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WOW!! THANK YOU PJ FAM!! (This is gonna be a long read...)
HesCalledDyer
Maryland Posts: 16,418
in Lost Dogs
I wasn't sure where to post this but it seems there was a thread started here in Lost Dogs by our good friend @mcgruff10 to help me out in some trying times, so I'll respond on the same board as well. I took some time off work (been off since Thursday and going back next Monday) and since that is where I do most of my "forum-ing" I haven't been on here much in the past few days. I've checked in on my phone to a few threads I follow but haven't been active much more than that. But this deserves a take your time and sit down in front of the computer type of response.
Almost a year ago, I unsuspectingly had a stroke and was hospitalized for 5 days. I hated every minute of it. All I could think about were the bills I was going to amass over it because we all know that health insurance in the United States is nothing but a scam to make the wealthy even wealthier. I was surprised when I only received a bill for $250 which was the cost of my in-patient copay. That took a couple months but I eventually paid it off. I knew I had numerous follow-up appointments with various doctors and would have copays for those visits as well. Didn't seem like too big a deal. I had recovered well and was responding to medication and dietary changes as far as my blood pressure was concerned - which was the most contributing factor to the stroke - so I figured I'd be cleared by everyone and be on my way. This is where I was wrong.
The only doctor that cleared me right away was the neurologist. What followed from the other specialists was a series of tests, follow-ups from those tests, more tests to make sure everything was still going well, more follow-ups, etc. This meant copay after copay after copay. I expected this and figured I would pay off the $20 copays whenever I could. Then it all started to go downhill. Some doctors were considered specialists and the copays were $30-50 instead of $20. I began getting bills for blood tests, imaging, sonograms, ultrasounds, equipment use, etc. Routine tests I've had before and never paid a dime for much less be billed for them before I was hospitalized. For some reason, that all changed in 2018. While some of these tests were new to me and were done to rule out other contributing factors, most of them are the same tests that have always been covered 100% before I was hospitalized but now considered by the insurance company as either "not medically necessary for the condition provided" or "not covered under your plan for the reasons given by your physician." It seems as though these things were fine as long as they were preventive measures, but post-incident they're just not important and CIGNA couldn't be bothered. I'm really curious as to how an insurance company can determine what is or isn't medically necessary and overrule doctors' orders, but this was exactly what I expected and feared when I woke up in the emergency room last October. I'm also curious as to why doctors don't fight for the best interest of their patients by disputing the insurance company to cover the bills, and instead just pass the bill along to the patient the first chance they get. Again, this is the US Health Care System Scam, so I'm not sure why I'm surprised. To make a long story short, I've amassed well over a grand in medical bills just from basic follow-up appointments and the same routine tests I've had over the last three years. Combine that with not only the costs of medications rising, but also the fact that I am on more medications since October, it's been extremely tough to keep up with it all. Some of it I just said fuck it and let go to collections because I'm just fed up with it all. I am at least happy to report I am finally back on a regular schedule with only my normal doctor, so hopefully the expenses will be fewer & farther between and more manageable when they come.
This is where you guys come in. I guess it was a little over a week or so ago that I commented on the Vault 8 thread asking when the deadline to order was because I needed to save money to buy it. It was then I shed light on why I needed to save money, as this has been a rough year for me financially. I've always sort of lived paycheck to paycheck but still had spending money to do spending things and be just barely comfortable. Since about March this year, that simply hasn't been the case. I got a couple replies & PM's about buying the Vault for me which I did not expect and posted a response on the Vault thread declining the offer, but then it was Mike who messaged me about others being on board and convincing me to go along with it.
I didn't even know he started a thread here until I bumped a thread of my own a couple days ago. I don't know if I was meant as a "don't open til xmas" kind of thing, but I glanced through it anyway. I truly, sincerely cannot thank you all enough for the kindness and generosity you put on display there! Really, for me? The guy whose every other word on here is "fuck" and can be a complete grump at times? I've never really considered myself that important to a bunch of people who I really only know through words & avatars on a computer screen, but I suppose that is the true nature of being a Pearl Jam fan and a Ten Club member. I know I've always tried to help others here when I can, whether its donations to Holy Grails, causes you support, the RAK thread, etc, so while it is shocking it really isn't all that surprising that you'd do the same for me.
In addition to a message from Mike on Friday that the Vault had been ordered for me, this morning I received a text notification from Paypal for a very generous gift of over $500! WHAT??!!!! Guys, holy crap!! When he messaged me last week and said a number of people were on board, I never even imagined this. This is a HUGE relief! I've been putting off getting a couple prescriptions refilled for almost two weeks now (which isn't good because I have an appt with my doctor in a week. That and CVS won't leave me the fuck alone with reminder calls). Not only will I get those filled and get back on the full regimen in time, it will fully cover the two bills I had go to collections, and help pay a nice chunk of the rest I owe. I'm not a very open person about these parts of my life, so it's kind of tough for me to broadcast all of this on a public forum, but you've made it feel like family here. I really don't know how I'll ever thank you guys enough or repay you for what you've done. I'm almost in tears as I write this.
All I can say is I'm glad I have my life, my health, recovered fully with no deficits from the stroke. These times are tough & stressful right now - not just with me but the state of the world and the nation on top of all that. I've tried to stay as positive as possible this year and just enjoy the times and people I have around me. I know I've been grumpy and downright angry at times, and you all can attest to that, but this gesture really makes me believe we can all make the world a better place for those finding themselves in unfortunate times. If we can do it on this scale, it can blow up to something even greater.
A HUGE "THANK YOU" TO MIKE aka @mcgruff10 FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK PART - BE IT DONATION, THREAD BUMP, KIND WORDS, GOOD VIBES, VOODOO, ETC. I am deeply indebted to all of you and I promise to continue to uphold the kindness, generosity, caring, and good nature that has been the vibe of the Pearl Jam family throughout the years.
THANK YOU!!!!!
P.S. As I mentioned in the Vault thread, please make sure you are registered to vote and use your vote wisely so we can have health care reform that benefits every US citizen, not just the wealthy. Beyond vinyl records and helping pay medical bills, that is still the biggest contribution anyone here can make!
Almost a year ago, I unsuspectingly had a stroke and was hospitalized for 5 days. I hated every minute of it. All I could think about were the bills I was going to amass over it because we all know that health insurance in the United States is nothing but a scam to make the wealthy even wealthier. I was surprised when I only received a bill for $250 which was the cost of my in-patient copay. That took a couple months but I eventually paid it off. I knew I had numerous follow-up appointments with various doctors and would have copays for those visits as well. Didn't seem like too big a deal. I had recovered well and was responding to medication and dietary changes as far as my blood pressure was concerned - which was the most contributing factor to the stroke - so I figured I'd be cleared by everyone and be on my way. This is where I was wrong.
The only doctor that cleared me right away was the neurologist. What followed from the other specialists was a series of tests, follow-ups from those tests, more tests to make sure everything was still going well, more follow-ups, etc. This meant copay after copay after copay. I expected this and figured I would pay off the $20 copays whenever I could. Then it all started to go downhill. Some doctors were considered specialists and the copays were $30-50 instead of $20. I began getting bills for blood tests, imaging, sonograms, ultrasounds, equipment use, etc. Routine tests I've had before and never paid a dime for much less be billed for them before I was hospitalized. For some reason, that all changed in 2018. While some of these tests were new to me and were done to rule out other contributing factors, most of them are the same tests that have always been covered 100% before I was hospitalized but now considered by the insurance company as either "not medically necessary for the condition provided" or "not covered under your plan for the reasons given by your physician." It seems as though these things were fine as long as they were preventive measures, but post-incident they're just not important and CIGNA couldn't be bothered. I'm really curious as to how an insurance company can determine what is or isn't medically necessary and overrule doctors' orders, but this was exactly what I expected and feared when I woke up in the emergency room last October. I'm also curious as to why doctors don't fight for the best interest of their patients by disputing the insurance company to cover the bills, and instead just pass the bill along to the patient the first chance they get. Again, this is the US Health Care System Scam, so I'm not sure why I'm surprised. To make a long story short, I've amassed well over a grand in medical bills just from basic follow-up appointments and the same routine tests I've had over the last three years. Combine that with not only the costs of medications rising, but also the fact that I am on more medications since October, it's been extremely tough to keep up with it all. Some of it I just said fuck it and let go to collections because I'm just fed up with it all. I am at least happy to report I am finally back on a regular schedule with only my normal doctor, so hopefully the expenses will be fewer & farther between and more manageable when they come.
This is where you guys come in. I guess it was a little over a week or so ago that I commented on the Vault 8 thread asking when the deadline to order was because I needed to save money to buy it. It was then I shed light on why I needed to save money, as this has been a rough year for me financially. I've always sort of lived paycheck to paycheck but still had spending money to do spending things and be just barely comfortable. Since about March this year, that simply hasn't been the case. I got a couple replies & PM's about buying the Vault for me which I did not expect and posted a response on the Vault thread declining the offer, but then it was Mike who messaged me about others being on board and convincing me to go along with it.
I didn't even know he started a thread here until I bumped a thread of my own a couple days ago. I don't know if I was meant as a "don't open til xmas" kind of thing, but I glanced through it anyway. I truly, sincerely cannot thank you all enough for the kindness and generosity you put on display there! Really, for me? The guy whose every other word on here is "fuck" and can be a complete grump at times? I've never really considered myself that important to a bunch of people who I really only know through words & avatars on a computer screen, but I suppose that is the true nature of being a Pearl Jam fan and a Ten Club member. I know I've always tried to help others here when I can, whether its donations to Holy Grails, causes you support, the RAK thread, etc, so while it is shocking it really isn't all that surprising that you'd do the same for me.
In addition to a message from Mike on Friday that the Vault had been ordered for me, this morning I received a text notification from Paypal for a very generous gift of over $500! WHAT??!!!! Guys, holy crap!! When he messaged me last week and said a number of people were on board, I never even imagined this. This is a HUGE relief! I've been putting off getting a couple prescriptions refilled for almost two weeks now (which isn't good because I have an appt with my doctor in a week. That and CVS won't leave me the fuck alone with reminder calls). Not only will I get those filled and get back on the full regimen in time, it will fully cover the two bills I had go to collections, and help pay a nice chunk of the rest I owe. I'm not a very open person about these parts of my life, so it's kind of tough for me to broadcast all of this on a public forum, but you've made it feel like family here. I really don't know how I'll ever thank you guys enough or repay you for what you've done. I'm almost in tears as I write this.
All I can say is I'm glad I have my life, my health, recovered fully with no deficits from the stroke. These times are tough & stressful right now - not just with me but the state of the world and the nation on top of all that. I've tried to stay as positive as possible this year and just enjoy the times and people I have around me. I know I've been grumpy and downright angry at times, and you all can attest to that, but this gesture really makes me believe we can all make the world a better place for those finding themselves in unfortunate times. If we can do it on this scale, it can blow up to something even greater.
A HUGE "THANK YOU" TO MIKE aka @mcgruff10 FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK PART - BE IT DONATION, THREAD BUMP, KIND WORDS, GOOD VIBES, VOODOO, ETC. I am deeply indebted to all of you and I promise to continue to uphold the kindness, generosity, caring, and good nature that has been the vibe of the Pearl Jam family throughout the years.
THANK YOU!!!!!
P.S. As I mentioned in the Vault thread, please make sure you are registered to vote and use your vote wisely so we can have health care reform that benefits every US citizen, not just the wealthy. Beyond vinyl records and helping pay medical bills, that is still the biggest contribution anyone here can make!
Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 (xx) / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24
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Comments
2016: Lexington and Wrigley 1
Mike.
P.S. I agree 100% with your thoughts on health care and the crisis we have in this country. I've posted about it a number of times in AMT, and echo your call for people to get out and vote for change.
Matt
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
Brett
spin..... spin.....
2003 - 6/18 - Chicago, IL
2006 - 5/22 - Auburn Hills, MI
2007 - 8/5 - Chicago, IL
2015 - 9/26 - New York, NY
2016 - 4/16 - Greenville, SC; 8/20 - Chicago, IL; 8/22 - Chicago, IL
2018 - 8/18 - Chicago, IL; 8/20 - Chicago, IL
livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=3045
livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446
1995- New Orleans, LA : New Orleans, LA
1996- Charleston, SC
1998- Atlanta, GA: Birmingham, AL: Greenville, SC: Knoxville, TN
2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY
2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2
2020- Nashville, TN
2022- Smashville
2023- Austin, TX x2
2024- Baltimore
haha, happy to help out, buddy.
Cheers,
HFD
2003 - Champaign, IL
2006 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2
2007 - Chicago, IL Lollapalooza
2009 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2
2010 - St. Louis, MO
2011 - East Troy, WI 1 & 2 (PJ20 Destination Weekend)
2012 - Atlanta, GA, Missoula, MT
2013 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field), Dallas, TX, Oklahoma City, OK
2014 - St. Louis, MO, Tulsa, OK, Moline, IL (No Code, IL), Saint Paul, MN, Milwaukee, WI (Yield, WI)
2016 - Greenville, SC (Vs, SC), Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC, Boston, MA (Fenway Park 1), Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2)
2022 - Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO, Oklahoma City, OK, Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV
2023 - St. Paul, MN 2, Fort Worth, TX 2, Austin, TX 1, and Austin, TX 2
2014 - Soundgarden Tinley Park, IL (with Nine Inch Nails)
2017 - Soundgarden Dallas (cancelled) RIP Chris Cornell
2023 - Jerry Cantrell Milwaukee, WI
astoria 06
albany 06
hartford 06
reading 06
barcelona 06
paris 06
wembley 07
dusseldorf 07
nijmegen 07
this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
CVS is a pain in the ass with the Rx filled reminders - i hear ya! But go pick them up, don't mess with your meds - please take them!!
I disappear for chunks of time, but I'm glad you are still here and mending physically!