LIVING WITH MCL

I just realized, even the cost of generic drugs, which can be purchased for less than the insurance copay, were still being credited, by the Prescription Part D insurer, towards the amount spent on drugs for the year, helping to fulfill the initial drug cost requirement ($2700 for 2009), after which you enter the "donut hole". This is despite the fact the insurer pays nothing out of pocket, nor ever will, for those drugs. (At least that's the way it works for the AARP Prescription Drug plan through United Health.) So in other words, you would be better off purchasing the generic drugs on your own, through a WalMart, Costco, or Target, and not use your Prescription Part D insurance, and then using a different one of the pharmacy's for your non generic drugs. In my case, or in the case of my aunt, had she done that (in addition to not using Rite Aid), she would have saved about $700 last year.

Several months ago I wrote about how American Express was unwilling to credit me the $45 annual membership fee on my Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card, knowing they would lose over $500 in merchant generated fees a year from me using that card. Eventually I did get the credit (plus an extra $50 for my troubles), but it took canceling the card, to finally catch the attention of someone at American Express who realized losing $500 per year wasn't worth gaining a measly $45 annual membership fee. Now just recently I experience a very similar problem with my cable internet provider (Charter Communications). When Charter wanted to raise my monthly fee to $69.98 per month, I balked, and got them to agree to a charge equivalent to Verizon FIOS service + $2 more ($44.98/month). I agreed to the extra $2 per month, because service was good, and it was worth $2 per month not having to switch providers. But the next month I received a bill for $47.64. Apparently because I didn...

I just received a telephone call from a Miss Potter (no relation to Harry) at American Express (AMEX), concerning the cancellation of my Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, after numerous attempts to get a $45 good will credit for the annual membership fee failed. It appears there is at least one person at AMEX, still versed in the now almost lost art of mathematics, who realized, losing a customer, who generates well over $500 annually in merchant fees, by trying to squeeze an additional $45 out of that customer, was not good business. She's over nighting my new cards to me today, and even gave me her direct telephone line, in case I encounter a similar problem in the future. My faith in American business [at least my faith in American Express] has been restored. Uhm! I wonder if maybe she read my blog. :)

As if my experience with American Express wasn't bad enough, now I can't believe Verizon is just as intransigent. Lately I've been having problems with my wireless connection. It seems anytime I get more than 10 feet away from the router, my internet connection fades out, and connectivity is hit or miss. Mostly miss. So I contact Verizon, and discover my wireless connection is only guaranteed for 10 feet or line of sight from the router. THAT'S RIDICULOUS! What's the point of having a wireless connection, if you can't get a connection anywhere in the house. Besides this has only been a problem for the past one or two months. I never had a problem connecting before. Incidentally this is on 3 different computers (including a brand new MAC), so I know it's not a computer problem. So anywaze, I contact Verizon, and I also discovered that the router is only warranted for one year. SAY WHAT? I never bought the router in the first place. It was included wi...

It didn't even take 5 days, for me to receive my first offer for a new American Express (AMEX) Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, since canceling the identical card Monday, because AMEX refused to give me a good will credit for the annual fee. And not only is there no annual fee for the first year with this offer, they're even going to give me 10,000 bonus points for signing up. I only wish someone would explain to me why AMEX would do this? The logic certainly escapes me, but then again I'm only a metallurgical engineer, and not trained in the world of high finance. I actually almost took the bait, but then I figured, why bother? Besides I'm sure I'll get another offer in the mail again shortly. Maybe they'll even up the ante the next time. :)

American Express (AMEX) won't! For the last 13 years, Edie and I have used an AMEX Starwood Preferred Guest credit card for the bulk of the credit card purchases we make, having charged a minimum of $25,000 per year over that time, and within the last two years charging in excess of $48,000 per year. (In case you were wondering, we literally charge everything.) When I first signed on for the card in 1995, there were no annual membership fees, but that changed around the 3rd or 4th year, when AMEX started charging an annual fee. I have never been a fan of paying to use a credit card, especially since the credit card company receives a fee (approximately 1% to 2% of the charges) from the merchant every time I use that card, and have always refused to pay any such fees. So every year, when the annual membership fee appeared on my statement, I always called AMEX customer service, and they have always given me a "good will credit" for the fee. That is up until now. This time...

What's this country coming to, when prisoners, i.e. convicts, murderers, thieves, pornographers, child molesters, drug dealers, etc. have greater rights, including a constitutional right to health care, while honest, law abiding, god fearing, tax paying individuals are not being afforded those same rights. From California Healthline ...Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) administration asked the Legislature to provide $7 billion to construct long-term chronic care facilities at state prisons and to upgrade current medical facilities at state prisons... The upgrades are necessary to bring the prisons health care up to a constitutionally acceptable standard after years and years of underinvestment. SAY WHAT! Where in the constitution does it say anything about health care? Somethings just not right here!

The other day, my company was audited by one of our customers, and one of the findings was, we did not have a procedure to address how we would handle a request to return customer owned property. Can you believe that? It's not enough just to comply with the request, we have to have a procedure to tell us to comply with the request. I only wish I was joking, but I'm not. Then today watching Jeopardy (I know, but Sylvia likes it), the woman in the lead failed to bet enough, in final jeopardy, to cover the doubling of the bet by the second place contestant. Had she never watched Jeopardy before? When you're in last place, the best bet is typically $0 (the exception being if you're so far behind, you have bet something to catch up to the other 2 contestants in case they miss), because your only chance of winning is neither other contestant knows the answer, and then having to bet and answering the question (technically questioning the answer) incorrectly, makes you the def...