[imagine]

Everything seems like you are required to dot all your I s and cross all your T s. Coupons, cell phone plans, rebates, insurance etc. Every I every T.

I'm very tried of dotting and crossing and jumping through hoops.

We have been doing lots of changes to balance the budget.
Including coupons, rebates, changing cell phone plan, home phone plan, changing insurance etc.

It seems like everyone you talk to tries to get you to spend more not wanting you to spend less.

Hubby's work changed health insurance due to cost. major hoops to get hem to cover ( although they don't pay much) of Buddy's asthma medication that has worked well for him for 7 years (since he was 6).

At the dentist I felt bullied when I tried to changed the way we did things ( amount of time between visits and how the visit is classified) now that the insurance had changed. Once I cried and they apologized for hurting my feelings they caught on that it had to change or we weren't going to be coming. Then they were willing to work with me. I'm hurt and a bit angry by this.

Hubby says no one cares about our pocket book they only care about theirs. I'm beginning to believe that might be so.

Our family doctor I think tries to save us money. She is always changing the prescription dosage (a larger does so you can cut the tablet in half) or type (tablet instead of capsules etc) to "save us some money". Realizing that our insurance was changing a in a few day. She rushed a test she felt Buddy needed. She was falling the rules of saving money and insurance, as she knew them to be. As it turned out we hadn't met our deductible and had to pay the $500 out of our pocket. So that met our deductible except the deductible reset a two days after.
It would have been better if we had waited I think.

To many rules. To many I's to dot to many T s to cross.
I very frustrated.

 

[craftypam]

You are so right as to how all this is. I called about changing our internet and home phone and the first thing the guy tried to sell was cable. I stopped him and said I am not getting cable. We also had the experience of having a test and finding out the deductible wasn't met yet and it cost us over $1000. Credit cards are another thing that will get you if you don't watch. Its hard with insurance because you never get a paper to read so you know all of the details, and when not having been through it before, not knowing the questions to ask.

 

[dcompton]

Managing a family's finances can be a full time job. Nothing is simple anymore. All we can do is slog along and do the best we can. But it can be a weary and overwhelming slog indeed. But it sounds like you are doing all you can and hats off to you for that.

 

[Momto5RN]

i hate when you check with dr and they say ist 100% covered - you check with insurance its 100% covered - all BEFORE you decide to do something - after you do it - oh you owe 385$ it wasnt 100% covered because the dr found something ( a normal polyp) which no longer makes it a routine check up-

ummmmm what type of exam- looking for a problem due to symptoms or just a routine check up it is is decided pre the test not after it . what these insurances try to pull is crazy .

we fought that for 3 months i finally put it on a CC so it wouldnt go into collections while we fought it and the next day the insurance was paid and my CC was refunded but what a load of poo that was.

 

[Hamada]

Hang in there. Don't be afraid to tell people we can afford coming in x amount of times or what is the cheapest way to get our meds.

My one doctor will listen. Even when I remind her that coming in two times a month is not within the budget.

I was in tears when I first got my new computer and trying to get it to work. Verizon telling me it was the computer and the computer company telling me it was the internet provider. Started crying out of frustration and all of a sudden they were able to do a conference call. Why they didn't do it in the first place I do not know why. Anyway ends up Verizon did a bad job installing and they had to install a new part.

Anyway, give yourself some credit here. You did not give up and were able to get some services to where it is manageable. I would call the doctors office and explain what happened. Could be that a code was put in incorrectly. This happened to me once and the woman at the doctors office was able to straighten it out and I didn't have to pay anything.

 

[nodmicks]

So sorry to hear how frustrating that all is. The Dr may give you a break on the bill. It never hurts to ask. Hang in there and I hope tomorrow is a terrific day!

 

[Contrary Housewife]

Sometimes it feels like you have to work twice as hard to hang on to your money as you do to earn it in the first place. And you're right, they absolutely do not care about your pocketbook. They're in the business of making money after all, even hospitals.

 

[Syn D]

Right off the bat we say, "this is how it's gonna be and if you can't help us, we're sure there is someone out there that can".. If they offer something, we always say "we'll discuss it and get back to you", in a lot of cases, we'll get stopped with a better offer..

We just canceled our cable and went with another company.. The cable rep said "well whats the problem, lets see if we can do better for you", my husband said "your to expensive and quality isn't good. Now if you want to try to do better for us you need to call my wife and sense this is more her idea than mine, I don't advise you to call her less you have 2 hours to spare listening to her opinion on your company".. The rep said "we'll send your final bill out".

We have done that type of stuff over the years many times.. If it's on the phone, I say "well I don't make those decisions you need to talk to my husband" they say "when is the best time to get a hold of him" I say "between 11pm and 5am". Little do they know, our phone is shut off in that time and we never hear from them again..

We refuse to be pressured in to something or badgered in to it.. If we need it or want it, we'll get it when we want too..

 

[JanieD]

I definitely understand your frustration. Actually, I'm right there with you! Things are just so darn complicated. I'm pretty sure that they do it on purpose to get us confused so we give up & just fork over our money.
I really have no problem asking how much it costs or saying its not in the budget. Sometimes you have to be very clear. I think some aren't use to patients or clients looking to cut corners. They can make it difficult, but its my money & I aim to hold on to as much of it as possible!

 

[frugalfranny]

Hubby says no one cares about our pocket book they only care about theirs. I'm beginning to believe that might be so.

Your hubby has it correct. Seems like it is getting worse too........instead of better. Can wear you out to be a consumer!!

 

[The Muse]

Try moving overseas. I cry almost everyday because it seems like everyone except me got a copy of the rule book. Add the variable of not speaking the language and it all seems hopeless.

I can't even bring myself to add up what I've paid in late fees because I can't read the freaking bills and need someone to help me.

If I need to see a Dr., I'm only allowed to call between 8 & 9 am and they get huffy if they have to speak English, nevermind that this is supposed to be covered by my 50% in income tax.

 

[many houseapes]

Hugs to you...I know, we are expereincing this too.

 

[cab54]

WE have a saying we use at my house;

"UP the rules!!" :hat: (a quote from a movie,I can't remember which one)

It doesn't solve the problem of rules, but it lightens the mood.

When my kids were young the dentist made me feel like a really bad mother because I only could afford to take them to the dentist once a year, not twice. And he always did it out in the pay-area where everybody could hear. Tsk!

Needless to say, my sons are adults now and have great teeth. DH was getting his own business off the ground and we have never had dental ins. I refused to let the dentist embarrass me. I'd say 'maybe someday when our situation is better.' unch:

Cripes, I never went to a dentist till I was 20, and paid my own way! I had ONE cavity.

Don't let them beat you down, imagine. Ask the doctors if you can go on a payment system that you two agree to. When I worked at a doctor's office, some people would pay only $5 a month toward their bill, and that was OK with the docs.

When I was born, my cervical spine had been bent in the process (3 day birth!) and my mom and dad were teenagers. I was at the hospital a month (some sort of paralysis), and it took my parents till their third child was born to pay MY bill off. LOL! But they kept putting $$ toward it till it was gone.

 

[cab54]

Try moving overseas. I cry almost everyday because it seems like everyone except me got a copy of the rule book. Add the variable of not speaking the language and it all seems hopeless.

I can't even bring myself to add up what I've paid in late fees because I can't read the freaking bills and need someone to help me.

If I need to see a Dr., I'm only allowed to call between 8 & 9 am and they get huffy if they have to speak English, nevermind that this is supposed to be covered by my 50% in income tax.

GEEZ, Muse! What country are you living in? I'll be sure to avoid it.

 

[max915]

I just hate it that we can go to only Drs that are listed on our insurance list...don't get me wrong I am lucky and have very good insurance but to only use their Drs are a pain..I was wanting to go get allergy tests done but there is only 1 Dr listed and he only comes to our town if he has enought paitents to make it worth his while...so I just keep talking over the counter meds...