A seemingly mundane dose of prevention proves to be costly
Nobody likes to be sick. That’s a given. So we do what we can to avoid being under the weather.
Fortunately, medical science has provided us with means and mechanisms to stay healthy. But there’s a cost.
If you have insurance to cover much, or most, of your medical needs, you don’t always feel the economic burden of visiting your doctor, undergoing various forms of testing, purchasing prescription drugs, being admitted to a hospital, etc.
Examining the details of a health care bill can be instructive. I recommend it. Not long ago, reality hit home.
I had checked in with my physician for a routine examination. Nothing unusual about that.
During the course of the exam, the doctor asked if I had had a pneumonia shot in the last several years. The answer: No. It was time. He provided the injection and that was that.
Then came the bill. The cost of the vaccine: $575. Who knew? Then came the breakdown. The “adjustment” for the insurance discount was a reduction of $373.99. The insurance then paid the remaining $201.01. The final cost to the insured was 0.
The lesson from this tiny tale: Even the seemingly most mundane of medical services or products can result in a hefty bill. Avoid paying retail.
Stigmata alert
You sometimes have to wonder what the creative types are thinking as they try to come up ways to promote their retail offerings.
A bicycle manufacturer has come up with a snazzy new two-wheeler and it’s called ... get ready for it ... “Stigmata.” Good heavens. Really?
The word is defined as “marks resembling the wounds of the crucified
body of Christ.” It’s derived from “stigma” or “a mark of disgrace or infamy.”
Gee, guess it’s time to rethink that ride.
Surfing bonus
The Taco Bell outlet located at Pacifica State Beach has been closed for renovation. It is scheduled to return to fast food life Monday.
A quick visit there last week indicated that the joint, nearly a half-century old, is indeed very close to reopening for business.
Word is that it will be transformed into a Taco Bell Cantina when it is resurrected. If accurate, that would mean alcohol could be served there.
Hmmm. Surfing and margaritas? Cowabunga ... what could go wrong?
John Stanley
Still in Pacifica for a moment, it’s somehow comforting to know that John Stanley, a resident of the coastal community, is still active in the wacky world of cult classic horror/science fiction entertainment.
A journalist, author and former host of the ultra-camp TV show “Creature Features” early in the 1980s, Stanley is scheduled to be one of the main presenters at the July 7 Creatures-con at the Marriott Hotel in San Ramon.
Not long ago, Stanley made a guest appearance on the latest iteration of “Creature Features” (which airs on Saturdays at 10 p.m. on KOFY-TV 20). He was in fine form.
Rolling Heads
Meanwhile over the hill in beautiful downtown Brisbane, that village’s annual summer Concerts in the Park series is underway.
The free music is provided every Friday night from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Brisbane Community Park through Aug. 9. A personal favorite is sure to be a presentation Friday by the Rolling Heads.
It’s highly unlikely that the legendary Madame Defarge and her Guillotines will make an appearance as backup. But one never knows.