The Great Insurance Rip-Off
Like I said in the other post, I hate insurance. But for pete's sake, why should my homeowners quote be more for a house built before 1950? And can't we have some understanding since it was built in 1948?
Where those 2 years in the building code so revolutionary as to make it such a definite cut off point?
Where those 2 years in the building code so revolutionary as to make it such a definite cut off point?
I pay monthly... can never afford the 6 month discounted payment. I do get a discount for direct payments though. Once my current policy expires I plan to switch to a policy with my home owners insurance company (this is paid yearly by the way) to get a discounted rate. By that time I'll no longer need to file an SR-22 so I should be OK.
I pay every 6 months and it's automatically deducted from my account. I use to insure two vehicles with my pay every 6 months policy and it was cheaper to insure two vehicles than it was to just insure one because of the discount I received (doesn't seem right I know). I had my old car with liability only insurance listed as my primary vehicle, and my newer-better vehicle insured with full coverage listed as my secondary vehicle with full coverage. It was cheaper to insure them that way than to simply have my better vehicle insured with full coverage and not insure the older one at all.... :smt017 Of course, I drove the better vehicle 100% of the time, and never drove the "primary" vehicle. Why wouldn't I drive the one with full coverage, duh..... Those insurance policies are so dumb...
Upon purchasing a new vehicle my insurance was jacked from 50/ month to 125/month. I figured it would go up, although not 150%. So I did some shopping around, and found a guy who could insure my car, another vehicle (liability only), and a small renter policy for less than the 125/month. He also lowered my deductibles, and increased my liability, which was just at minimum level.
He also mentioned that if it were not for the at-fault accident last May, he could have done even better. Here's the problem, I had no at fault accident last May! My car was hit and ran, but my former insurance company reported it as at fault. Gee how nice! So I went to the local police to get a copy of the police report, and the officer checked my record, and nothing on DMV that said anything about an at fault accident-leaving only the insurance company to blame.
I got it taken care of and received an even lower rate from them. The lesson however is you cannot trust anybody, one would think the insurance companies would do some kind of double checking when they send out rate increases, esp huge rate increases that are out of the usual. I would urge people to shop around for insurance every couple of years, just to keep them honest, and to be sure there are no surprises on that record. Who knows, you may even find a better deal than what you currently have.
He also mentioned that if it were not for the at-fault accident last May, he could have done even better. Here's the problem, I had no at fault accident last May! My car was hit and ran, but my former insurance company reported it as at fault. Gee how nice! So I went to the local police to get a copy of the police report, and the officer checked my record, and nothing on DMV that said anything about an at fault accident-leaving only the insurance company to blame.
I got it taken care of and received an even lower rate from them. The lesson however is you cannot trust anybody, one would think the insurance companies would do some kind of double checking when they send out rate increases, esp huge rate increases that are out of the usual. I would urge people to shop around for insurance every couple of years, just to keep them honest, and to be sure there are no surprises on that record. Who knows, you may even find a better deal than what you currently have.
A few weeks ago I went to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor to test my sinuses and allergy testing. The doctor only was with me for 10 minutes, checked a few things, shined a light up my nose, and gave me some Clarinex pills (note he did not do any extensive testing). He said to come back a month later.
Well, I get a bill showing the damn doctor charged $415 (labeled Consultation service) minus half the insurance covered and a $123 discount. Ok, so my bill is $75, but that's still too much after insurance considering the doctor really didn't do a lot. I'm going to fight this and am not paying this until they admit they are screwing the insurance company and also me.
Also, I had to get a pre-op physical for my bunion surgery, a general doctor charged $112 and insurance paid nothing because it was "preventive medical service". I thought BCBS of ND was big on preventive care and they always come to our company quarterly holding a conference educating us on this.
Now I'm afraid what my bill for the bunion surgery is going to come back as!
Well, I get a bill showing the damn doctor charged $415 (labeled Consultation service) minus half the insurance covered and a $123 discount. Ok, so my bill is $75, but that's still too much after insurance considering the doctor really didn't do a lot. I'm going to fight this and am not paying this until they admit they are screwing the insurance company and also me.
Also, I had to get a pre-op physical for my bunion surgery, a general doctor charged $112 and insurance paid nothing because it was "preventive medical service". I thought BCBS of ND was big on preventive care and they always come to our company quarterly holding a conference educating us on this.
Now I'm afraid what my bill for the bunion surgery is going to come back as!
Don't worry! John McCain is going to give you a $2,500 tax credit to use however you want, wherever you want on medical needs. (It's only $5,000 dollars for couples).As you can see, that wouldn't add up to shit the way they charge. The entire system is flawed and needs a major re-haul. I know at the hospital I work at, they charge the patient $900 for a tube that goes in your ass and collects your loose stools into a bag when the patient is too sick to get up to use the bathroom, or cannot tell you they need to use the bathroom. The funny part is that the "fecal management system" costs like $110 dollars for the hospital to purchase. Why are they charging the patient $900 for it then???? The hospitals argument is that the overcharge of $790 is for the time that the staff would of used cleaning you up if you actually had been crapping yourself. However, that logic doesn't make sense, because, it is in fact saving the staff time because you are NOT crapping yourself!
Sucks man. You can try fighting it, but really; I think this is something that our state governments need to be fighting for us.
I hear you man. After the nurse asked me if I would like to keep the comfort socks they had for me, I jokingly asked if they charge for them. I left them there, but who knows, I probably get a $200 bill for them. They also gave me a $1 roll of tape that medical tape, so i better not see some excessive charge for that.The company I work for got a crappy medical plan this year, because they needed to bargain shop for one that wouldn't increase in cost.
Our medical system is totally messed up, people in American have to worry about just going to the doctor with all the forms, insurance, etc.. that they need to have. What our dumb society doesn't get is the healthier a person is, the more functional and better off everyone would be in a whole.
You don't even want to talk to me about insurance right now. I am getting a ton of medical bills from doctors in Miles City, Dickinson, and Bismarck. All caused from my anxiety and the Chantix troubles. Our insurance at work sucks balls. I have met my deductible, but still they do not pay. I don't understand it. I need to quit my job and get on wellfare like all the other lazy people out there. At least all my medical bills would be paid...