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The Screaming Moderate

Medicare, Part III

5/29/2015

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PictureWaiting for Godot, uh, Social Security
I wasn’t getting my dispute with Social Security resolved over the phone or via snail mail so I decided the next best step was to go to the local office (about 15 miles away) and talk live to a human being because I just wasn’t understanding why, despite officially retiring, they wanted to use my 2013 income as the basis for how to charge me for Medicare versus my current income which is nil.

Over the phone and in mail, I was told a “life changing event” would affect their decision on that and that retirement was a “life changing event,” even in their lexicon. I already had faxed in a letter from my former employer stating that I had retired in June 2014, but for some reason, someone on the phone told me my “appeal” was denied. Then, when I called a couple of days later, I was told what I filed wasn’t an appeal, even though it’s the document Social Security had mailed to me file to appeal, and they had filled out half of it.

So, after getting through the guards and metal detectors at the federal building, and I have to say the guards were none too nice about a line of, like, two people trying to get in, I walked into the SSA office and a sign said to enter my Social Security number into a computer to register to see a human being.

There were two human beings behind secure counters calling numbers and about 50 people in the waiting area. Not a great start. But, 20 minutes later, I was standing in front of one of the human beings answering her question of how she could help me. For a second I actually thought this was the woman of my Social Security resolution dreams! But, alas, she was merely doing triage and typed into her computer my question while telling me, “Someone will be with you shortly.”

Turning around and seeing those 50 cohorts in the room with me I had a feeling “shortly” had a different meaning to the woman of my Social Security resolution dreams. And, indeed it did.

After about an hour my wife had to go feed the parking meter and, when she returned (about an hour and a half into my wait) I said, maybe we should go and I’ll try another day, and not waste your time, too. But, trooper that she is, she suggested we wait at least until the parking meter was up (side story: she fed quarters into the meter but no time registered. Fortunately, a meter guy was nearby and she told him of the malfunction and he offered no hope or solace. She said she guessed she could move the car. He said that was a good idea. Thank you, Mr. Meter Man!!)

So, we waited some more and, she was right, about 15 minutes later my name was called to go into the inner sanctum, behind the door through which you had to be buzzed to enter,  where the real woman of my Social Security dreams waited, I hoped.

 I explained, again, my question to the nice young professional looking and acting woman, and she began typing stuff into her computer. She asks a question, then types. Asks another question, then types some more.

I hand her the original letter from my former employer (I had them send me a copy for just such a potential occasion) and she types some more. She makes a copy for their files. She asks what my estimated income would be this year. I have none, but my wife has a little, so we tell her that and round up, just in case something happens and we earn some more.

Then the Social Security lady starts explaining that I should be all set and I’d get a letter in a few days confirming that I, indeed, did have a life-changing event and qualified for a reduced monthly premium. I asked her how that happened and she said that once she’d typed in the info I gave her, the formula came back at the reduced rate. So I asked, so you mean all my other interactions with people from Social Security never got entered correctly in my file, nor did the letter confirming my retirement get in the file, thus I was told I didn’t qualify, was denied my appeal, etc. etc. She looked at me nodding. She said sometimes the computer system is slow. Ok.

Resolved! Well, once I get the letter it will be resolved and I’ll accept resolution once I see it in writing.

Meantime, I learned a couple of things: be persistent, go in and talk to a real human being and also be sure I get someone as efficient and professional as the woman I met with.

On the way out I said, you never told me your name. She hesitated only a second and said, “Mrs. Brown." I figure maybe she's making that up so I can't find her again but then she adds, "that’s the first time I got it right,” she said, “I just got married a couple of weeks ago and I’m not used to saying it yet.”

So, in my book, Mrs. Brown, you’ve got a lovely daughter, in law.  


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Sorry, Dr. Carson and Ms Fiorina , there's no room at the inn

5/27/2015

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italic - Waiting for a seat on the GOP debate podium. -
So many Republican candidates, so little time, and space.

The big debate in the GOP presidential primary right now is how to handle a debate among so many candidates? How can we fit so many candidates on one stage? How can we allow enough time for each to speak? How do we not make it so boring no one will watch?

So, we have debate hosts (so far Fox News and CNN) saying that what they’ll do is winnow the field for us! Thank you cable news networks! It’s not enough you have made watching a little boy floating uncontrolled in a runaway air balloon must-see TV, even though there is no boy in the balloon. Or, watching OJ being chased at 20 miles an hour, more TV that cannot be missed. Or other non-news events that become news because you put them on 24/7..thus is news made. Or, having anchors, male and female, black and white, so horribly ill-trained for their jobs that rather than tune to your channel I have forgone watching cable news. Thank cable news for, now, taking away our right to choose our elected officials, without you taking a whack first.

I get it. You’re gonna winnow the field by reviewing the current polls (which, of course, are our opinions so you’re not responsible. Ass covered.) and that makes it fair.

Let’s see, a few years ago a sitting governor of one of our largest states – who had been leading the polls for a spell – made an “oops” in a debate and ended his candidacy, for that cycle anyway. From head of the class to class dunce on one seemingly simple question. Oh, and there was that skinny African American fellow some years ago who no one thought had a chance of winning his party’s nomination, let alone the White House. Whatever happened to him?

So, this year, the Republicans, already faced with being perceived as the party that hates women and hates minorities now will likely lose its only female and black candidates, at least in the cable news audience consciousness,
because they didn’t make the Top 10. Voted off the island by the honchos at cable news networks. So, the party that is perceived to be the party of old white men will remain thus, even when they actually do have a more (slightly) diverse field. Thank you to the old white men who make the decisions at the cable news networks! How could we manage our lives without you?

And you wonder why only two families seem to be providing presidents lately.


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Top 10 reasons I won't stay up to watch the last Letterman show

5/20/2015

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10) I haven’t been up past 11 since Dick Clark was doing New Year’s Rockin’ Eve

9) I have a DVR so I’ll digitize it to watch at a more logical hour, like 2 in the afternoon

8) If I were to be awake, there’d probably be a Law and Order on at 11 that I’ve only seen 15 times before and I’d be sucked into seeing how it ends

7)  Paul Shaffer

6) If I didn’t stay up last night to see who won Dancing with the Stars, and that ended at 11 (or 11:04), then I doubt I’d make it to 11:30.

5) If I didn’t stay up last night to see who won The Voice, and that ended at 11 (or 11:04), then I doubt I’d make it to 11:30

4) If I don’t plan to stay up and see who won Survivor, well, you get the idea

3) Don’t you think it’s a little odd that his final show is on a Wednesday night?

2) If I’m awake past 11:30 it usually means I’m, uh, visiting the bathroom.

And, the number one reason I won’t stay up to watch the last Letterman show…

1)      I hate seeing a grown man cry…and that grown man would be me.

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Medicare, Part II

5/14/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
I mailed my first payment into Medicare this week. I mean, it’s making out a check, putting it in an envelope and sticking it the mailbox. I’ve done that a million times with bills and gifts. But the walk to the mailbox this time seemed to take on a special momentum. I could hear bugles heralding my procession on the march to, and harps on the walk fro.

Mailing the check has its uncertainty. In spite of calling the Medicare Hot Line  a few times and waiting the not-too-long but still long period of time, I’m still not sure why the amount was what it was…higher than I expected.

There is the issue that I’m paying their top dollar because they’re using 2013 as my base income year and that was not only my last year of full-time employment, but also the year I sold a condo that I’d owned in Virginia for 25 years, making my annual income – or in Medicare speak my MAGI (modified adjusted gross income) -- the highest single year in my lifetime. If you added my next highest three years, I probably wouldn't have hit that amount.

I spoke on the phone to the local Social Security Office about that and they had someone call me to discuss an appeal if I’d had, again in Medicare talk, a “life-changing event.” I didn’t come across a burning bush that told me something that changed my life, but I did retire which meant my income went from a decent amount to…nothing. That is a life-changing event, even in Medicare speak. 

So I filed the appeal and in a pretty efficient 10 days I received a letter telling me they “cannot make a new decision in (my) case because the (MAGI) did not change enough to make a difference.” This in spite of me submitting the requested letter from my former employer saying I’d retired a year ago. I still don’t understand how I could go from a decent income to nothing, and not qualify or have that be a “life-changing event”. I mean, trust me, seeing money going out and nothing coming in is not only life-changing, it's scary.  

Seems no income is as low as one can go (I’m not yet collecting Social Security). They did list the potential reasons for changing my income which included retiring, for which I’d already sent a letter saying, as I said above, I did retire. But, I still was rejected. So, when I called about that, the nice woman in the call center in Pennsylvania, made it clear she could not affect the decision but could send me a form by which I could appeal my appeal. So, I’m now awaiting that form to fill out.

Meantime the first payment was due.

So I paid the stated amount, which actually was even more than even than in their pricing even for those who make the most allowed. So I called the call center and I think she said the number was for three months. I still don’t understand because the amount due was for more than a month’s fee, but certainly not enough for three. Maybe it was prorated, I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll be calling the 800 number again, and I’ll ask, again.

I will say the waiting time to speak to a human being wasn’t too horrible and the first time, after I’d held about 20 minutes, a polite digital voice told me that if I wanted to cease waiting and get a call back, I’d get one within the hour. I submitted my request for the call back and assumed I’d never get one but about an hour later, I did get that call! So, that worked well even though Medicare, as the nice digital recording told me, services 50 million people thus a wait should be expected.

I put the check for the too-high amount in the mail figuring maybe at some point they will refund some money once my appeal works. Or a burning bush crosses my path, whichever comes first.


1 Comment

Deflating footballs, but not egos

5/12/2015

3 Comments

 
Picture
Politics ain’t bean bag. Neither is football.

The New England Patriots are having one of their worst weeks, and this after yet another Super Bowl championship. They cheated, or so says the NFL. Therefore, quarterback and all-American perceived nice guy Tom Brady will be suspended for four games, which means a loss of about $2 million in pay, and his team is being fined another million. Why? Because, the league says, they intentionally deflated footballs to make them more easily gripped by one of the best QBs ever to play the pro game. As if he needs such an advantage.

The fines matter little. The team’s owner is a billionaire and a million to him is, well, bean bag. And Brady and his super model wife are worth about half what the owner is, so losing a couple million also isn’t going to put them out on the streets either.

All of that to me, though, is bean bag.

This seems to be all about ego and hubris. Once again, the cover-up is bigger crime than the crime itself. Brady assured, when the allegations broke just before Super Bowl week, he did “absolutely” nothing wrong. The answer that stood out to me  at the time was when Brady was asked if he was a cheater. His response: “I don’t believe so.” Could have been the pressure of the moment but “I don’t believe so” when asked if you’re guilty of something is not the answer that would come to my mind.  Question: “Sir, did you beat your wife?”  Answer: “I don’t believe so.” Sorry, that doesn't sound right to me.  It’s yes or no. It’s a little like, “it depends what the definition of ‘is’ is” if you ask me.

The other night Brady spoke at Salem State College, in an appearance arranged before the report was scheduled to be issued. Every local station carried it live in prime time, interrupting regularly scheduled programming. Asked about the report, Brady played to the crowd (which was like a pep rally for him) and said he hadn't read the report and he would and get back to us. Again, sorry -- you either did it or didn't. What's to read? You, tom, know the truth.

So, a couple of tenths of a pound per square inch really wasn’t worth all this newsprint, news time or bother. If Brady, his owner and his team had simply said at the beginning of this controversy “we did it” this would have ended months ago, Brady likely would have not been suspended for four games and the few million in fines likely would not have been assessed. Call it hubris. Call it ego. Call it chutzpah.

Whichever, Brady's name in history now will be tainted by it, and his (so far) four Super Bowl wins will share equal space in the history books with this sorry episode.



3 Comments

TV or not TV...is that the question?

5/4/2015

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On my cable TV provider (Verizon), I have about 300 channel options. And, with 300 choices there really is…very little to watch. I watch about three of those 300 channels. Which, I’m sure, is why I’ve seen every Law and Order 200 times. Oh, and of course I enjoy Castle, Bones and NCIS, too. Ubiquitous Thank goodness because when all other channels fail, they are the go-to. And other channels fail so often.

So, I called Verizon to ask about lessening my channel options in the new, more affordable bundles they are advertising, responding to consumers complaints that they have a gazillion channels and most they do not watch. Turns out, there really is no savings (for me anyway). If I want access to ESPN, and I do, that adds $20 to the monthly fee and if I want access to USA (which I do, because that’s where Law and Order usually is) that’s another $10, which would bring my more affordable bundle to …. $5 a month less than I pay now! So, I’ve opted to pay those $5 and will still have access to those other 297 channels I never watch. More options to ignore.

I did learn something that surprised but didn’t’ shock me. As I was talking to the nice customer service fellow on the phone going through my options (which took about 30 minutes to save those $5) he said, let me check your watching habits. So, yes, Big Brother (who is so 1984) is watching what we watch. And, he confirmed I watch a lot of the channels that show Law and Order and my other favorite reruns. I also spend a lot of time on those 30 basic channels that are the cheapest bundle. But, if I want ESPN and USA, then the cheaper bundles does me no good.

Regular readers may recall that I recently was able to get Verizon to fix my On Demand service so I now have access to other shows that have aired but I may have missed. We do watch Madam Secretary (which doesn’t come close to replicating reality – I mean the chief of staff wanders over to the State Department to talk to the Secretary on the spur of the moment? Uh, doubtful. Not to mention the CIA husband who has saved the world at least twice that I can recall. Still, I watch.). And we like The Good Wife so sometimes we need the services of On Demand if an episode is missed.

  Now that my On Demand works, I thought I could cancel the DVR service I rent from Verizon, which is $16.99 a month…I didn’t realize how expensive it was!(Pause) But wait, I just called Verizon and the DVR service turns out is $5 a month but it shows on the bill as $16.99 because that is the DVR ($5) plus the setup box ($11.99), which you have to have to have cable at all. And, if I want to save the $5, then I need to send back the box I have to get the non-DVR box. After the On Demand repair guy spend a bulk of two weeks here, replacing every piece of equipment they supply to try to find the problem, and everything seems to be working fine now, I’m not about to trade in equipment to save $5 a month and muck up the decent service I now am receiving.

And so ends my cable provider escapades, for now. Gonna go look up what Amazon Prime provides.

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    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

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