Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[WM75Guy]

Stand alone imaging centers are becoming more popular options for outpatient procedures. Less overhead means lower cost. It is common to give a discount for cash up front, even hospitals do it if you ask. If the provider files the claim for the negotiated contract price and waits for payment, the patient has to pay their copay or deductible, the cash price may be better for both.

The same can be true for lab tests as well. The lab companies have a local office where you go to have your blood drawn and the results are sent to the ordering provider. The price is less than the hospital price.

Everyone is looking for more of the healthcare dollar pie. The reimbursements for the office visit don't pay much anymore. Providers do lab and xrays in their office. Some specialists are installing CTs in their office, no waiting, just walk next door. Cardiologists have cath labs in their office. Your local pharmacy can fill your pet prescriptions at a greatly reduced cost than what the vet charges.

People need to take control of their healthcare costs. One tip I give patients is to print off the list of $4 prescriptions from Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc or your insurance book for your PCS card and take it to your next doctor appointment. If you need a med for say high blood pressure tell him or her to pick one off this list. Most providers prescribe 35-40 meds as their standard drugs. They know the prescribing info such as indications, contraindications, side effects and interactions with other drugs. Others they have to look up. The list is somewhat driven by marketing and other factors. Why get a name brand prescription that they prefer and costs you lots of money when a generic will work.

 

[jinman]

There's a light rain falling right now and it's been on/off all night long. There looks to be a solid storm line with increasing intensity stretching at least 100 miles NW of me on a course my way. I think Bird and I are likely to get more wetness this morning; me early, him later. If it moves south, this will make a great event for the metro-mess. Right now, there is zero wind and it almost seems like late September instead of the middle of August.:thumbsup:

Brandi, I was about to tell you thanks for sending this rain up our way until you asked for rain to be sent to you. I guess you're not as altruistic as I thought, but that's okay. We are all a little greedy when it comes to rain in Texas this time of year.

EDIT:Spoke too soon. . . the Sunset "Storm Evaporator" is turned on and working quite well. Watching the clouds disintegrate as they approach is depressing.

 

[Bird]

Yep, Jim, I started mowing, edging, and trimming the yard this morning about 7 a.m. I used the bagger and had 3 big heavy contractor bags of clippings and leaves. Now the entire the time I was doing that I could feel little drops of rain hitting me, but never enough to get anything wet. Then I got out the ladder, loppers, pole lopper, and Makita with a pruning blade and worked on the live oak in the front yard. We piled so much brush and prunings on the little Ranger that I had to use the ladder to get high enough to put it all on and get a tarp over it. And then I hauled it to the Waste Management landfill in Lewisville. The little drops of rain picked up just a little bit just as I finished unloading the truck, right at noon. I even turned the wipers on for one swipe 3 or 4 times coming home.

So now I am flat worn out and hoping for rain, but it doesn't look too promising.

 

[Western]

Randy, thanks for posting your thoughts. I think that is a great "common sense" approach. Prior to the rise in our insurance cost, we neer really "looked around" for cheaper equal care, now I pay much more attention. My theory is my cost will go up with the new heath care laws, primarily to subsidize some one who doesn't want insurance or cant afford it. Sad thing is, most that dont pay for it probably have a cell phone, cable and a wide screen TV.

 

[NativeSon]

2:30am the dogs started getting nervous and I could see lightning flashes way to the north. About 3am we started to hear some thunder. By 3:30am it was a full blown storm and some of the most impressive lightning and thunder I have seen in a while. By 4am the storm was straight overhead and I got up, as the wife and the dogs were not going to let me try to sleep. After about 7am most of the storm had moved on and a check of the rain guage showed we got 2 5/8ths inches. Thank you Lord it was greatly needed. The last I looked at the news Tyler was gettting it pretty good.

Charlie

 

[foreman Etexas]

We ended up with 4.25 in the 5in.tall rain gauge,so may could have had alittle more than that in it,sure was coming down pretty good this morning...

Been slow drizzle most of the day,good soaking...

 

[Western]

we have over 2" o far, heavy steady rain. most now going to run-off.

 

[Bird]

I was watching the Channel 4 news awhile ago and he was talking about places that got over 2" in 30 minutes, places that got 2.8" to Rockwall's 5.68" and I've gotten almost 0.10" myself. But it's still barely sprinkling, so maybe there's still some hope for more.

 

[rgamble3]

We Got 1.25 " here last night. Hope to get more today.

 

[Bird]

I got a grand total of about .21", but the grass looks better anyway.

 

[jinman]

0.8" here. Again, the rain seemed to slip west/south of us and we didn't get the main blast. Heck! Dennis has had more rain in the last week than I've had all year long. Sigh. . .

 

[bindian]

My son, daughter and I went to Milton Reimers Ranch Park (SW of Austin and just north of Dripping Springs), on the Pedernales River, to go swimming yesterday. We were going to Hamilton Pool State Park, but there was a 2-2.5 hour wait. We were in the river about 30 minutes when dark, perky looking clouds arrived. We left and had intermittent showers all the way back to Austin. Then we went the Roller Derby playoffs, followed by a late movie, which had blowing winds and hard rain on the way back to my daughter's apt. We were going tubin' today in San Marcos, but looks like Thunderstorms there this afternoon.
It sure cooled down in Austin after these showers!
hugs, Brandi

 

[Western]

Well we ended up with almost 3", close enough to call it 3". I usually don't get this lucky:laughing: It seems we usually are in the same boat Jim and Bird are in. Honestly, I would have rather had it in `" increments once a week, but will take what I can, we wouldn't have our feelings hurt if it didn't rain here for a week or two though. This past rain was alomost totally run-off, which is good for filling ponds and such.

Brandi, Have you been able to capitalize on some of this rain on your new pond? Seems rain came at the time you needed to hold off, almost like it was "toying" with you!!

I have to leave for ********* Texas today, a week on the road working, I should still be at home with the way my back is feeling ,but we are getting in a real schedule bind. Still waiting on Doc reports from my MRI, hopefully they will see something obvious and easy to correct. I'm not a "pill Popper" but this has really worked on my pain limits, now its testing my patience. I have to get this trip done and try to get to Colorado and New Mexico for 4 weeks, hard to plan things when you don't know if you'll be able to walk each morning:thumbdown:

 

[foreman Etexas]

Well we ended up with almost 3", close enough to call it 3". I usually don't get this lucky:laughing: It seems we usually are in the same boat Jim and Bird are in. Honestly, I would have rather had it in `" increments once a week, but will take what I can, we wouldn't have our feelings hurt if it didn't rain here for a week or two though. This past rain was alomost totally run-off, which is good for filling ponds and such.

Brandi, Have you been able to capitalize on some of this rain on your new pond? Seems rain came at the time you needed to hold off, almost like it was "toying" with you!!

I have to leave for ********* Texas today, a week on the road working, I should still be at home with the way my back is feeling ,but we are getting in a real schedule bind. Still waiting on Doc reports from my MRI, hopefully they will see something obvious and easy to correct. I'm not a "pill Popper" but this has really worked on my pain limits, now its testing my patience. I have to get this trip done and try to get to Colorado and New Mexico for 4 weeks, hard to plan things when you don't know if you'll be able to walk each morning:thumbdown:

Im just 20min. from ********* off hwy79

 

[Western]

Im just 20min. from ********* off hwy79

Good deal, we can camp out in your barn!:laughing: Hope it is dry there, at least for 2 nights!!

 

[foreman Etexas]

Good deal, we can camp out in your barn!:laughing: Hope it is dry there, at least for 2 nights!!

Yeah it should be all dried up by today,but they are just lean too's,no barn here,lol I wish....

 

[Western]

Yeah it should be all dried up by today,but they are just lean too's,no barn here,lol I wish....

LOL right!! I have been "forced" to stay in motels that wouldn't qualify as a "lean-to" , so that would probably work if the weather was cooler. We'll be the guys causing all the "disruption" at your local Wally world.

 

[foreman Etexas]

LOL right!! I have been "forced" to stay in motels that wouldn't qualify as a "lean-to" , so that would probably work if the weather was cooler. We'll be the guys causing all the "disruption" at your local Wally world.

My sister works nights up there been with them for 20+yrs...

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I prayed for 3" of rain. The airport's weather gage just about 1/2 mile from me registered 2.91" overnight.

Thank you Lord.

 

[bindian]

Brandi, Have you been able to capitalize on some of this rain on your new pond? Seems rain came at the time you needed to hold off, almost like it was "toying" with you!!
:

Dennis,
I am just getting enough rain to "set and grow" the $90 of bermuda grass seed I put out. I put it out two weeks ago and now it is so green in spots, I don't have to lean over and squint my eyes to see it. We got 7/8th inch today or last night. We saw plenty of rain puddles on the roadway between Austin and home this afternoon.
I guess I need to get some cheap grass seed to get grass growing down in the pond basin, so I won't get silting so bad. Any ideas, Y'all, on a cheap fast growing grass seed, that does not need to be disced under? Too soon for rye grass, or I would use that.
hugs, Brandi