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    >   Cyberpope wrote --   
      
    > > I've seen huge amounts just dropped by hospitals in every state.   
      
    >   And I assume a lot of that is rolled over so someone else's insurance is   
    > paying for it.  Such as the $20 per aspirin legend.  (I write legend since I   
    > have no solid evidence that is done, on a regular basis, though I do believe   
    > there it is possibly real)  {N   
      
   I doubt it gets shovedover to someone else; most of what's dropped is   
   bloat/markup, not actual costs of operations/staff.  Physicuians tend to charge   
   wghat they sthemselves value their worth at & we don't even attempt negotiation   
   -- as we want doctors to love us (makes it easier, in future, to have our   
   clients seen, & to get the medical reports afterwards)   
      
   Facilities, though, we're well aware of how much markup their is that's not   
   connected to actual costs on the part of the facility, & we try to knock t his   
   down as much as possible.  Big hospitals give autmatic discounts to approved   
   cost containmemnt/negotiation comnpanies up to 60%, even! We use these HMO   
   agencies if their fee+their discount beats what we can do.   
      
    >   (I like to joke that I'm the last person to admit I'm wrong about   
    > something).   
      
   I thought I was wrong once. . . but I was mistaken (warning: brain cells   
   evaporate the longer you ponder this irony/paradox)   
      
    > > Just contact them before it g oes to collections & make an offer of any   
    > > amounmt or any firm plan to repay a percentage month by month.    
      
    >   Some businesses will accept that and some won't.   
      
   It's still worth making the offer. I should add that your offer should seem   
   reasonable to them.   
      
    >   At one time, don't know if its still done, a portion of a persons wages   
    > could be taken, by law, to pay a debt by garnishment.   
      
   Depends on jurisdiction; AFAIK, most require a court order, unless a law was   
   passed not requiring such for certain types of debt.   
      
   I'm guessing that if a lawyers' firm does invoice negotiations, they might have   
   lien options for refusal to pay.   
      
   Here in BC, invoice negotiation is a legal activity -- doing it as a non-lawyer   
   constitutes practicing law without a license. We only do negotiations outside   
   of Canada, anyway, & I'm guessing that could be why. I got this from the guy   
   who oversees our Bar Association's infractions department.   
      
    >   When I took over as supervisor in parking enforcement around 2008, there   
    > was a lot of he said/she said rules and regs which seemed to change with the   
    > wind.   
    >   I wrote a manual, with approval of the boss, on how things are done and   
    > not done.  It'd still in effect today and a copy is given to each new hire   
    > so there is no question later with the person saying they were never told   
    > such-and-such.   
      
   I could do that for any company I've worked for, as I always make a point of   
   understanding ho0w the boss wants things done -- he/she is the boss for a   
   reason. If I know so much about managing that kind of company, I should start   
   my own & run it any way I lke.   
      
   As you say, circumstances change & exceptional ones arise.  Rule 3(not the   
   Internet Rule 3 *LOL*) is think on your feet & shield your boss from annoyances   
   you can handle yourself.   
      
   My current boss has made this explicit; he hires us to think & to make   
   decisions on the spot, as needed. He tlld me,k in earshot of all, "If I ask you   
   why you did some thing a certain way, I'm not criticising--I want to know/learn   
   so we can all benefit from your success.); he was speaking in context of a   
   method/decision that achieved the mandated response.   
      
   I make a point of conducting muyself with integrity, especuially now that I   
   know tyhe secret: it shows.   
      
   I wenmt up rto the manager of the local Safeway afew years back and said, "You   
   owe me $140." & he just opened the till & handed it to me! I asked, "Don't you   
   want to know why?"; he just said he knows me; I explained why anyway, & used   
   the $40 to buy the gift cards I had purchased from a cashier, but she had lost   
   them (put them in anunexpected place--I found later, & destroyed them, even   
   knowing I could've used the extra $140 for groceries!)   
      
    >   But a lot is learned on the job as circumstances come up.  Otherwise it   
    > would be hundreds of pages for all events.   
      
   Yup.  Here are the guidlines & a few hard & fast rules; know this manual well &   
   use it to guide, not control, your choices & actions.   
      
    > > I've seen employees be fired for cause   
      
    >   I was fired from three different jobs in a row in the late '70s.  And   
    > yes, it was due to my fault of under-performing.   
    >   A couple of the jobs I was not suited for and best for both the employer   
    > and myself to part ways.   
      
   Fair enough.  A local giant's (our first self earned billionaire) old used car   
   dealership hads a policy; the worst salesman eac month wAs fired, each & every   
   month.  Naturallly, the bleeding heart wet-ears complained vociferously how   
   unfair & arbitrary a policy it was. I leaned towards this thninking, too, but   
   kept it to myself, as I didn't have his side of the story.   
      
   Years later a lawyer friend, who knew many ex-salesmen who got fired tghis way,   
   pointed out hoew every one was grateful as they weren't suited to the standards   
   a successful car salesman must have, & happily moved on to a better vacatiounal   
   path.   
      
    > > But I may be the last of a dying breed.   
      
    >   The current generation seems to have little or no work ethic.   
    >   I was always taught to take whatever job I could do and do it well and   
    > something better would come along.  And usually did.   
      
   My dad worked hard to support his family, even taking on a 2nd or 3rd job,   
   if/when actually needed; I feel this way now, even being half paralyzed: better   
   I take a second job before my wife takes a first outside job.(second to her job   
   as Domestic Goddess *LOL*)   
      
    >   And there is also the Peter Principle in play, where one rises to the   
    > level of their incompetence.  I see this quite often.    
    >   ("The Peter Principle" was a book by Lawrence Peter in the early '70s)   
      
   Started reading it once or twice, but got bored as I was poredicting each   
   chapter's contents after reading a line or two.  Seemed simple common sense.   
      
   If you add more & more responsibilities to a person's position, eventually   
   you'll overwhelm them, & they'll be unable to do it--at best; spectacularly   
   failing in a breakdown, at worst.   
      
   I pay attention to my abilities, stretching them as I can, but I'll warb my   
   pboss of my tipping point beforte I hit it, & only consider lateral promotions   
   &/or pay raises in lieu of promotion.  Never had any complaint with this   
   outlook.  (everybody wants more,. but eventually realize I'm giving them more   
   than someone else would be,in just my position)   
      
   There's the adage: Don't be indispensible--if you can't be replaced, you can't   
   be promoted.   
      
   If I'm at my Peter mark, I'll contentedly train people to be promoted past me,   
   so this normal ebb & flow isn't disrupted by my stopping where I am.   
      
   People(parents) are afraid to teach their(&/or their neighbours') children work   
   ethic.   
      
   Peter Principle them out at age 8 or 9 & they'll know their limits throughout   
   their adult vocational life. (career)   
      
   Mollycoddle them & here we are. :P    
      
   Children should fail often & sometimes miserably!   
      
   If you've never failed, you've never tried    
   (I forget who I'm paraphrasing here)   
      
      
   Your friend,   
      
   <+]:{)}   
   Cyberpope, Bishop of ROM   
   --- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux   
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