Don't Be Hoodwinked by Your Insurance Plan

I had a very unpleasant experience with my insurance company recently which prompted me to write this post.  

I woke up one Saturday and was suffering from severe back pain.  I wasn't sure if I should go straight to the hospital or to an urgent care center.  My insurance plan says I can talk to registered nurse 24/7 if needed so I called one.  After going through a terrible automated phone system to identify myself, I finally reached a nurse who had me identify myself all over again while I was suffering excruciating pain. She finally determined I should go to an urgent care center.

Here's where the it got messy.  Because I have an HMO Plan, I only have in network benefits which means every doctor, every clinic, every hospital I go to must be in the network of my insurance company.  If I fail to do so, I will be responsible for 100 percent of the expenses.  I checked for urgent care centers in my area. There were 14 listed within 10 miles of my zip code.  I wrote down two addresses and called the first one, only to discover they were closed.  I figured the second one was good so I had my husband lock the address into his GPS and off we went.  The GPS took us to the Wal-Mart area and when we arrived at what we thought was the location we discovered it was an ABANDONED building.  I then looked up the center's phone number through my insurance company's website and called it.  Guess what?  The number was disconnected.  Now, how did that happen?  Who is responsible for checking to make sure the numbers and addresses are updated?  We then found another urgent care center not far and went to it---not knowing for sure if they are "in network."  But even if they aren't I will not be paying that bill because of this fiasco!

Here are some things you should know during your annual insurance enrollment period (or any time you sign up for insurance):

1) Be sure you understand how your plan works.  It may say it will pay 80/90/100 percent of eligible expenses but ONLY after you satisfy your deductible.  Make sure you are reading the fine print. 

2)  Check your deductible.  More and more plans are moving to higher deductibles which means you will have to pay out of pocket costs until you reach the deductible.  So, if you have a $5000 deductible, guess what that means?!

3)  Be sure you know what type of plan you have.  Is it an HMO or PPO?  An HMO plan (like mine) means you have only in network benefits and if you go outside of the network you will be responsible for paying the entire bill.  It also means you have to select a Primary Care Physician and that PCP is responsible for making ALL referrals.  If he/she doesn't refer you to someone in your Plan's network of Providers, you will both be penalized.

A PPO means you have both in and out of network benefits.  You don't have to declare a PCP and you don't need a referral to see a Specialist.  You may still need a referral in some cases so it's always best to check with your insurance company about that.

4)  Check to see if your plan requires any pre-authorizations for specific testing like MRI's or CT Scans or for some types of medical procedures.  Failure to do so will cost you dearly.

5)  Don't be afraid to ask questions about your plan  to your insurance company.  You'll save yourself headaches and some money if you take the time to get educated on exactly how your plan works.  

6)  Take advantage of any rewards/incentives the plan has to offer.  Some employers offer discounts on your premiums so find out what they are and sign up.

Don't let yourself get hoodwinked by your insurance plan because plans as we knew them 10 and 20 years ago have definitely changed---and it's not always for the better as I have discovered.

Dear Uneducated Blue Collar Rural Poor White People

Dear uneducated, blue collar, rural , poor white people,

Since you're uneducated I promise not to use very big words because you probably won't understand the meaning and I don't want to further insult you.

What you did on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 was show the world that although you might be classified as dumb, ignorant and stupid, you were pretty darn smart when you got Bobby Jo, Cooter, Cletus, Mary Lou, Savannah Jean and everyone else in rural white america to drive their pick-ups down to the polls to vote for your man, Donald Trump.  And to think the pollsters and all of the so-called intelligent think-tankers got it wrong.  They said "There's no chance in hell that buffoon can win!  The country will never stand for a bigoted, racist womanizer who says he will make America great and white again."  Hello No!  That won't happen.

But ha! ha! uneducated, blue collar, rural, poor white people....the joke was on Anderson Cooper, Rachel Maddow, and the rest of those liberal, communist, mainstream media jokers because, once again, you showed how darn-tootin' smart you were by believing in Fox News as much as you believe in the Bible and you showed up at the Trump rallies fired up and ready to punch out anybody who protested against him.  And some of you made national headlines Ya-hoo!!!

Trump spoke the language you've been speaking and wanting to hear from a Presidential Candidate since you heard your pappy tell you about George Wallace's campaign slogan of"Segregation now, Segregation forever!" back in 1968.  He was a real son of the South for down-trodden southern whites.

Dear uneducated white people, you also showed those lazy, no good, no votin' niggas and those prissy little college-educated white women that your voice would be heard at the ballot box and you did it loud and clear.  You can be proud of what you did because for the first time in a long time YOU actually made a difference. 

You can now be proud to know you have some claim to the White House--yes it's the WHITE house.  It doesn't matter how many times your President has disrespected and sexually assaulted women because your uncle Bobby Ray, Billy Bob and Bodean have probably done it so many times they've lost count.  And I bet you are now looking for all those nude photos the First Lady-elect posed for as a model (if you don't already have them).  

The next four years should be a good ol' hell raisin', take off your kkk hoods time for ya'll!

But dear uneducated, blue collar, rural , poor white people, I hate to tell you the joke is going to be on you.  And don't say I didn't warn you.

Peace be with you.

A 401K Education for Black Baby Boomers

Before I begin this blog post let me issue this disclaimer:  I am NOT a financial expert.  Yes, I did work at Merrill Lynch for a brief time (more than 30 years ago) and I did get to understand a little about how the Stock Market works so the information I share here is only based on my personal knowledge.  You can take it or leave it.

This blog post was inspired by a co-worker, who is a fellow black baby boomer (in a world of Millennials). We were discussing our 401K accounts.  I asked her if she had one. She did.  I then asked her if she knew what she was invested in.  She did not.  I then asked her if she knew how much money was in her account. She did not and then she proceeded to tell me how she really didn't understand much about the account. 

Surprising?  No, not really.  Disappointing?  Yes, absolutely!  But in all reality, she can't be totally blamed for her lack of knowledge.  That tends to be the issue among many black baby boomers when it comes to financial matters.  We are not on golf courses or fancy cocktail parties discussing our investment portfolios. Ask the majority of black baby boomers if they know the difference between an over-the-counter market versus an exchange market and I'll bet you they don't know.  And then we wonder why we don't have enough money to live on in retirement---all the while continuing to make our pastors rich and looking for God to grant us our financial blessings.  Maybe the church should spend more time educating us on financial matters. 

I'll be perfectly honest.  Had I never worked for Merrill Lynch I probably wouldn't know as much as I do now but that education has inspired me to learn even more and to take charge of my 401K because I do want to live comfortably in retirement without relying solely on social security.  

What you should know:

401K:  A deferred compensation plan set up by an employer so that employees can set aside money for retirement on a pre-tax basis.  Employers may match a percentage of the amount you contribute to the plan (And you should take FULL ADVANTAGE of that!)  Contributions by both you and your employer, as well as investment earnings and interest, aren't taxed until the money is withdrawn from the account.  And if you do withdraw early you will be subject to an early withdrawal penalty of at least 10 percent.  


Stocks:  Shares you purchase which gives you ownership of a corporation.  Of course, the more you buy the more you own.


Common Stocks:  Securities that represent equity ownership in a company.  Common shares let an investor vote on matters involving the company like the election of the board of directors.  They also give the holder a share in the company's profits via dividend payments or the capital appreciation of security.  

Blue chip stocks:  Stocks from companies that have a history of growth and dividend payments (IBM, Proctor and Gamble, Wal-mart are some examples)

To learn more about 401Ks, please read this article from one of my favorite online writers Emily Brandon:  10 Strategies to Maximize Your 401K Balance 

Black Lives Matter No Matter How Old You Are

A few months ago I bought a Black Lives Matter T-shirt.  

I LOVE wearing it!  If I could wear it every day I would.  It makes a statement on how I feel about the state of race relations in this country.  It should say to anyone who sees me that I care about the mistreatment and downright brutality being levied against our people---especially the young black males.

This brings me to an incident I had today at Harris Teeter.  I was standing in line behind another older black woman.  She saw my shirt and proceeded to comment about how she didn't understand what the movement was all about and why was it necessary to make a t-shirt to demonstrate.  Being the soft-spoken person that I am, I told her it was no different than what young people did during the 60s and 70s movement and I wanted young people to to know I stand in solidarity with them.  

You know, I am always amazed at how older people tend to forget they were young once and all of the things they did---right or wrong/good or bad---for the "cause."  Once we turn a certain age we become holier than thou and act as if everything is okay the way it is.  We turn a blind eye to the things we see and read and what we hear falls on deaf ears.  

Police brutality against blacks didn't just start in the new millennium.  The only difference is there was no social media back then---no camera to record what was really going on. And, unlike, many of today's youth, a lot of people, back in the day, stayed silent in fear of what might happen to them.  Perhaps the woman in Harris Teeter feels like her fight is over and she chooses to remain silent, but as for me I'm going to keep wearing my Black Lives Matter T-shirt because I know the struggle is very real and it continues. 

As Desmond Tutu once said, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."

Donald Trump Speaks One Truth at First Presidential Debate

I gave up Monday Night Football and an evening of virtual Spades to watch the first Presidential Candidates' debate.  

I was happy to see fellow journalist and baby boomer Lester Holt acting as moderator, although I was somewhat disappointed that he didn't take better control of Donald Trump's rants.  But, then again, that is who "the Donald" is so he was true to form.

And speaking of being "true", Trump stated something during the debate that I have been saying for years about the Democratic candidates.  He said they court Blacks and other minorities during election season and then dump us once they get elected.  Now that, in my opinion, is a TRUE statement.   I am not sure how we (especially Southerners) got hoodwinked and bamboozled into believing the Democratic Party was our Saviour from the economic, racial and social ills that continue to plague us. Obviously, black people in the South don't recall the history of the Dixiecrats, the Southern Democrats who seceded from the party in 1948 and created their own agenda which included states' rights to freedom from governmental interference and the right to exclude whomever they wanted from business and other organizations.  

Democratic candidates constantly dangle a carrot of hope and opportunities in front of us making us believe they will fight for our rights once they get elected.  What they NEVER tell us is they will be fighting against a majority of other elected officials who have their own hidden agendas  that don't include the well-being of minorities.

Case in point:  About 10 years ago when my daughter was entering college at North Carolina A&T I had an issue and wanted my local Congressman, David Price, to get involved and help me or at least guide me in the right direction.  I called his local Durham, NC and Washington offices repeatedly and left messages.  I got no response.  I lost all respect for him and his staff after that and have never voted for him again---although he keeps winning.  He is a great example of "showing up" when he needs us but he obviously didn't need me at that time or I'm sure there would've been a response.  

So even though I think Donald Trump is an imbecile and unfit to be President I do give him a kudos for ranting one truth at the first Presidential debate.  

Blogging for Good Customer Service

This is written as a follow-up to my previous post Avis Needs Some Customer Service Tips.  

First of all, let me say kudos to Avis for taking the time and effort to respond to my September 6, 2016 rant. When I posted the blog link on Twitter for all the world to see, Avis sent me a tweet asking me to contact them directly about the issue.  Although I didn't respond to the tweet, the local rental car company did notify me that my grandson's cellphone was miraculously found----even after I was told the car had been rented out to someone else just hours after I called to report the phone had been left in the vehicle.

OK---today all is well and now I can move on to the next issue but here's my point:  If there were no social media platform to air my grievance, that cell phone might still be missing today.  Had I not taken the time to write about my experience and post it on Twitter, Avis would have never known how one of their local franchises were responding, or in my case, NOT responding to their customers.  Remember, I called a total of 18 times before I wrote anything.

It's a shame that anyone would have to resort to a social media arena to make a complaint but perhaps this is what is needed more often.  Companies would be forced to stop ignoring or taking advantage of little people like me if we use our social media voices.  

Hopefully, one day the police who have been killing young black men and under the alleged "I was threatened for my life" banner will get that message.

For me, blogging is a means to a resolution. 

Avis Needs Some Customer Service Tips

When you do business with Bev, you need to bring your "A" Game because I have lived long enough to know the difference between good, mediocre and bad customer service.

In the past 24 hours, Avis RDU has shown me why the Company is #8 on the Top 10 Car Rental Services list for 2016. It all started when my grandson informed me he left his phone in our Avis rental car upon returning from a trip on Labor Day.  Whether or not you think my grandson was irresponsible for leaving it in the vehicle or I, as his grandmother, was irresponsible for giving a cell phone to a nine-year-old is IRRELEVANT.  The point is how Avis RDU responded after that has driven me to write this post.  Ahhhhh....the power of blogging and social media.  Now instead of me complaining and letting it fall on deaf ears, I have the potential to reach thousands of people who may think twice about doing business with them.

So when we discovered the cell phone was missing I started calling the car rental place.  After getting through their horrible automation and speaking to people who weren't in the location I was calling, I finally got to someone who swore to me they would look for the phone and call me back to let me know if they found it.  

Well, 18 calls later, no one has had the decency to return a call and update me on the status of the lost cell phone.  18 calls!!!  You would think someone would just call you back to keep you from calling.  

After the 18th call, I decided to drop by Avis RDU to speak to a manager to find out why they had such poor customer service.  Of course, the manager I spoke with (Connie) said she just couldn't believe no one would call me back and it was so unlike the designated person (Brenda), who was the one I managed to speak to briefly.  And she sounded like she had an attitude---as if I was disturbing her day.

Oh, and I did learn the car had been re-rented Labor Day evening at 10pm---a full three HOURS after I called.  And I also learned from Connie that the vehicle could've been put on hold while they did a thorough search.

To put it all in perspective, this post isn't about a lost cell phone, it's about business and customer service which Avis RDU has certainly NOT PASSED THE TEST.

Years ago, they had a commercial admitting to being #2 behind Hertz, which made them try harder.  Today they don't even rank in my book---and they don't seem to be trying to change my opinion.

Avis Needs Some Customer Service Tips

When you do business with Bev, you need to bring your "A" Game because I have lived long enough to know the difference between good, mediocre and bad customer service.

In the past 24 hours, Avis RDU has shown me why the Company is #8 on the Top 10 Car Rental Services list for 2016. It all started when my grandson informed me he left his phone in our Avis rental car upon returning from a trip on Labor Day.  Whether or not you think my grandson was irresponsible for leaving it in the vehicle or I, as his grandmother, was irresponsible for giving a cell phone to a nine-year-old is IRRELEVANT.  The point is how Avis RDU responded after that has driven me to write this post.  Ahhhhh....the power of blogging and social media.  Now instead of me complaining and letting it fall on deaf ears, I have the potential to reach thousands of people who may think twice about doing business with them.

So when we discovered the cell phone was missing I started calling the car rental place.  After getting through their horrible automation and speaking to people who weren't in the location I was calling, I finally got to someone who swore to me they would look for the phone and call me back to let me know if they found it.  

Well, 18 calls later, no one has had the decency to return a call and update me on the status of the lost cell phone.  18 calls!!!  You would think someone would just call you back to keep you from calling.  

After the 18th call, I decided to drop by Avis RDU to speak to a manager to find out why they had such poor customer service.  Of course, the manager I spoke with (Connie) said she just couldn't believe no one would call me back and it was so unlike the designated person (Brenda), who was the one I managed to speak to briefly.  And she sounded like she had an attitude---as if I was disturbing her day.

Oh, and I did learn the car had been re-rented Labor Day evening at 10pm---a full three HOURS after I called.  And I also learned from Connie that the vehicle could've been put on hold while they did a thorough search.

To put it all in perspective, this post isn't about a lost cell phone, it's about business and customer service which Avis RDU has certainly NOT PASSED THE TEST.

Years ago, they had a commercial admitting to being #2 behind Hertz, which made them try harder.  Today they don't even rank in my book.