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My Health Insurance Company Is Trying To Kill Me
  • The worst of the medical centers that knowingly overcharged me was USC Keck in L.A. They completely ignored calls, emails, faxes and certified letters for nearly a year - never once responding to anything. The scumbags actually sent my account to collections despite my having a zero balance because they flatly refused to credit my overpayments. I've learned to refuse payment of any medical bill before making absolutely sure I owe the company what they are billing, and that can take months.

    The thing that amazes me with all of these companies is they expect you and I to be right on top of our accounts, respond to letters and calls, and pay their bills within 30 days. This despite the fact they don't give a fuck about doing the same. My attitude has become the same as theirs: "fuck 'em, let them wait". I get sternly worded bills with red "Past Due" printed on them every month, ignore them completely and pay when I'm ready. There's been no downside.

  • My Health Insurance Company Is Trying To Kill Me
  • Doesn’t matter, it’s all of them.

    It's the majority of them, but there are exceptions. I switched to Blue Shield (not Blue Cross or one of the combined companies in some states) and had almost zero problems. They paid my claims accurately the vast majority of the time and fixed the occasional problem with relatively little fuss. The Blue Shield reps also knew their stuff and I never once had to explain my policy to them.

    Health Net is deliberately designed from the bottom up to refuse legitimate claims and to fight tooth and nail when customers demand they follow their own contract. IMO Health Net should be shut down.

    ...my wife basically made this her daytime job calling about the bills and learning about how billing and coding works.

    I had to do the same, despite recovering from surgery. To make matters worse, after I hit the maximum out of pocket amount the medical centers continued to send bills showing I owed a balance. It took nearly a year and repeated escalation to their executive and legal departments to get them to provide refunds. Calls, faxes and certified letters were completely ignored.

    Corporate America has become quasi-legal and well-funded organized crime.

  • My Health Insurance Company Is Trying To Kill Me
  • Name and shame - it does absolutely no good to post your experience without the insurance company name.

    Health Net pulled constant bullshit with me. The company regularly refused payment on claims, saying they weren't covered after previously paying for the same service under the plan. Health Net even went so far to refuse payment on a claim when they had provided prior approval for the appointment in writing. They would refuse payment on things that were clearly covered and I had to read them the policy to even get them to look at the denial. Health Net literally trashed prior authorization requests my doctor sent in and it took 4 months and personally faxing the request myself to get them to admit they were throwing the faxes away. The list goes on and on.

    After major surgery I often spent 10+ hours per week on the phone with them because Health Net would deny so many claims. Getting rid of that crappy insurance company was a major relief.

  • I’ve been locked out of PayPal for years because of their mistake
  • Paypal locked my account after years of use for absolutely no reason. I never had a invalid charge, dispute, or any other kind of problem with it, just one day they decided to shut it down. They flatly refused to explain what was going on. With all the decent alternatives out there now there is no longer a reason to use their crappy service.

    Love that they believe they're the only game in town and can demand your bank statement.

  • 'He’s truly lost his mind': Lindsey Graham ripped after calling D-Day a 'failure' on CBS
    www.rawstory.com 'He’s truly lost his mind': Lindsey Graham ripped after calling D-Day a 'failure' on CBS

    A nuanced attempt by Sen. Linsey Graham (R-SC) to assert that the U.S. should never have been in the position to have to launch the Normandy invasion 80 years ago fell with a thud on Sunday morning after he told a CBS host that D-Day was a "failure."Discussing battling Russian President Vladimir Put...

    'He’s truly lost his mind': Lindsey Graham ripped after calling D-Day a 'failure' on CBS
    81
    Ukraine says hackers abuse SyncThing tool to steal data
  • Correct me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't look like this has anything to do with Syncthing vulnerabilities. Instead it looks like a hack that uses a preconfigured Syncthing installation to transfer sensitive data. Disturbing nonetheless.

  • A PR disaster: Microsoft has lost trust with its users, and Windows Recall is the straw that broke the camel's back
  • It's also important to remember that Microsoft has no monetary incentive to force people to use Windows Recall.

    With that in mind, there would be no reason for Microsoft to automatically enable Windows Recall in an update down the line. If it does happen, the user will be able to instantly tell thanks to that that visual indicator and turn it off again.

    This article is nothing but propaganda. There is huge monetary incentive to force people to use Windows Recall and collect their data, and Microsoft routinely uses Windows Update to enable data collection. They began that practice years ago on Windows 7. It's a ridiculously simple matter for MS to disable the visual indicator and force This Week's Plan on their users to monetize their data.

    Windows Central pretends to be critical of plans to enable a feature that can be made into malware by Microsoft in a couple of minutes, but then back peddles and says it can't be done (utter BS) and if it could be, it wouldn't be that bad.

  • Comment claiming advanced info on Trump verdict 'looks increasingly likely to be a hoax'
    www.rawstory.com Comment claiming advanced info on Trump verdict 'looks increasingly likely to be a hoax'

    Judge Juan Merchan notified Donald Trump's legal team and prosecutors on Friday that there was an explosive comment about the ex-president's jury posted online, but that comment looks increasingly likely to be a hoax, according to a report.The judge overseeing the criminal case in which Trump was co...

    Comment claiming advanced info on Trump verdict 'looks increasingly likely to be a hoax'
    7
    Clarence Thomas admits billionaire paid for private club membership and luxury Bali trips
    www.rawstory.com Clarence Thomas admits billionaire paid for private club membership and luxury Bali trips

    A Texas billionaire, known to have cozy relationships with high-profile conservatives, footed the bill for two 2019 trips to Bali and membership to a private California club for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, according to a report published Friday.The trips were disclosed for the first time ...

    Clarence Thomas admits billionaire paid for private club membership and luxury Bali trips
    31
    On Tuesday these Republicans voted to defund Nato
    www.newsweek.com Full list of Republicans that voted to defund NATO

    Marjorie Taylor Greene's proposal to cut funding to NATO received the backing of 46 Republicans in Congress.

    Full list of Republicans that voted to defund NATO
    28
    Jan. 6 rioter caught in a woman’s Bumble dating app sting sentenced to prison
    www.nbcnews.com Jan. 6 rioter caught in a woman’s Bumble dating app sting sentenced to prison

    Andrew Taake was out on bond on a charge of soliciting a minor when he attacked law enforcement on Jan. 6. A young woman launched a sting operation that got him caught.

    Jan. 6 rioter caught in a woman’s Bumble dating app sting sentenced to prison
    23
    US Agencies Urged to Tackle Medicare Advantage, Other 'Outrageous' Healthcare Greed
  • Medicare Advantage is a huge scam created during Dubya's term to turn Medicare into a profit source for insurance companies. It's sold by sales reps that say they "don't have any reason to push it over Medigap plans", but the truth is the commissions paid are far higher for an Advantage plan than for a Medigap plan. Those commissions can continue for decades and mean hundreds of thousands of dollars more income for those sales reps.

    Those sales reps also routinely tell people they can switch to a Medigap plan if they aren't satisfied with an Advantage plan but neglect to mention that switching is only possible (for most people) for a few months after becoming eligible for Medicare. Once those months are up nearly everyone is stuck with an Advantage plan for the rest of their lives.

    Advantage plans look good at first because if care is not needed, monthly costs can be much lower than for a Medigap plan, but nearly everyone needs more care as they age. When that care is needed costs of an Advantage plan can far exceed that of a Medigap plan. Once stuck with an Advantage plan, subscribers get to deal with companies that make extra profit off of denying care. Insurance companies consistently do that even if they're breaking the law because the profits far exceed the penalties.

    If you or are your parent are going to go on Medicare, be very careful before choosing an Advantage plan. Make sure you know exactly what you're getting into before signing on the dotted line.

  • FBI raids Atlanta corporate landlord in probe of rental market price fixing
    www.ajc.com FBI raids Atlanta corporate landlord in probe of rental market price fixing

    The federal government’s antitrust investigation into price fixing in the rental market appears to have found a fulcrum in Atlanta after a surprise FBI raid of multifamily property developer Cortland Management.

    FBI raids Atlanta corporate landlord in probe of rental market price fixing

    Other sources:

    • https://crooksandliars.com/2024/06/fbi-raids-corporate-landlord-management-co
    • https://www.dailydot.com/debug/high-rent-prices-social-media-lawsuit/
    • https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/is-one-company-to-blame-for-soaring-rental-prices-in-the-u-s/ar-BB1nDhl4
    11
    Senate Republicans block bill to protect access to contraception
  • All nine Republican senators running for reelection this year voted against the right to access contraception:

    • John Barrasso
    • Marsha Blackburn
    • Kevin Cramer
    • Ted Cruz
    • Deb Fischer
    • Josh Hawley
    • Pete Ricketts
    • Rick Scott
    • Roger Wicker
  • Senate Republicans block bill to protect access to contraception
    www.nbcnews.com Senate Republicans block bill to protect access to contraception

    Democrats expected the GOP to filibuster the legislation and brought it up to make a point to voters ahead of the 2024 election, viewing reproductive rights as a winning issue.

    Senate Republicans block bill to protect access to contraception
    9
    Removed
    FBI Raids Corporate Landlord in Major Rent Price-Fixing Probe: What It Means for You
  • Rents in my area have gone up 60% in the past 4 years and lots of people I know can no longer afford to rent the homes they own, nor could they afford to buy them now. A fixed rate mortgage makes housing expenses stable for decades. That's something that is almost never considered when comparing renting and owning.

  • Joe Biden suddenly leads convicted felon Donald Trump in multiple battleground states
  • Polls matter a lot when they start moving. There are plenty of people who pay no attention at all to news or politics. and those people are slowly finding out that Trump is now a convicted felon and may soon be wearing an orange jumpsuit.

    No matter how the "Law and Order" GQP attacks the American Criminal Justice System, western societies have centuries of experience dealing with convicted felons. It is a stain that won't wash out.

  • Wireguard self hosting - Some tricks I don't see mentioned in too many tutorials
  • Another tip: On Android phones, Tasker can be used to automatically activate Wireguard tunnels to your own or a commercial VPN host. Taskernet.com has one project that activates WG when off specific wifi networks, and another that I wrote that allows you to activate a tunnel on demand only when you open specific apps. Great if you want to access a home server occasionally (without detectable open router ports) or want an extra layer of security when running a financial app.

  • Trump supporters call for riots and violent retribution after verdict
  • And the world was shocked because he is someone the law protects but does not bind.

    Trump is currently being protected by Supreme Court justices who are literally deciding whether he's bound by any law. You can bet that same conservative majority would make sure he's protected by all of them.

  • Trump dealt double-whammy of losses: Hush-money judge remains on case, trial stays in Manhattan
    lawandcrime.com Trump dealt double-whammy of losses: Hush-money judge remains on case, trial stays in Manhattan

    Trump lost out twice in one day in appellate court on two issues central to his public criticisms of the hush-money case: the trial venue and the trial judge.

    Trump dealt double-whammy of losses: Hush-money judge remains on case, trial stays in Manhattan
    15
    Jan. 6 rioter who assaulted cops with metal whip has sentencing go haywire
    lawandcrime.com Jan. 6 rioter who assaulted cops with metal whip has sentencing go haywire

    A sentencing hearing broke down this week for a self-employed handyman from Texas who used a metal whip and unloaded a can of bear spray on officers during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots.

    Jan. 6 rioter who assaulted cops with metal whip has sentencing go haywire
    26
    Judge nixes Trump effort to subpoena Stormy Daniels over documentary and witness communications
    lawandcrime.com Judge nixes Trump effort to subpoena Stormy Daniels over documentary and witness communications

    Trump's lawyers repeated requests from another subpoena issued to NBCUniversal in early March – which the court subsequently quashed as "the very definition of a fishing expedition."

    Judge nixes Trump effort to subpoena Stormy Daniels over documentary and witness communications
    4
    Trump Official Jeffrey Clark Broke Ethics Rules, DC Bar Says
    news.bloomberglaw.com Trump Official Jeffrey Clark Broke Ethics Rules, DC Bar Says (1)

    Trump Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark could lose his law license after a DC Bar panel found that he violated ethics rules in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

    Trump Official Jeffrey Clark Broke Ethics Rules, DC Bar Says (1)

    > In the sanctions portion of the proceeding, disciplinary counsel Hamilton Fox III pointed to the seriousness of aggravating factors in Clark's violations.

    >"Because of the stakes, because of the effect on the fundamental fabric of the democracy, which Mr. Clark had to know about, you throw out those cases and look at the effect of what he did," Fox said.

    >The counsel pointed to Clark's own character witness, who said he was an excellent lawyer, "who had to know what he was doing, who had to know the effect of what he was doing on our country, who had to know that he was participating in an existential threat to our constitutional democracy, and no lawyer who engages in such misconduct, whatever his motives may be, no lawyer ought to be permitted to hold a license to practice law in the District of Columbia."

    >"And I would submit to you that in the context of what he did, the only sanction is disbarment," he concluded.

    >The disciplinary panel said it would decide on Clark's sanctions later.

    10
    Judge Cannon rejects a bid by Trump to dismiss criminal charges in classified documents case | CNN Politics
    www.cnn.com Trump suffers setbacks in efforts to shut down two of the criminal cases against him | CNN Politics

    Former President Donald Trump was dealt two major setbacks Thursday in his efforts to derail the criminal cases against him, with judges in the Georgia election interference case and in the federal classified documents case both rejecting bids by the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee to have...

    Trump suffers setbacks in efforts to shut down two of the criminal cases against him | CNN Politics

    From Cannon's "ORDER DENYING DEFENDANT TRUMP’S MOTION TO DISMISS SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT BASED ON PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT"

    >Separately, to the extent the Special Counsel demands an anticipatory finalization of jury instructions prior to trial, prior to a charge conference, and prior to the presentation of trial defenses and evidence, the Court declines that demand as unprecedented and unjust [see ECF No. 428]. The Court’s Order soliciting preliminary draft instructions on certain counts should not be misconstrued as declaring a final definition on any essential element or asserted defense in this case. Nor should it be interpreted as anything other than what it was: a genuine attempt, in the context of the upcoming trial, to better understand the parties’ competing positions and the questions to be submitted to the jury in this complex case of first impression. As always, any party remains free to avail itself of whatever appellate options it sees fit to invoke, as permitted by law.

    16
    Opinion | New emails show Trump’s stealing the election was always Plan A
    www.msnbc.com Opinion | New emails show Trump’s stealing the election was always Plan A

    The day after the race was called for Joe Biden, Kenneth Chesebro was already formulating the 'fake electors' plot to keep Donald Trump in office.

    Opinion | New emails show Trump’s stealing the election was always Plan A
    45
    A Home Assistant Supervised hardware option.

    I'm not sure this is allowed here. Apologies and please delete if it is not.

    I was looking for decent, inexpensive hardware for a semi-dedicated Home Assistant supervised server and found something that is working better than expected.

    What I wanted:

    • Debian 12 supported hardware.
    • Fast processor.
    • SSD.
    • 8GB ram.
    • Integrated battery - no UPS needed.
    • Built in display and keyboard if possible to make management easier so a laptop is fine.
    • Advanced BIOS options.

    I took a risk on a Dell 3140 small laptop from Woot. I just finished moving my HA installation to it and am pleased enough to post here. It's $170 (refurbished) right now and the one I received looks brand new. While this is just an OK laptop, for a HA server it's terrific.

    Positives:

    • Debian 12 supports the hardware without any additional drivers. Everything just works after install.
    • The N200 processor is more than 2x faster than a Raspberry Pi 5's CPU.
    • Built in BIOS battery management. A charge limit can be set to preserve the battery since it will be plugged in all the time. 6+ hours indicated battery life with a limited 75% charge.
    • Low power usage. Powertop says it's drawing about 6 watts with several USB devices plugged in.
    • BIOS Option to automatically power on upon power restoration.
    • 128GB SSD is more than big enough to support Debian 12, HA plus some additional apps. My installation uses less than 25GB leaving plenty to spare for Timeshift and some file sharing. Replacement 2230 NVMe SSDs are cheap.
    • Fanless & completely silent.
    • Built like a tank.

    Negatives:

    • Built like a tank. Chunky for a small laptop.
    • No integrated Ethernet port.
    • Mediocre screen.

    This is commercial grade product that will hopefully last a long time and might be worth considering if you're looking for Home Assistant hardware.

    -----

    1
    Rite Aid’s ‘reckless’ use of facial recognition got it banned from using the technology in stores for five years | CNN Business
    www.cnn.com Rite Aid’s ‘reckless’ use of facial recognition got it banned from using the technology in stores for five years | CNN Business

    Rite Aid has agreed to a five-year ban from using facial recognition technology after the Federal Trade Commission found that the chain falsely accused customers of crimes and unfairly targeted people of color.

    Rite Aid’s ‘reckless’ use of facial recognition got it banned from using the technology in stores for five years | CNN Business
    15
    Trump-supporting attorney Lin Wood disbarred in Colorado's federal trial court
    www.coloradopolitics.com Trump-supporting attorney Lin Wood disbarred in Colorado's federal trial court

    Colorado's federal trial court on Thursday disbarred an attorney who spoke favorably about the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, called for former Vice President Mike Pence to be subjected to firing squads and claimed he had evidence of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

    Trump-supporting attorney Lin Wood disbarred in Colorado's federal trial court
    11
    Trump can be held civilly liable in Jan. 6 riot, judges rule

    Washington Post: Donald Trump can be held civilly liable for the actions of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, an appeals court ruled Friday in a long-awaited decision that could clear the way for lawsuits seeking financial damages from the former president.

    42
    InitialsDiceBearhttps://github.com/dicebear/dicebearhttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/„Initials” (https://github.com/dicebear/dicebear) by „DiceBear”, licensed under „CC0 1.0” (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)SP
    spaghettiwestern @sh.itjust.works
    Posts 83
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