Climate Change a "New Religion" part 1

Climate Change a new Religion Part 1.  Academic and Scientific Integrity.

I have pondered since starting this blog, just how I would approach a favorite topic of mine- “Climate Change”.  To be more precise “Anthropologic Climate Change” (for those unschooled “Anthro” pertains to “Humans”, see what a Major in Anthropology taught me!) I find the topic fascination not only because I have been a weather freak for years (yes I know Climate and weather are “different” things), but because discussions on this subject are so “tribal”.

Now most of you know my general thinking on this subject and I will try/ to expand on it over the next few blog entries.  I am a member of the “Anthropological induced global warming skeptic tribe.  Or as those from the other tribe would say I am a “Denier” or some type of scientific bumpkin.  Today’s Earth Day protests finally fueled my fire to strike back at “Science is King” should rule the way we make political decisions.  Here we go!

I actually think I have always had an interest in Science, and I sure as heck understand Laws of Physics, Thermodynamics, evolutionary theory, continental drift, and climate variability.  I know that in the Earths geological record we have had cycle after cycle of climatic events (ice ages, periods of extreme warmth yadda yadda yadda).  I also understand the carbon cycle and how the Earth at various times have seen increased and decreased carbon dioxide levels, and that these cycles have caused sequestration of Carbon which we have burned heavily since the start of the Industrial Revolution.  I understand that Carbon dioxide levels have increased during this time and that this is the basis of the fundamental concern that we are warming the atmosphere via the “greenhouse effect”

Ok Jim, so what are you skeptical about.  Over the next several Blog posts I will try to articulate my skepticism.  More importantly I hope to present some of the social reasons this issue has become so polarizing.  For you believers in catastrophic (or even not so catastrophic) human induced Climate Change make no mistake I am coming at this from my tribal perspective.  However, I truly welcome different well considered perspectives. 

In today’s post I want to start by impinging on the idea that “science” and “academic peer reviewed research” should hold sway over people like me.  I constantly get lectured that we should let science “trump” politics on this subject.  That is because “science” and peer reviewed research is “pure.  My retort is “Bullshit it is”.  Scientists and academics are no more immune to Human Tribalism than “Joe Six Pack” raising three kids and working in the coal mines, oil and steel mills, insurance companies, airlines etc. etc.  I would argue that in fact our scientific researchers and academic experts are primarily members of a tribe that views the world through their own lens.  So let me delve into a couple of reasons I believe “science”, certainly in terms of this debate is not “pure”

Example one:  MIT

In 2013 while working at the United Way I was delving into the causes of poverty, familiarize myself with a subject that the United Way deals with every day.  One day while researching some issues on the topic of poverty, achievement and single parent households n  My attention was raised by a very interesting study by two MIT economists. 

 “WAYWARD SONS THE EMERGING GENDER GAP IN LABOR MARKETS AND EDUCATION David Autor and Melanie Wasserman.”

The study was extremely interesting and very thought provoking.  It correlated (as only economists could) the rise in Fatherless Homes, and the demise of boys.  In particular they presented some pretty extensive data that:

“Boys have suffered disproportionally and significantly more than girls with the rise of fatherless homes. Finally, most one parent families are headed by mothers not fathers, and boys appear to do relatively worse in these families, perhaps due to paternal absence.”

“Over a period of time when the economic returns on education were increasing, male educational attainment—and therefore income— has stagnated.”

“...increased prevalence of single-headed households and the diminished childrearing role played by stable male parents may serve to reinforce the emerging gender gaps in education.”

Ok those quotes were lifted from highlights of the report it is 64 pages long and trust me worth a read.  Talk about why so many males are disaffected in today’s society!

Anyway the report was prefaced as an attempt at challenging liberal thought”, by the studies sponsors, “The Third Way”.  Some interesting quotes from their preface.

“Our aim is to challenge, and ultimately change, some of the prevailing assumptions that routinely define, and often constrain, Democratic and progressive economic and social policy debates.”

You would think that such a report would be right up my “Right Wing Family Values Ally”.  However in the opening remarks were these comments:

“The trends in this paper will be debated for some time to come especially because there are no easy public policy answers to the issues raised. In fact, like most complex problems the data does not take the policy maker in one clear direction. For those on the left wing of the political spectrum it is clear that the demise of labor unions is an important factor in this story and it should lead us to investigate whether it is possible to re-vitalize unions for a 21st century economy. For those on the right wing of the political spectrum it is clear that the trend away from marriage and away from two-parent families is having an adverse effect on children, especially children from the poorest families.

 And for a greater number of policymakers, the push to legalize marriage for some same-sex couples is further buttressed by evidence that children—particularly boys—fare worse when only one parent is in the home. Dealing with this issue will test the political imagination of both political parties and should point policy makers in new directions.

Now I ask any reader how a study that purports to show evidence that boys fare poorly without fathers tries to use this to “buttress” the argument that two women should marry and raise children??? 

I challenge you to read this piece, and tell me how it could possibly “buttress” gay marriage.

Now I am not posting this to argue pro or con on the merits or moral issues with gay marriage.  I am using this piece to “buttress” my belief that in today’s world of science at least in academia virtually all roads lead to progressive thought.  If you think I am kidding look at the many studies that the vast majority of the staff at such institutions are extremely “progressive”. If you really think that such an environment does not foster thinking in “progressive ways” I have a bridge I can sell you. Peer review and grants for research are all influenced by this, that is simply logical human behavior.  When one is a member of the progressive tribe you must cite progressive ideals even if your research does not support it.  MIT is one of the “crown jewels” of our Higher Education system yet even their research falls into this trap.  I am sure the prevailing thought process at say Liberty University falls in a much different direction, and I cannot imagine a progressive thinking otherwise.

My favorite social scientist, Jonathan Haidt recently had an interview with the WSJ where he discusses just how serious tribalism is at today’s higher institutions of learning.  It is a big problem. 

Adding to bias in the inherent climate change debate is that after years of training at such institutions most government employees of the NOAA, EPA etc. involved in policy decisions came from this environment.  I believe that when Eisenhower warned us of a “Military Industrial” complex he was right on.  I also think we kid ourselves if we do not recognize the danger inherent in an Environmental/Academic complex in corrupting thought.  Now I will deal with the moral issues we face in protecting our world versus humanitarian benefits of lifting Billions out of poverty in a later post on Climate Change.

Example 2

Much of today’s “Climate Change” research comes out of Penn State University.  Most notable is Michael Mann who is a leader of the alarmist charge.  I recommend you educate yourself on Michael Mann and his history and form your own opinion.  I will interject this that “Climate Research” brings in millions to Penn State’s coffers.  So did Penn State Football.  Think how the Top People at Penn State enabled Child molestation for profit by ignoring Jerry Sandusky.  I do not for a minute disagree with the idea that “science” can easily be corrupted for money, but not only by Big Oil, but by “Big Academia” as well.  My point in this blog post is a very simple one- scientists have inherent biases as all of us do.  They are influenced by their daily environment which frankly at most institutions where they are trained or and they must espouse a very progressive worldview or be ostracized.

Finally for those who think arguing that “Science” should decide all of our policy decisions I LOVE this quote from my favorite “elitist” who in the name of “science” thinks people are dumb who do not think his way. 

“When you’re scientifically literate, the world looks different to you. It’s a particular way of questioning what you see and hear. When empowered by this state of mind, objective realities matter. These are the truths of the world that exist outside of whatever your belief system tells you.

One objective reality is that our government doesn’t work, not because we have dysfunctional politicians, but because we have dysfunctional voters. As a scientist and educator, my goal, then, is not to become President and lead a dysfunctional electorate, but to enlighten the electorate so they might choose the right leaders in the first place."

Neil deGrasse Tyson
New York, Aug. 21, 2011

Mr. deGrasse could have given Hillary’s deplorable comments it’s inspiration.   Now just ponder how science has pushed some pretty radical social re-engineering in the past.  Heck I do not dispute Darwin but even if natural selection may have caused inherent differences within our human species it does not justify slavery or euthanasia of those less capable humans among us.  That is a MORAL debate.  Science is MORALLY neutral and I do not Need Re-education.  Leave that to Pol Pot.

I will end this entry with some pictures from Earth Day, looks like the tribe I describe above.  Talk about politicizing science.  Whew.

Keeping the Customer Satisfied

It's the same old story, yeah
Everywhere I go,
I get slandered, libeled,
I hear words I never heard in the Bible
And I'm one step ahead of the shoe shine
Two steps away from the county line
Just trying to keep my customers satisfied,
Satisfied.

Simon and Garfunkel

Keeping the Customer Satisfied a follow up on customer service

I had not planned to do another “customer service” blog post but sometimes you cannot help it when stuff falls into your lap.

First how about “United” for customer service huh?  The video and reaction to the incident have certainly highlighted what not to do to customers.  I want to make a couple of points some you might know and some you may not about (yes I poked around the internet for this info.).:

1.      That Passenger was NOT BUMPED for “overbooking” he was bumped to give seats to four United Employees.  That is ILLEGAL per FAA rules.   If it was an overbooking situation United had the absolute right to haul his ass off the plane (as a legalistic guy I understand that you agree to all that to fly).  They were granted that right by an act of Congress.  However even if it was an overbooking United cannot legally just to offer a voucher either.  I believe it must be cash or equivalent (and not limited to $800 yes there is a formula and this passenger was likely entitled to well over $800 Max they offered.).  Heck an $800 dollar voucher is not really worth $800.

2.       It is interesting that the story was framed that way (as an over booked issue) initially.  It made it sound like United had some “right” to drag him off the plane.  They did not (as I mention in item 1) and I hope he and his lawyer really hit a payday.   The guy was literally mugged by United, they stole his ticket gave the ticket to an employee and then enlisted the Government to enforce the mugging.
     While most of us have conceded authority to the airlines for our personal freedom, this is really bad, worse than just the video. We see it as a necessity after 9/11.  However, like my comments on healthcare.  As soon as you have a “government/industry partnership, you get Government/Industry coercion.  Then this often gets way out of control.

3.       My son Eric experienced Government/Industry coercion first hand while technically no longer on active duty as a Marine but re-entering civilian life.  He and Blair were flying to South Carolina for three days to visit Blair’s Parents and Barbara and I for a Master’s weekend.  Blair’s mother has had tickets for years.  The day they were to arrive Blair called in tears.  She and Eric were bumped from a US Air Flight (I have not flown on US Air or its successor since) because Eric was “uncooperative”.  

Paranoid their luggage would not make the trip if checked they had only carry-on.  Eric boarded early (service ID) and to make sure Blair’s Carry-on would get to SC he took both of their carry on pieces.  Blair said whatever you do “do not let this get checked”.  Never say that to a Marine.

 He boarded and the attendant said he could not put 2 carryon bags in the overhead.  He tried to explain one was his wife’s who would be boarding in a few minutes.  She was unbending.  Eric made the mistake of telling her not to remove the bag.  Anyway a “discussion” started and the stewardess instructed him how things were different after 9/11, to which Eric lectured her about 9/11 and his life in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Big mistake Eric!

They got a refund but never made the Master’s.  Barbara and I did get to spend 2 days at the Master’s with Blair’s parents instead of just 1 including Sunday.   Charles Schwartzel won it that Sunday in an enjoyable thriller finish!

Anyway while I understand that overbooking makes airline travel cheaper and more efficient having the government and industry decide “together” caps on compensation  etc. is ridiculous.  A free market solution would solve the problem quickly.  You do not cap compensation.  Simply make it an auction.  That would force United to arrive at the most efficient use of resources.  How much was it worth to get those employees to Louisville.  Heck was it worth 12,000 bucks for a private charter or 6,000 in traveler’s compensation? 

The United Airlines incident shows what making customers compliant via coercion does, now for a few minutes I want to discuss how to make customers “happily” compliant, and do their work for them to boot!

For the last 2 years I have been “wowing” my mother by depositing checks into my bank (including a few of hers).  She still cannot believe how when I get a check, I take out my phone, and deposit a check.  I like it even more when within seconds an email comes back saying that check was  verified and deposited. Instant positive feedback and away you go. I laugh and kid my mom that my job’s all done and it makes her smile.  I try to explain how it works to her but not sure it gets through.   I cannot wait for the things my kids and grandkids amaze me with when I (hopefully) reach 91!

When you think about saving your time going to the bank, and the bank in turn having me do what used to be the banks job, it is brilliant.  A real customer service win-win except for the unemployed teller I guess.  

But let me go a step further on this off-load work, positive feedback model.

Getting a mortgage at age 64 has been an enlightening experience.  Not too much different from a re-finance I did in 2013.  You get questions about unusually large deposits (I really had very few of those!), sources of income, and then you have to explain to some young whippersnapper that a 50% joint survivor annuity pension means they pay me until I die and then my editor gets one half of that amount until she dies.  I could go on but to sum it up the process is like a financial colonoscopy.

The difference between that 2013 refinance and applying for this mortgage is like night and day from a customer perspective.  In 2013 with Morgan Stanley home loans we used a telephone and email.  Each question was a new out of the blue inquiry.  I would get a call and the nice young man (I still remember his name “Jimmie”) would ask a personal financial question like an inquisitor:

“Mr. Roberts we need to know funding source of that deposit back on January 15^th 2012”.

This went on for about 3 weeks and each time Morgan Stanley would call you out of the blue and ask a personal question and then you had to respond in writing.  You never knew when you were done. 

The process this time involved the same type of questions but here is what is so different from just 4 years ago.  “Quicken Loans”. I used them this time and it was fascinating.  Here’s why.

Before we went over to Winter Park to house hunt I called Wells Fargo because I have a banking relationship with them (maybe not much longer).  They gave me some quick overview of the process and when I said I was interested they asked if I could set up a time the next day to chat.  We made an “appointment” but at the appointed time …no call.  I called them about a half hour later, and nobody heard of me???  I could not help but remember the scandal last year about how their employees fraudulently moved accounts around to make bonuses, and figured maybe they were still too busy doing that to call me back!   Now in reality stuff happens, and frankly my local Wells Fargo people all seem nice, friendly and helpful but I do believe corporations have a culture and while I still have a checking account at Wells Fargo I think they and United have a much in common.

I then went online and “chatted” with Quicken Loans.  Within seconds of explaining why I was “chatting” I got a response “can we call you now or what time is convenient” I responded “now is fine” and in 10 seconds my phone rang and I was talking to a person who is now my “loan officer” (I subtlety noticed during this process that this nice person “Linda” would suddenly appear in the midst of some back and forth and make a decision in my favor.  From the start I had a relationship with a person who seemed in a decision making role).  Anyway on this initial call I explained some very complicated income statistics (my “income” was low in my first year or two of retirement, think of my Tax Credit strategy).  She quickly grasped, said can you send me three years of tax returns, just “upload” to Quicken Loans (after opening an online account of course).  Boom the next day I had a pre-qualification letter etc.  Off to Winter Park we went.

Now it has not all been peachy keen.  “Linda” told me at the start that the “underwriting process” will get more involved and it did (no surprise).  I felt at times like I was training some of their people.  Interesting when I could not get through to them on an issue a specialist "Natalie" (or Linda) would quickly grasp and get cleared up. 

Ok so why am I boring you with a Quicken Loan infomercial?  The way Quicken Loans has set up this whole pain in the ass process was fascinating to me.

1  They post your “anticipated” settlement date at the top of the page when sign in.  Also posted are stats on “completed items”, things they are working on and a “to do list” with target dates for you to get to them.

2.      As soon as you upload a memo or a document to that to do list and bingo it goes off my list and on to their list for their “underwriting review”.  Wham Bang!   Your to list is one item shorter and you can then pick off items as you wish in any order you wish.  It gives the customer a sense of control.

3.    If they did not like your answer they toss it back, and it pops right back as a “to do”.  That got frustrating sometimes but you always had “Linda or Natalie” to contact directly. I am convinced that subtlety most people I believe do not want to “go to the well” to often, and in essence do not want to “waste a lifeline”.  This helps keep the “Linda’s an Natalie's” from getting overwhelmed with appeals and guides customers to solving the problem themselves.

Now let me tell you if you want to buy a house you dutifully do your “tasks” and smile as you knock them off.  They even have prioritized all of it for you! Talk about instant positive feedback! Yay my list is done!

This in my opinion is pure genius, like getting me to deposit checks.  I did most of the work for Quicken Loans and felt OK about it!  I could not help but contrasting this with United’s approach to customer service.  If you think that Airlines are “different”, and my comparison is stupid, try this.

Next time you fly try Southwest Airlines, in my opinion their process is a carbon copy of Quicken 

Loans.   

Until next time

Adieu

A Tale of Two Markets

You get up every morning from your alarm clock's warning
Take the 8:15 into the city
There's a whistle up above and people pushin', people shovin'
And the girls who try to look pretty
And if your train's on time, you can get to work by nine
And start your slaving job to get your pay
If you ever get annoyed, look at me I'm self-employed
I love to work at nothing all day

Bachman Turner Overdrive

Today’s blog inspiration comes from a couple of “close encounters” this week.  The first was inspired during a ski lift ride at Alta and the second by an attempt by my editor to deal with my Mom’s oxygen supplier.  She nicely volunteered to deal with it when I flipped out over a simple voice mail from them which, as I suspected turned out to be a nightmare.  I hope both of these tails may inspire some of your thoughts on the pro’s of free market capitalism, and the cons of some lowest common denominator capitalism.

Let me start by stating I am a “free market” guy. I am a firm believer in open competition and the capitalist system.  Furthermore, I am not “anti-immigrant” nor am I “anti-foreigner”.  I have always been skeptical of pure “buy American” campaigns.  Frankly the world wide spread of trade and the capitalist system have given billions of people a better way of life.  (There is a website called “Human Progress” that demonstrates in pure statistical terms the remarkable progress brought to the world by creative capitalism.  I strongly recommend you give it a look.)

So let’s begin with the ski lift story. 

Last week on a great bluebird ski day, Barbara and I caught a lift ride to the top of Alta with a “local”.  While chatting on the ride up he got a text message which interrupted our chit chat.  When he finished reading it I kidded him and asked if “work” was getting in the way of skiing (we retired people like to say things like that).  He responded, “no, just my middle school daughter looking for a lift from her unpaid “personal” Uber driver.  We laughed and I brought up a couple of personal Uber experiences.  I also told him I recently read an article about how 10 years ago “personal on demand drivers” were the realm of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates but now the average Joe can call for his personal driver at any time, any place and have them there in minutes.  He agreed and then told us his story.  He described how as a back country skier he can drive up a canyon, park his car, hike up, and ski over the mountain to a distant canyon.  He then summons Uber and they drive him back to his car!  There are even “specialists” locally that do this!  Cost is a lot less than a lift ticket…..unbelievable.  He does this a few times per week.

Now that is how creative capitalism can make the world incredibly richer, for all of us, and you know what, as long as the driver is on time, smiles and gets you where you need to go I really do not care how good their English is.

Now on to my Apria story but first a quick digression or two to my own real world management experience.

First story, while at AIG and as our division grew out in the “wilds” of Parsippany NJ I got some “pressure” to personally relocate myself and my management team to NYC.  I always prided our group for being the “bizzaro” world of AIG” in that we understood mass, efficient platforms and prompt customer service.  These concepts were frankly foreign to our Property Casualty Group that had always focused on huge commercial accounts. All of our transactions and business management were handled right there in Parsippany with the executive team an integral part of the group.  One day I was “summoned” to NY for some operational/financial reviews. During a break in the meeting the World Wide Operations Executive caught up to me while I was using the urinal in the Men’s Room.  While standing next to me he said “Hi Jim good to see you here in NY, you really should spend more time here, as your operation has gotten so big you need to be closer to where the “action is”.

 I looked “up” from peeing and said: “You know Neil, when I take a leak in Parsippany I often find myself standing next to one of our telephone customer service reps who is more than happy to share a problem or two with me.  When that happens I actually “know” how we are doing with our customers each and every day”.

He never suggested that to me again. 

A few years later our corporate financial people pushed me hard to relocate our “back room” to Subic Bay in the Philippines.  I argued that as a Company dealing with a unique US Insurance market why on earth would we want people who have no clue about this system and who had to communicate with American small businesses (lots of small contractors) in strained English be our customer contact point on day to day issues? Their answer but you could cut your customer service and billing costs in half! So I could save maybe a million bucks a year and jeopardize a Multi-Billion Dollar Business with dismal customer service?  No way.

 At the time I had enough “leverage’ to get away with comments like that but a few years later my successor succumbed to that corporate myopic thinking.  I think seeing that coming (coupled with Federal Oversight Pressure on management to repay Uncle Sam) helped me decide to retire (as well as my tax crusade).  Shortly after I retired many of our operations were “outsourced” to the Philippines.  My old group ceased to exist in 2012-2013, dying a slow death from poor service and a loss of a competitive pricing advantage we held, that is for another story.

Anyway this brings me to Apria, a healthcare service provider, which supplies my mother’s oxygen machine.

Now my first observation is that being in a primarily “Government Run and controlled” (as is most health care now) market the emphasis is on costs and “efficient” delivery. While there is one other competitor in this market (Utah) her original provider pulled out of this market a year after she moved here.

This old provider notified us (when we requested new replaceable hoses) that they were going to pick up her primary machine (A large floor model) and that we needed to find a new provider.  By the way (as an epilogue and to toss in another customer service tidbit) that large expensive machine is still in our garage, after several requests from us to get it that were left unanswered we gave up! It still works so maybe I can use for guests (altitude sickness)at our new home in Winter Park, meanwhile thanks Medicare!

Editor’s Note: I wish I could make this story shorter but perhaps by relating the WHOLE story we can make this a “Health Care” waste story as well.

Anyway, we took Mom to the Doctor and he prescribed a “new machine” but of course the fact that she has needed constant Oxygen for 3 years made no difference to Medicare so she needed to be stressed tested by a respiratory therapists.  One was ordered through Apria by the doctor and our relationship began.

Now in fairness to this company the local employees who came out and tested my Mom, delivered equipment and “trained us” were wonderful.  They arrived promptly, and even gave my mom a piece of candy before leaving. They gave us a new “portable unit” (my Mom already owns an older model but it works fine).  When I asked why they said that is what was proscribed so we got that as well as new big machine. 

My Mom’s machines need to put out 4 liters of oxygen per minute, or she kind of suffocates.  The floor machines we have do that no problem.  The portable she owns does it as well for about 3.5 hours (enough to take her to Doctor’s, shopping etc.) it has a spare battery as well.  Her new machine puts out 4 liters only for about 40 minutes.  We learned that on our first excursion to the store.  It was not pleasant.  We called Apria .  It took about 45 minutes to convince them that we

1.      Knew how to turn it on.

2.     Knew how to charge the battery

3.     Knew how to set Oxygen level

4.     Knew how to read a watch (Ok they did not ask us that)

(We now know why the customer service people all barely understand English-they are in the Philippines as my editor discovered Yesterday)

They sent a tech out and he brought a new portable.  He said it was a “newer model” but it looked the same to me.  We soon found that it was “better” it lasted 55 minutes.  Frankly since we had a perfectly good portable I said (like any rational guy would) “screw it” and tucked it away.

So now every month we get a bill charging us our portion of the Medicare cost, 7 bucks for that unusable portable machine.  I let it go for a couple of months but finally my Editor suggested we should tell them we do not need it.  I handled that call, which after 45 minutes (see prior call for why) I finally explained the story enough so that they understood. They told me I needed to get the Doctor to “un-proscribe”.

Last week, before taking my mom to her most recent Doctor’s visit, my Editor “gently” suggested I talk to Doctor about this.  Question: why on earth would a nice guy like me get testy with a wonderful woman like Barbara for simply expressing a simple, logical idea?  Call me clairvoyant.

Anyway I dutifully handled the matter with the Doctors receptionist and went home “proud as a peacock”.

Two days later I got a voice mail from Apria, “we will be out to pick up all oxygen equipment Tuesday”.  I flipped out thinking they will kill my mother taking away her machines!  Once again my editor calmly intervened saying how worried she was that I blow up over a simple voice mail.  She is likely correct but I get this Don Quixote inspiration sometimes.  She calmed me down and offered to call Apria to clarify so I could feel better.

Go for it dear!

Over an hour on the phone during which (via garbled English):

1.      She learned “no problem we see the equipment was already picked up”

2.     They did not need a Doctor’s order to take away machine

3.     They would reimburse us for that 7 bucks per month.  But first she had to talk to someone higher up…in Ohio USA

Being a calm persistent person Barbara was going to try to take care of that 45 or 50 bucks.  Unfortunately the Ohio person spoke clear English.

1.      OK equipment not picked up, they are coming today

2.     They did need a Doctor’s order

3.     NO MONEY refund.

Take that customer!

Anyway my overriding thought, how on earth does a company function that way?  How can management let it go on?  Why would anyone do business with such a company?  Here are some “free Market” thoughts, many for which I have no immediate answers.

1.     Health Care is not, nor has it been “free market” for years and years.  Medicare is monolithic and is designed to provide “decent” healthcare to seniors (I hope so I go on it in June).  Costs are controlled “in theory” by the free market but in reality the providers have little freedom. 

2.     To keep costs down there is massive outsourcing using the lowest common denominator for customer “non-medical” interaction.  As a result the system “charges” us all for this by costing us hours and hours on the phone.  It is low cost to them because well, think Subic Bay.  On our end all retirees have lots of free time!  I could go on with stories about dealing with other medical providers since taking on "Mom's Stuff", but I have said enough.

3.     Management has absolutely no clue nor does it care about that part of their operation.  I‘m sure they do not pee with the customer service reps, nor would they if they could.

4.     This company bombards me with auto text reminders of bills, email reminders of bills and phone message reminders of bills.  They all clog up my stuff and do nothing but to stick with a theme, piss me off.  I cannot fathom how many elderly people deal with it.  I do know how my Mom does, she lets us do it.

Anyway to wrap up this lengthy post. I now feel much better about all of this.  Unloading on you guys I find to be better than Prosaic!

Until next time

Adieu.