Messages

1

Up In The Air / Re: Qatar Airways:100,000 Complimentary Tickets For Healthcare Professionals

« on: November 28, 2020, 06:39:11 PM »

Reminder!

These codes expire Nov 28 (not sure if 28th is included)
Book now if you have not yet.
Can book until 3/31/2021

I’m sure this is what you meant but return flights must be completed by March 31st.

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COVID-19 Discussion Board / Re: COVID-19 (Wuhan Novel Coronavirus) Pandemic Master Thread

« on: October 18, 2020, 07:06:24 AM »

Schools were closed early on, but opened in August. Some even opened for summer school. To my knowledge, procedures were minor impacted, depending on when it was scheduled for and in which hospital system. @YankyDoodle has better info than I do there. I know the Cleveland Clinic system has pretty much been full-go since May. Keep in mind, FL only recorded ~4.5k Covid deaths before July 16. They've recorded 11k since then. (ETA: FL did have a shutdown of sorts for a month in April. It was not as severe as NY/NJ.)

Hospital procedures were significantly shutdown throughout South Florida the first time around (March-May/June). When Florida was actually hit hard (~July-September), there was more divergence. Some hospitals shut down elective procedures but most continued business as usual. Hospitals with heavy COVID loads stopped elective cases that were likely to require in-hospital stays (didn't have spare beds). This was fairly reasonable as we didn't have any way of knowing who had COVID during the first wave (testing procedures were not set and turnaround time/availability was poor. Afterwards the protocols were much improved and have proven fairly effective.

3

COVID-19 Discussion Board / Re: What is FL hiding?

« on: September 22, 2020, 06:28:38 PM »

I think FL has until mid Dec or early Jan before we get to play that game. Northern states get to play in October, unless you live in a frum community that prides itself on being advanced.

I pray you’re right but time will tell.

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COVID-19 Discussion Board / Re: What is FL hiding?

« on: September 21, 2020, 06:52:46 PM »

Hospital is back to the baseline that we were at after the first wave concluded ~June. Tune back in around mid October for our next session of ‘COVID or masks’.

5

General Discussion / Re: Car Lease Master Thread

« on: August 18, 2020, 11:00:56 AM »

Being capped out at $50 is not considered insurance. I just learned the hard way and paid $200. Chase reps are also clueless. They first rep told me I won’t need to pay and then after an hour I got a call that I would need to pay $200. Long story.. (I would have signed up for AAA on the spot and paid the expedited fee $75 plus a year of membership for $56 and would have come out ahead.)

Agreed and never said it was insurance, but I’ve never had a situation that cost more than that and hard to imagine too many scenarios where it would be necessary for me at least.

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COVID-19 Discussion Board / Re: What is FL hiding?

« on: August 14, 2020, 06:01:19 PM »

Our hospitalizations are at nearly 40% of their high about 2-3 weeks ago. Prob still about double what they were at their low in June.

7

General Discussion / Re: Car Lease Master Thread

« on: August 14, 2020, 08:38:08 AM »

I think that's limited to once per year and capped at $50.

“Up to $50 per service event, maximum four service events per year”

I’ve used it many times for both tire changes and towing and never had to pay anything extra.

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General Discussion / Re: Car Lease Master Thread

« on: August 13, 2020, 12:43:07 PM »

I'm going to lease a Hyundai and the dealer said roadside assistance comes with. Should I decline it from GEICO? Anyone have any experience with Hyundai roadside?

I recall using it once and it was fine. I usually just used my sapphire reserve roadside assistance though.

9

General Discussion / Re: "Obamacare Requires Infants To Be Billed Separately"

« on: August 13, 2020, 12:41:38 PM »

I actually didn't argue that, and don't advocate that. A DR. that looks at you for 30 seconds or even 5 minutes charging 100+/- is capitalism, but ask yourself why did capitalism get us there and the answer is, the government requirements, shall that be insurance reporting or training ETC. I do say that government should cut down on all nonsense which would reduce are expenses considerably.

Listen, the guy did his Job, as my finger is healed. The world is huge and people in other countries (not all) get just as good healthcare for typical stuff.

Maybe we are not arguing but a few additional points:

Doctors do not get paid because of capitalism. Doctors get paid a fixed rate based on what insurance companies (and effectively the federal government via Medicaid and Medicare who the ins it made companies typically follow) decide is appropriate. Of that rate, doctors make a small fraction of it (if it was performed at a hospital). If medicine was run like a a regular business, doctors would routinely make millions (because people would be willing to pay tremendous amounts of money when it comes to their health) which would be unfair and inappropriate. Medicine cannot be run as a regular capitalist market. But you cannot then argue that doctors shouldn’t be paid a fair rate for their level of intelligence/education. Most doctors can easily make hundreds of thousands+ in business or law etc (true capitalist markets). You will have a massive brain drain if you can’t offer them something remotely similar in income.

In other countries maybe $10/night is a good salary for other high-functioning jobs but I am certain that anything similar here will lead to a massive reduction in health care.

10

General Discussion / Re: "Obamacare Requires Infants To Be Billed Separately"

« on: August 13, 2020, 11:55:38 AM »

Everyone knows how crazy the medical bills in this country is, but still worth pointing out for comparison. I was in a upper middle income foreign country, broke my finger, had 2 Dr. come in special mid night, x-ray, and meds for a total of $40.  Upon returning home asked a local clinic for x-ray price [to see if it healed correctly] they wanted $200, I said no thanx, ill take an x-ray when I'm out of country again.

Might not be a populist opinion but I promise you, you do not want to be treated in a place where a doctor gets $10 for making a special midnight hospital visit. It’s the insurance costs and hospital costs that are excessive but if you’re arguing that the doctors should get paid that poorly... you will get value commensurate with the payment.

11

Destination Guides And Trip Planning / Re: South Florida Master Thread

« on: August 11, 2020, 05:54:50 AM »

we would need 5 tickets $65 a pop
50K cert would only cover 3 people

You can upgrade your room to cover more people but not sure if the cost remains worthwhile. Call and ask.

12

COVID-19 Discussion Board / Re: What is FL hiding?

« on: August 02, 2020, 10:23:56 PM »

Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC has set up a center to address these issues:
https://www.mountsinai.org/about/covid19/center-post-covid-care

This article mentions similar programs at Yale, Hopkins and "elsewhere".
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/health/coronavirus-recovery-survivors.html

Makes sense that places that got hit earlier have developed something by now. Nothing in South Florida that I’m aware of yet 🤷‍♂️

13

COVID-19 Discussion Board / Re: What is FL hiding?

« on: August 02, 2020, 07:07:23 PM »

Are you aware of any follow-up testing being done to track potential lingering or longer-term issues?

Nah, there’s no formal follow up plan. It’s case by case if ppl present with symptoms later on they get worked up further/treated.

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COVID-19 Discussion Board / Re: What is FL hiding?

« on: August 02, 2020, 03:12:10 PM »

Younger/healthier patients, stopped prophylactic intubation and dexamethasone IME. Much faster patient turnover time than previously.

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COVID-19 Discussion Board / Re: Stella Immanuel Asks Why We Don't Prescribe Prophylactic Hydroxychloroquine

« on: July 30, 2020, 05:42:00 AM »

Point by point rebuttal

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/hydroxychloroquine-to-treat-covid-19-evidence-cant-seem-to-kill-it/

Not going though