Rose Colored Glasses
0530
53F
5.2 miles
47:39
Full moon. Vermont Andy joined us again. It's fun having out of towners run with us.
Ok, in an ideal environment, I agree that would be great! But we don't have many providers subscribing to that here, and they're all based on the Fee For Service (FFS) system where they get reimbursed for as many services as they can fit into a visit. In many cases, it's awful how much extra they do in the name of avoiding malpractice for not doing enough. When many studies have proven that as much as 1/3 of health care delivered in this country is unnecessary and therefore waste, it's just ridiculous. And I'm speaking as a payor of a self-insured non-profit, where there's no "insurance company greed" or largess involved. We strictly pay the claims and an administrative fee per employee per month. Medical policies are administered based on medical review and best in class practices, but still doctors find ways around it to order x-rays, CT scans and MRIs on the same patient for the same issue and none of the subsequent imaging changes the original diagnosis. Oh, but here in Alaska, you just added $4k to $8k to the original $175 x-ray. How is that providing value or better care? It's disgusting, and I'm faced with defending a health care budget that keeps growing without any evidence that our employees are getting better.
Erika, I recognize your frustration and understand what you are saying. As a former healthcare professional and as a healthcare consumer, I also see the need to cover your a$$. Malpractice insurance is outrageously high because lawyers advertise on television trolling for anyone who had an adverse medical outcome. In 1989-90, I was working in Wheeling West Virginia in labor and delivery. We had a mass exodus of obstetricians. They decided to only practice gynecology; they no longer provided any prenatal care. The residents had to pick up a lot of patients. OB malpractice insurance was just too expensive.
I understand what you are saying about the reimbursement problem. Reimbursement for positive outcomes would be ideal. What I really do not want to see is my physician having to ask permission for a test or procedure. I believe the trend is toward evidence based medicine. In fact, my son in law works in this industry and we are seeing things change toward outcome based reimbursement.
Here is where SIL works.
MTA: They use the term "Value based" . I wonder if that is compatible with "evidence based"? The plot thickens...
"Anytime you see the word "inflation" in the news, replace it with "record-breaking corporate profits" and you'll get what's happening."
Good morning RCG and all to follow. Wow - lots of insightful comments on the state of health insurance these days. I just went and re-read my post from yesterday. I sounded kind of crabby. Sorry about that
Tom and Tet - your grandkids are sooo lucky to have grandpas like you! My grandsons would be all over that slide that sounded like "poop" when you got to the end. They're getting to that age where they like to talk about "farts" "poop" and the "penis" word! Nothing like 3 little boys to get some colorful conversation going.
5.2 must be the mileage for today. Got up at 5:00 AM thinking I could beat the high winds predicted for today but didn't make it. The temp was very comfortable at 32° but the sustained winds were 25 mph out of the NE. So - about a 12 minute/mile pace heading north, and a 9 minute/mile heading south! Looking forward to the 8-15 inches of snow predicted for later today into tomorrow...
Trails are hard!
Wow, you said that with a straight face. Our 6" of snow is pretty much gone after only 2 days.
And after 28° yesterday and full winter gear, today was 45° and I over-dressed with a heavy long sleeve togo with the shorts. No 5.2, just 3.8 miles at a pretty slow pace. Guess this would be a paper bag run--I was somewhat dissappointed not to hear any of the possible rain when the alarm went off. But it's done.
Need a fast half for late fall. Then I need to actually train for it.
...yeah,
that's like saying you really look forward to a Tornado 'cause you can run REALLY fast........
==========
another ''Tune Up'' Hike today at the city park, on the hills part,
since
this is Holy Week I have to work around FOUR Choir Performances
if I manage
to Pull a Muscle,
they have threatened to put me in The Tenor Section
..nothing takes the place of persistence.....
if I manage to Pull a Muscle, they have threatened to put me in The Tenor Section
Just don't pull one so badly, you end up with the sopranos.
Funny
Somehow I managed to sneak home and get a late morning run in, before getting back to work. All good! Went past the 3 mile mark, so I am happy with that.
Comments from yesterday:
Jay – when the going gets tough, the tough go for a workout
RCG – like herding cats you run was
Tet – love the messages – keep them coming!
Chocolate Whiskey Cake sounds great – too bad I can’t bake L
Happy Trails
Kirsten
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.
Groucho Marx
Skipped running this morning. Tomorrow I need to do 5, which means getting up a little earlier. In good news, I can squat all the way down with no left knee pain. That is something I haven't been able to do in over a year. I think it must be the biking, or just cutting my runs short the minute the knee feels strained.
Wildchild - hope the MRI gives you some answers.
"During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."
Only got in a short run yesterday as David had tennis practice. just 3.1 miles. About half way into my run, it hard started raining pretty heavy and got windy, so I knew practice would be ending, so turned around and ran back.
Am hoping to get in a run after work tonight too. longer this time than just a 5K.
Tammy
Sorry I missed yesterday's reminiscences about the joys of health insurance! Okay, not really. Instead, I am happy to just report I ran 8 miles yesterday. Better yet, I ran them in near 70° here in Las Vegas! Yes, DW and I decided to do a quick trip to Vegas for a few days. She took a few vacation days off and I am not teaching this week. A win-win. Well at least until I go to a casino then more likely a lose some money and quit.
Live like you are dying not like you are afraid to die.
Drunken Irish Soda Bread and Irish Brown Bread this way --> http://allrecipes.com/cook/4379041/
No run for me, but spent an hour on my bike on the indoor trainer!! Will have to get my new Rosie out for a test ride soon before taking her out on the first group ride April 2!!
Happy Wednesday!!
denise
...well, to end on a High Note-
45-min HHW on hills at city park
took the hills at an angle,
which
I hope My Back will thank me for
.....................good running guys..............if you got SunShine, get some enjoyment out of it.........
Carolyn
I hope those of you who can run are out enjoying it, in whatever weather you've got!
Jeanne, I guess you're getting our snowstorm tomorrow? It's dumping here! I braved the roads to go to my MRI appointment - it took 1.5 hours to get there, and 2.5 hours to get home, in some of the worst driving conditions I've seen in years. Whiteout conditions and dumping snow. But I made it there and back safely, anyway! Good thing, since it sounds like half of the roads in Denver are now closed. I encountered one closed road on my way home and had to make a detour. Now to go out and plow our road - no rest for the weary!
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
It's just starting Carolyn - the heavy stuff is expected tonight into tomorrow morning. What's the news on your MRI??? And glad you made it home safely.
Haven't seen the sun in quite a while Tom. And this snowstorm that's just starting isn't doing much to improve my disposition
Have fun in Vegas Twocat!
Marathon Maniac #957
Jlynne - your snow will just be rain here, and a cooldown, but into the high 30's, so not bad. Hang in there, the end (of winter) is in sight.
Re: Insurance and stuff - I am in the Erika camp of seeing a ridiculous amount of over-testing, over-proceduring in what I can only attribute to a more-money-per-procedure climate. Case in point - Karin's 92yo aunt diagnosed with leukemia and they wanted to do chemo - really? A client of mine was told he needed a heart valve bypass at age 89 - he died on the table. I work with nursing home patients, many of whom are really beyond consent, cognitively, and they are being treated and overtreated and over-medicated (average of 15 daily meds/patient in local nursing homes). Several of my clients ended up being sent to specialized behavioral units for "acting out" when it later turned out they were having medication interaction. Clear out the meds, they became normal and went home. Because they were elderly, it was assumed that they were having dementia problems, rather than over-medication by irresponsible doctor problems. Additionally, when it is shown that they have pretty good insurance coverage, the number of procedures on these people is ridiculous. Like they are guinea pigs, who can't say no due to their dementia, and if they don't have close family monitoring the situation, they are totally taken advantage of. Doctors will walk down the halls of a nursing home, look at a chart for a moment, and bill that insurance company. They will do this for patients who are not even theirs, dinging them for $170/look at chart. I could go on and on, but I won't. My own doctor prescribes to the belief that we try alternative options before heading right to the invasive procedures. And he says that more than 6 daily meds is generally too much.
Sort of separate to this, but on the same path, I have told my DH that if I am diagnosed with Alzheimer's or Dementia, and get to the point where I don't know him, to STOP TREATING MY ILLNESSES. No diabetes meds, no high blood pressure meds, no invasive procedures. Once my mind is gone, keep me comfortable, treat my pain or discomfort, feed me anything I want to eat, but then, let nature take it's course.
Just my 2 cents.
4.2 miles for me this morning in 54 degrees.
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
MM #5615
Hello everybody!
I don't want to talk about insurance! I just know that, there was a time when I paid about $75 a month and my whole family could go and have just about anything done and all we ever paid was a $25 copay. Now--Debbie and I pay about $1200 a month and I'm afraid to go to the doctor because of how much it might cost. That's it--I'm not talking about it anymore!
When I left my office in downtown St. Paul, the snow was coming down pretty heavy and I had to brush about 2" of snow off my car. I was not looking forward to running in the slop when I got home. I live 13 miles north of where I work and there was not a single snowflake in my yard. I had a very nice--and dry--15 mile run.
Okay--gotta go. See ya!