Memorable Merchant: New Choice Health

I know, you're thinking I'm going to pitch the merits of some insurance company.  Blah, blah, they paid everything, blah, blah, blah.

Nope.

I learned about New Choice Health today from a podcast on NPR's Planet Money.  NewChoiceHealth, Inc. is a leading online comparison shopping marketplace built for the sole purpose of providing healthcare consumers a way to save money. Consumers can easily locate medical facilities and compare medical procedure costs for common procedures such as MRIs, CT Scans, Mammograms, and more.  You can shop nationwide or right in your own local market from over 20,000 medical facilities for over 400 of the most commonly performed medical procedures.

The podcast's topic was related to health care and why hospitals charge so much.  That's a big bucket and a topic all by itself for another time.  The part that struck me was the ease at which the average patient (consumer) can shop for medical services using NewChoiceHealth.com.

First some background about the founder.  From their About Us page:

"Brad Myers is a medical cost expert and a founder of NewChoiceHealth.com. Brad has over 24 years of broad experience in the healthcare industry with extensive knowledge in medical cost informatics, healthcare insurance, managed care, clinical laboratory, and health and life insurance. It was his passion that drove him to bring price transparency to healthcare consumers through the web site www.NewChoiceHealth.com. It’s a simple message we are trying to bring to consumers, "shop and save!"

Being a "50-something" I decided to select an example of something near and dear to my... well... er... um... heart.  Here's a partial look at a search done for a colonoscopy in the Portland, Oregon area and the dramatic differences in pricing:

As I said before, the overall cost of health care is a topic for another day.  But I need to make an important point.  Many of us are fortunate enough to have insurance coverage, and our out of pocket costs for a procedure like this is small, relative to the published prices.  Because of that insurance, we simply don't have a good feel for what something costs.  Frankly, I was shocked to know the cost - and the range of costs.


For everyone thinking about any sort of medical procedure (even you, "Perfect Specimen John,") shop around.  You will likely save yourself some money.  For those procedures covered by insurance, the more we take action to reduce costs, the more competition there will be, and the lower costs will become.  Economics 101 - yet another topic for another day.


Dave

Sports Tradition, Superstition, and Habit

Carl Del Souza/AFP/Getty Images

Wimbledon is probably the most storied and tradition-filled institution in the world of sports. The players, the plays, even the weather have played a major role in creating the aura that surrounds the annual event.

The weather is what is causing the latest stir as it relates to the first-ever retractable roof over Center Court. Countless matches have been delayed or postponed over the years, but weather delays look to be no longer served up. Thanks to a 1,000 ton retractable cover with translucent canvas. As you can imagine, purists aren't pleased.

It appears that even Wimbledon struggles with change. How do you approach your sport? Whether you are a pro, avid amateur, or week-end warrior, everyone has their own traditions, superstitions, and habits. Aspects of our game that must stay the same. But which are they and where do the lines blur between them?

As a hockey player back in the day, I had a very specific way in which put on my gear, stretched, warmed up and took practice shots (I was a goalie.) If you were to ask me then, I'd say, "Well, it's a logical series of steps to prepare for the game." Bull. It was all superstition, with maybe a bit of habit thrown in. The only tradition involved was the fact that I did it that way (habitual superstition) for a long time!

What about you? What quirky... er... I mean... interesting rituals do you practice before any sort of sporting participation?

- Do you wear the same socks when you play tennis because they feel the best, or is there a bit of superstition involved?

- At the golf course, do you hit a bucket of balls before your round to "warm up" or is it more traditional for you?

- When you go for a run, do you listen to the same kind of music each time because it puts you "in the groove" or are you simply a creature of habit?

It's OK to come clean. This is a (relatively) anonymous forum.

Dave

Father's Day Retrospective

Happy Father's Day to all. If you are a father, then this is obvious. But if you are a wife, mother, sister, or any relation that is a part of the fairer sex, or if you are the child of a father, it is an opportunity to celebrate fathers and look back with them to enjoy fond memories.

My memory is one I keep with me daily - in the form of a fountain pen.

I remember as a child, watching my late father pay the bills. That was a time when the man of the house took care of the financial matters so that the "little lady" didn't have to worry her pretty little head. Let the record show that if I took care of the day to day finances in my home, I'd be a wreck (and so would the finances!) My wife does the "here and now" by taking care of current obligations and I "look to the future" by taking care of the investments. It's a great arrangement in these modern times.

My father was a carpenter and had scarred, tough, beat-up hands. I used to watch those hands create the most elegant and flowing signature when he signed the checks. A signature made possible with a simple Shaeffer fountain pen. A fountain pen that would be my future tie to the past.

Years later (and only a few before he passed away), I happened to ask him if he remembered that pen. He did and said he thought he knew where it was. We went down to the basement and rifled through is his old WWII Army footlocker.

There it was.

I told him of my memory, which took him by surprise - he remembered me hanging around when he paid the bills, but had no idea the impact it had on me. But realizing it then, he immediately made of gift of the pen to me.

That was the genesis of my pen collection.

In my 781 - School Board Farewell Message, I noted the 781 days left to retirement by sharing my final message I delivered at my last Board Meeting. How does this tied together? The gift I received from my fellow Board Members was a fountain pen. They've heard me talk about (and use) special pens for eight years and decided to put their money where my mouth was. I couldn't have been more pleased.

If you are father, congratulations and enjoy your day with family and friends.

If you have, know, remember, or just like to hang around fathers, celebrate the memories they make and tell them how much of an impact they have made on you. They may not know about your version of the fountain pen.

Do it while you can.

Dave

Words to Live By - From Charles Schulz

A good friend mentioned this in a comment on the New Blogged Word. It was taken directly from http://www.wltc.org/Documents/SchulzPhilo.htm. I have tagged this under the "Health" category, more for mental than physical. We all can do a lot worse than to follow these inspirational thoughts. I hope you enjoy the sentiment.

Dave

Charles Schulz Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point. 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners. How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners . Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care . Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.?? "Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." (Charles Schulz)

H1N1 Is Everybody’s Business

On the surface, the H1N1 Virus doesn’t have anything to do with advancing the art of blogging.  But as an issue that does potentially affect every person on this planet, it does by default, affect us bloggers.  I don’t normally react in “knee-jerk” fashion to issues.  My responses are usually calculated and logical (although not always!).  My hope that in this case, logic continues to prevail.

Notice the new widget I just placed on the right panel.  With links to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), PandemicFlu.gov and theWorld Health Organization, this is an easy way for me to do my part to keep this serious issue at the top of mind for all of us.  It is important for all of us to be vigilant in our efforts to stem the spread of this disease.  Like Mom said, “wash your hands, cover your mouth and go to the doctor if you’re sick.”

Dave