Mary asks…
Can you code for these items: Thanks in advance Valentine?
I’m pretty sure since these are mainly cosmetic, except Botox, you can’t bill for them but not sure. These are Spa services they are asking me to code for them, I assume for future reference, to Medicare (should be just part B). Can you actually code these:
IPL (No idea what this is. They tend to give me stuff like this a lot)
Peel Pac, Peel Vitalize/Illumize, MicroDerm, Facials, Latisse, Botox, Dysport, Fillers(juvederm, restylane, radiesse).
They are also asking for codes for supplies such as retinol, vitamin C, and 1/2 Bottle Ultra 1 & 2 peel. All this stuff is under Spa Services. I have no idea where to find, or if can find, codes for these supplies. Only can think of HCPCS but I don’t believe these can be billed since it all seems just for personal therapeutic use. Suppose could be if medical reasons were documented but don’t see how you could.
Don’t have to go through all that. Sure you’re busy enough. If it’s a challenge that you want to do though get back to me whenever. No rush. Have a great weekend.
Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:
I do not have experience with these particular services, let me do some research and get back to you. Thanks for the challenge lol
Charles asks…
Under-the-table and filing taxes, have I got this right?
I’m within a few days of deciding whether or not to take a job that pays under-the-table. As much as I realize I could get away with it, I really want to do the right thing and make sure I am able to properly file taxes.
What I’ve read so far leads me to believe that if I file a Schedule C and SE, covering Medicare and Social Security, then I’m pretty much safe as far as doing my part.
Is this correct? Incorrect? What else needs to be considered?
If it helps, the job is very low hours and pays about $6000 a year.
Before you chastise me for taking unreported employment, remember that the reason I’m asking is to do the right thing. Thank you for your time and attention.
I do realize about the unemployment and compensation, but I am considering that an acceptable risk for the position.
As far as the employer violating labor laws, this may or may not be the case. I don’t know all those specifics yet either. If he is breaking any laws in this respect, is this something that could come back to haunt me or am I just as well off turning a blind eye and letting him deal with those issues?
Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:
If you take this under the table job, yes, report on Sch C and SE(you pay your own se tax)
and it would be advisable that you keep good records, the payer may not issue you a 1099
Richard asks…
Are there any resources for uninsured cancer patients have tried ACS, etc?
Mom has stage 3 colon cancer. state funded hospital refused to do a colonoscopy b/c she’s uninsured. grandfather died from colon cancer. Mths later at a different hospital she was rushed into surgery to have her appendix removed only to discover it had already been removed, instead part of her colon and some lymph nodes were removed. This was in July. She began chemo in Oct and got real sick. She had to wait until feb to get a colonoscopy b/c she’s uninsured. No signs of cancer but she got sicker. Yesterday the biopsy results came back she has an inoperable tumor outside of her colon and to top it off the for profit hospital dumped her as a patient b/c her bill exceeds 30k. Chemo is going to be used to try to prolong her life by up to 3 years. Soc Sec is lost her records and denied her claim. She has appealed and hired a lawyer. She has to wait 4 to 6 months. Medicare/caid won’t help her b/c she doesn’t have breast cancer and isn’t pregnant. found another hosp fight 2 keep food stamps
Appendix was removed during hysterectomy 20 years ago and she never knew. my mother has no income or assets. She was left destitute after husband died in 2005. My mother doesn’t have anyone but me an I promised her I wasn’t going to abandon her. As far as the biopsy goes I was told they were going to stick a needle into the tumor and remove tissue it was a 45 minute proceedure. This new tumor did not show up during the colonoscopy because it sits outside of her colon. It didn’t show up in the ct scan or a battery of other tests, she would have needed a pet scan. I only mentioned a colonoscopy to display the length of time she had to wait. If you look at the tennessee dhs website it states the guidelines for medicare and yes her doctors have worked with ssi. the lawyer told us that ssi is notorious for misplacing records and not owning up to it. I don’t have time for critics and tryin to say me mother’s life. A church member told me about natural herbs. my brothers don’t care.
Thank you spree dog. The problem is not with her doctors, but finding doctors to the procedures that they’re trained to do like the gastrointestinal doctor. They’re trying to get her into pain management. I realize that what you’re saying is true, but I’d rest easier knowing that she had access to innovative care. Her doctor an I discussed cyberknife, but he told me he had never seen it done in this type of situation an would have to refer her to a specialist. The saddest I’ve ever seen her doctor was on thursday he called in an said the cancer was back shook his head and said our health care system is horrible, another hospital where he also has an office is going to treat her. She met with the oncologist social worker. Her doctor said he isn’t giving up he just doesn’t know what else to do. She starts back on the 5fu and lecovorin on WED. They tried to get her on Xeloda, but its too expensive and Roche wouldn’t give it to her. We’re praying for a miracle God Bless you all.
Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:
I never had any luck getting the American Cancer Society to provide any help for my patients in this situation needing financial help to get treatment. What I did in my practice was treat them at my own expense. This happened fairly often.
I don’t know how many oncologists will do this now.
I would ask drug companies to help by providing free drugs for patients who were uninsured and could not afford the expense.
Sometimes this helped with the drug costs, but I still provided my services and my nurses essentially for free.
We are required to bill everyone the same, so I would simply write off the bills for those who told me they could not pay.
I suspect most doctors will not do this today. The trouble is that some people who had the resources would falsely say they could not pay. I tended to take their word, but many doctors become disillusioned by the few people who take advantage in this situation.
I usually knew my patient very well personally. If you have this kind of rapport, maybe your doctor will help you with the expenses. The main drug for colon cancer is 5FU which is very inexpensive as most chemotherapy drugs go. Part of the problem is that recurrent colon cancer is not a disease that can be treated very effectively with chemotherapy.
Three years would be exceptional time gained for inoperable recurrence. This may very well become a situation which cannot be effectively treated regardless of insurance or finances. The president’s former press secretary Mr. Tony Snow is also in this situation though he must certainly have plenty of coverage for the costs of treatment. It is not likely that he will do well with every available resource provided regardless of expense.
‘ Not a good situation to be in whether rich or poor.
It is common for people to think their family member could have been cured if they had the money or insurance coverage. Cures are not expected for anyone with recurrent or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the colon.
Betty asks…
What do you think of this law school statement? I just put the X’s there I have a college though?
During my undergraduate tenure at University of XXXXXXX, Economics Social Issues was the best course to develop my analytical ability and debating skills. As a class activity, we held debate sessions on various topics. This unique experience teaches students to work together as a team to gather relevant information and to present it as a persuasive argument to the judges and the audience. I believe that this particular course along with my economic background became a catalyst in my decision to study law.
The topic for our debate hearing was Saving and Protecting Social Security for the Future Generations. The objective was to convince the panel of judges that Social Security needs reforming or it will be completely depleted by the estimated year 2040. After class, the six of us decided to plan for the debate in the school library. As I spent time gathering my information from articles and economic models, I decided to set up two mock debates to see how prepared we actually were. This was the best way to organize our facts, sources, and arguments for effective presentation. Afterwards, we prepared some rebuttal questions for the final part of the debate.
On the day of the debate, I felt nervous, confident, and anxious. As we entered the classroom, it was as if we were expert economists set to appear in a hearing for Congress. I also thought about my past memories of being in Nashville, Tennessee and watching intense legislation of crime laws from the State Capitol House Chamber years ago. In my vital opening statement, I first provided an outline of all the arguments each of my teammates would debate. I opened with my argument explaining longer life expectancy for seniors, fewer employees in the modern job market, and massive government spending as my reason for the broken Social Security system.
After everyone on my team completed their argument, I elaborated on the problems of Medicare and its estimated depletion of reserves by 2019. I also gave a set of theories to reform Social Security and Medicare by adjusting its benefits, tax structure, and investment options. I could tell both of my theories really impressed the judges by their reaction. In the finale of the debate, I sensed that our team chemistry, purpose and determination grew for this debate because this topic was important for all of us. We used the rebuttal questions to not only defend our side of the debate, but also to show everyone that we were the better debate team. After completing the debate, the judges went outside of the classroom to decide the winner of the debate. When they came back in they announced that our team was victorious in the debate. The judges’ decision was predicated on how we presented our information and the enthusiasm we had for debating our topic.
I felt relieved because all of our hard work of arduous research and practice debates paid off. I thought about our perseverance from problems such as changing our arguments frequently, disagreements, and the possibility that members of the group would be absent that day. The most important attitude that I believe I brought to my team was enthusiasm and a strong desire to compete. With my prior experience of success, I know I can bring this same enthusiasm to the classroom in law school.
My strong work ethics of maintaining an excellent grade point average, long hours of studying, and participating in academic extracurricular activities are key qualities I possess to being a successful law student. I believe that one of my greatest strengths has always been to find reliable evidence from any research that I conduct. This is why I plan to attend the University of XXXXXX to start a legal career as part of a general counsel and later in my career become a lawmaker for Congress in Washington D.C. After talking to current law students and counselors, I am ready for the rewarding opportunity and challenge. With the outstanding reputation of a high bar passage rate and successful lawyers in the job force, I look forward to a legal education at the University of XXXXXX.
Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:
You know, after reading this I must say that there were parts that really grabbed my attention, and there were other parts that I felt were bordering on disingenuity and arrogance.
The first two paragraphs are excellent, however the third paragraph begins to falter. You tell us your emotions, which is completely irrelevant to the topic at hand. You also mention going to Tennessee which is, again, completely irrelevant. Why on earth does the reader need to know that?!! It fails to make your essay more personable and ultimately weakens the paragraph. In my opinion, you should cut right to “In my vital opening statement..”
You then committed an inexcusable grammatical error. You used “everyone” with “their”: “After everyone on my team completed their argument”.. Everyone is SINGULAR; you need to use singular pronouns!! You’re going to law school where how well you write will determine everything about your career. How can you make a mistake like that?! It reflects poorly on you and could hurt your chances of being admitted into this law school.
Next you say “I could tell both of my theories really impressed the judges by their reaction”. Again, this statement is too vague and useless to be of any value in that paragraph. What was the reaction? Why is this important to the paragraph? It sounds presumptuous to me, and I’m sure you don’t want to come off sounding this way in the essay.
Next, you say “I felt relieved because all of our hard work of arduous research and practice debates paid off.” I would re-phrase this. It’s not a coherent sentence the way it’s worded now.
“I thought about our perseverance from problems such as changing our arguments frequently, disagreements, and the possibility that members of the group would be absent that day”. There’s a rule that you don’t introduce new information in the closing paragraphs. I’d adhere to that rule here. The reader doesn’t need to know what “almost” happened–only the facts. I’d cut out that sentence as well.
You then say “This is why I plan to attend the University of XXXXXX to start a legal career as part of a general counsel and later in my career become a lawmaker for Congress in Washington D.C.”. I’d cut out the “become a lawmaker for Congress” part. You need to show you are focused on getting into this school, more so on what you “hope to do” with a law degree. This sounds a little pretentious to me as well.
WHEW! I know I was pretty brutal, but I think this could be a very good essay with some grammatical tweaks and editing. I’m applying to law school as well so I know the importance of having a cogent, articulate, creative essay.
If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me at tpoplar@yahoo.com
Good luck!
William asks…
Please review my cover letter for a receptionist position?
This is what I’m working with for a government position. I did go to college, but dropped out three credits short of completing the degree because I fell behind on tuition money. So that’s why I haven’t mentioned my education. It is out of order because I’m going to re-order it and reword the first words of the paragraphs inside, you’ll see what I mean, but please provide some feedback. Too long? Too short? Too wordy? Not enough information? Certain info missing? Whatever you think, Everything from the header to the closing. Thanks.
Abcdef G. Hijk
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Apartment X
Washington, D.C. XXXXX
XXXXXXX Commission
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
Washington, D.C. XXXXX
Dear Hiring Manager,
I was browsing the USAJOBS web site when I came upon a job vacancy at your agency for a Receptionist. With my qualifications and education, as well as work history background, I am confident that I am an exceptional candidate for this position, and can provide quality service in performing the necessary duties and tasks involved. My background in administrative support, as well as social services, demonstrates that I have acquired the knowledge and skills you are seeking in a Receptionist.
Prior to my nonprofit office experience, I performed various administrative and clerical tasks supporting the staff of the Registrar at the University of XXXXXXXXX, where I worked as an Office Assistant. I also developed clerical and communication skills as an intern for the State of XXXXXX Judicial Branch, where I contributed my computer knowledge [ADDING OTHER INFO]
Over the period of five months prior to this position, I volunteered at a charitable non-profit organization as an Intake Assistant in a fast-paced office environment, where I developed strong interpersonal and problem solving skills. While in this position, my primary function was in providing invaluable information and resources to clients, and the general public, who sought various services within the organization, such as food, clothing, legal assistance, and information on acquiring housing. I also developed attention to detail and research skills, where part of my duties was to thoroughly review documentation of each client, and to assess their needs according to the services available to them. This also required an ability to research services offered by the District, such as the SNAP program, food pantries, low-income housing, assistance to Medicare recipients, and various other services which I was able to investigate and quickly provide sufficient information.
My recent background as a Telephone Interviewer provided me with the interpersonal skills necessary to demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate with others verbally. In this function, it was vital to maintain poise, and always greet and interact with telephone respondents with courtesy, while being able to handle responding to any inquiries they would have in the process. I was also able to handle difficult or impatient respondents with calmness and respect, under strict time constraints.
I am confident that this background does demonstrate that I am a viable candidate for this position, and I would be greatly appreciative to discuss my credentials, and how I can contribute my skills to the agency in this clerical role, with you in an interview. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at XXX-XXX-XXXX or by e-mail at XXXX@yahoo.com. I look forward to speaking with you, and thank you for your time and consideration.
Warm regards,
Abcdef G. Hijk
The employer requires a cover letter in the application process. It’s formatted in Word, Times New Roman, size 11, normal margins. Feedback on this will be helpful as well.
Medicare Insurance AZ staff answers:
Looks pretty good.
Here are some slight modification you could consider;
In the opener, when you state that you were “browsing”, it sounds a little too casual.
You could say ….” I am responding to the recent advertisement, which appeared on the USAJOBS website, seeking a Receptionist for your agency. The position matches my prior work experience and career interest. With my qualifications……..
The body of the cover letter might be a little long. Only include a brief synopsis of your qualifications and choose words which they listed as required skills in their ad. (especially if you are submitting the cover letter electronically. Organizations often us filtering software to find viable candidates). The details should be include in the resume portion.
The closing summary is a little awkward ….”i would be greatly appreciative to discuss my credentials, and how I can contribute my skills..
Consider changing it to: I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to discuss my credentials and how i can contribute my skills….
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