stack of library books by my bed?

Look at this three posts in two days…..maybe I am back

I just found this astrological link I want to share with you. She does a great job in explaining what is happening w. the planets right now. Check out Astrological Weather.

After being MIA for so long it seems weird to post. When has my life ever been easy going? I went from working 20 hours at the hospital to 40 and back to 20. How people work all day under fluorescent lights is beyond me. No wonder we are a a nation addicted to sugar and caffeine. I have watched co-workers eat candy all day long and then wonder why they don’t feel good. Then there is the whole having a boss thing. It is very odd to go from having to ask permission for things and then go to my other work and be the boss and make decisions. Plus my kids were freaking out from staying at school for so long. So, back to twenty hours I went and my manager has not been very happy about it. Working in a hospital is very interesting…. more on that later.

The majority of my co-workers have carpal tunnel. So bad, that I finally started working on some hands and wrists during my lunch hour. It made me realize that I really need to open my practice again. Not sure where the time would come from but it is to what I need to be doing. It does not even seem like work. I am just starting to look around for space for a healing practice.

Check this out:

It is called transformation. Perfect for where I am at today.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas. And, many blessings for 2008!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I posted. I miss you, guys!

They really, really like me at the new job. I was asked to work more hours. Like 40. I told them I can do 30. I like the job and am learning lots. I already have interesting stories.

We are in the process of moving the store. ANd, wouldn’t you know it we are supposed to get a lot of snow on Monday. People are freaking. Even w. the closed sign on the door, people just walked right in and were surprised that I could not help them. And, there is always the guy who waits to the last minute and thinks I just look at his machine RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE A STORM IS COMING OMG!. Dude, I have 200 people in front of you and they brought their stuff in weeks ago. We have been 4-5 weeks out on snowblower repairs since Sept. We have been totally overwhelmed. I wish I could count on it snowing this year and I would not hesitate to hire a mechanic. Last night I got done working at 9:00 and DH worked until 11:30. We gave up today at 6:30 and after a nice rest tonight will be at it again tomorrow. I been to U-haul twice and have bought 80 boxes. I am hoping that is enough.

So, that is what is keeping me busy. After the move things will be a little calmer, but then we have Christmas coming. Which I have not even thought about yet. UGH!

I miss all of you and think of you during my day. Esp., w. my funny hospital stories…..

Hugs!