Auto Insurance Specialist

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   auto insurance?
   I just found that my auto insurance policy had been expired. ( I am too careless ...) .. Meanwhile, I tend to sell my car within 1 month. Do I have to present a new auto insurance card to the AAA service specialist while ceding my car to the buyer?
   The reason I mentioned AAA is that there is a AAA service center provide the ceding service for us in my town. That’s why I say it in that way! I am an international student and do not know too much about the whole things. That’s why I ask for help here.
   Thank you all nice guys.

   • ANSWER:
     You do not need to be insured to sell your car. The BUYER needs insurance to buy it.

     Keep in mind that driving without insurance (until you sell your car) is illegal and also dangerous.

     Good Luck.

     PS: The previous answerer is correct: What does AAA have anything to do with anything?

     .

2. QUESTION:
   Arkansas Auto Insurance Question?
   I have a 1999 Mustang that I carry full coverage on and I live in Arkansas. Someone recently cut two places in my convertible top, all the way through. When I went to the claims office for their inspection, the claims specialist informed me that since this is a wear & tear part on the vehicle they will figure out the life expectancy of the particular part and they will depreciate it accordingly. I don't pay a depreciated premium because my car is a 99 model...why do they get to depreciate things on it? Does this sound like normal practice?

   • ANSWER:
     Yes, it is standard practice. You are paying insurance rates for a 99 vehicle, the insurance company has every right to settle with you based on the age of that vehicle. You're not paying a premium for a newer model.

3. QUESTION:
   How much to ask for insurance settlement with auto accident resulting in a disability?
   I was in an auto accident last year (Aug 10') in Washington, I was driving on a main road and the other driver pulled into the main road from the left side without yielding to me and I ended up rear ending him on the rear passenger side, bounced off his car and hit a sidewalk, then bounced back onto the main road. Airbags did not deploy but my car was totaled, insurance already paid for the car. HE was at fault, considering he did not yield to me. I ended up having to go through Chiropractor for 9 months and Physical therapy for 3 months. I had neck pain (had 1 angle point on my neck) but most of the damage was done to my lower back. Ended up having a permanent damage on my lower back from a torn ligament that connects my back muscles together. It causes my back to randomly spaz out at times and will cause my muscles to constrict together and tighten up. I had gone through a disability specialist and she documented everything and already verified about the torn ligament and considered that a disability because it is most likely a permanent damage for now.

   As for medical expenses, I have already racked up ,500 in medical bills from my chiropractor/medication (hydrocodon)/physical therapy/disability appts. I still have the same pain from day 1 on my lower back; it doesn’t seem to be going away after all the chiropractor/physical therapy. I can’t stand or sit for too long because the pain will get worse. That is why I’m consistently sitting/standing. I am a full time student and working full time (was unemployed at time of accident). I do have a lawyer that is handling my case, I am supposed to meet with him soon in order to determine an amount to demand from the insurance.

   What you are guy’s thoughts on this? On a side note, I do not know the other parties insurance coverage at the moment. I am more concerned about the total I should demand, so it will cover my medical expenses as well as have some left over for my pain/suffering settlement and any future medical expenses I should expect due to the fact that I now have a disability that has already been verified by a disability specialist. Thanks in advance.
   I have already filed a claim through my insurance. However, since the other party was at fault, I will be dealing with his insurance from now on.

   • ANSWER:

4. QUESTION:
   How much is my injury worth?
   So far, I'm told by an orthopedic specialist that I have a compression fracture in my lower spine. The cause was an auto accident. I was a trucker with Schneider National. I drove as a team with another driver. I was asleep in the bunk, as my partner was driving, when a pickup truck went left of center and hit us nearly head on. We were both traveling at 65 MPH. We managed to escape before our semi burned to the ground in a matter of minutes. Two of the four occupants in the pickup truck were killed. We lost all of our personal property in the semi, of which ,000 worth was mine. The other party only carried a ,000 auto insurance policy, both property and bodily injury. Schneider National is taking most of it with a 0,000 claim. I currently have a worker's comp. attorney, but I don't have any idea what sort of settlement will be reached at this point. My back pain has been consistent for the past 6 months and seems to be worsening.
   I am also unable to return to driving or perform any physical labor. The accident happened in Kansas and I live in Ohio.
   Also, the insurance company of the other party is only offering 0 for my property.

   And... If the doctors at the occupational health facility that I was first sent to by Schneider had properly diagnosed my condition, it could have been repaired, according to my orthopedic specialist.

   • ANSWER:
     This is an all too common place injury. If you have to have surgery (discectomy, laminectomy, fusion, replacement) you're looking at more in the long run because recovery time is longer. No surgery and they'll end up blowing you off. It's unfortunate but that’s the way it works.

     The facts from my experiences:
     Worker's Compensation laws are designed to protect the company. Try to get your own doctor, do not, I repeat, do not trust the doctor the company gets for you; this is your future and believe me these quacks have keeping the company happy in mind, not helping you.

     Even though you were involved in a traffic accident you were still "on the job" so it is a workman’s comp case. However, since the person that caused the accident was from the private sector you may be able to sue them personally. I would certainly contact another attorney; not the one handling your Comp case, and see if you can get what they have. They might have a house or an umbrella policy that you could take.

     Don't expect a large payout, probable between 9 and 12 times what you are getting every month as your temp payments plus an estimated loss of earnings for the next 5 years. Unless you are totally crippled they will come up with a list of jobs you can do (providing someone will hire you) like office worker (.50 hr), dispatcher (,000 to ,000 per year) just to screw you over; you see how it works.

     Contact your local State Voc-Rehab ASAP if you know you will have to change jobs as they have programs in place to re-educate you.

     Under Worker's Compensation Law you are not entitled to pain and suffering so this will cut out a huge payoff. I'm not sure why this is but like I said, the law protects the company for suit. Under personal injury you are entitled to pain and suffering, this is why I advocate suing the driver. Also, was the driver of your vehicle over hours, too tired to drive, on some type of stimulant; if any of these are the case then you can claim neglegence on the part of the company and it no longer is just a workers comp claim. Dirty pool but it's your life.

     The best bet (of course I don't advocate anything illegal) is to stay on temporary disability until you can improve as much as possible physically because once you have improved to a stable condition the money ends. Anything paid to you after that will be subtracted from your settlement.
     Your settlement will be based upon 5 main items:
     How much money did you make in the previous 3 years?
     How much of the partial man is impacted (your back)?
     How much of the total man is impacted?
     Your age.
     Your potential loss of earnings.

     Don't expect a large payout, probable between 9 and 12 times what you are getting every month as your temp payments plus an estimated loss of earnings for the next 5 years. Unless you are crippled then they will come up with a list of jobs you can do (providing someone will hire you).

     Some tactics:
     Drag your feet as much as you can while still cooperating. Remember, the doctors that are paid for by your company (not your health insurance but the company) as well as the "other doctors" are your enemy. They will try to trick you; everything will be recorded and taped. They will hire a PI to sit outside your house and see if you take out the garbage or throw Frisbee with your dog. Be very very very paranoid.

     Don't be in a hurry to be "rated". Once your rated your temp payments stop and so does the "free" money. The longer this is drawn out the more eager they will be to settle and this means a bigger offer.

     Don't fake you injury but don't try to be a tough guy, if you can't do something or if it hurts then DON'T DO IT. This is a trick the doctors use to nail you. In my first comp case I was sent to a guy that worked his whole life as an insurance doctor and who was now a veterinarian. He tripped me, pushed me, yelled at me, told me I was faking....you get the picture. This is all legal so watch how you behave. I know from experience that back pain comes and goes and if you try to act tough it won’t help your case. I’m telling you this because the companies and their lawyers and insurance are real stinkers. They will spend hundreds of thousands to keep from paying ,000.

     I was injured originally almost 30 years ago, same type of thing and have had 4 surgeries because of it; today I'm practically a full cripple and at 54 that is very hard to take. I got almost nothing off the original claim because I didn't know what to do and I trusted the attorneys. Attorneys that specialize in accident claims are there for a quick turnaround, nothing more. Run through 100 claims a year and settle for half rather than 20 and do right by your client. The Mexican roofing company of law!

     Good Luck

5. QUESTION:
   I think I'm ready to move out - can I get your opinion? Should I move out? What preperations should I make?
   I just got a new job working as a Canine Tech Specialist at an organization that takes animals and trains them to be therapy dogs - very exciting stuff. I'm a big animal maniac so this is the perfect job for me- I plan on being there for a while while I save for vet tech. school. I'm 19 years old.

   I make .50 an hour and work an average of 40 hours a week. The apartment I want is 0/month (that includes the pet fee per month) and the deposit is . I have a crappy, but semi-reliable car. It hasn't broke down yet, but it is very old. My commute to work won't be very far. I live in Ohio. My dad will still be covering my auto insurance - which is cool.

   What I'm wondering is - how much should I save before taking the big leap? How much will bill be on average each month? Will I have enough to support myself? I very much want to do this, but am a little scared to put it honostly lol.

   What are your opinions and words of advice? Thank you for your time and attention!

   • ANSWER:
     7.50 and hour is probably less than 1000/mo net pay - 0/mo rent is a very high percentage of that, add 200/month food and household items (toiletries, paper products, 50-200/month for heat/electric a/c, 100-200/mo for car gas, oil, repairs, plus cable TV, internet access, emergency funds, doctor visit copays, medicine - plus maybe deposits for utilities since you never had any in your own name - what happens if car dies , then you have added car payment, if you qualify for a loan - doesn't look like you can afford to live by yourself - might still be tight even with a roommate - if you're planning on going to school - you won't be able to save any money FOR s
     chool - stay at home and save for school (and probably a car)

6. QUESTION:
   What would the ramifications of Universal Health Care in the US be?
   Here are my thoughts...

   We already have government run health care (medicare) and it does not work well... as a matter of fact, most people have to suppliment it with a private policy.

   Who thinks it's a good idea to have the government approve or dissaprove what you made need for your well being? What happens whenthe costs exceed the budget... you didn't need that finger anyhow... you have nine others, right?

   Are any advances going to be made in the medical field? Who will pay for that research? Will we lose specialists because they will not want to go through extended schooling only to be told what they will make with accordance to what the government wants to pay?

   Is it fair that while I do everything I can to keep healthy I need to fit the bill for some alcoholic who smokes and needs expensive medical treatment?

   Yes, I think that like life insurance or auto insurance, the better YOU are, the less it should cost. Health care should be the same.

   What do you think?
   For you "one liner" answers like "it's only for the rich" or "everyone will be treated like a human being". Try to answer what the ramifications would be.... I stated examples. One line Pie in the Sky answers don;t solve anything. Fact is, most Americans do have health coverage and for those that don;t there are free clinics and unrefused ER attention. There is tons of government aid in these fields as well. SO show me how American's aren't treated like human beings when compared to billions of people in the world, many of whom can't even get the most simple of vaccinations. And what else should the "rich" pay for to better YOUR life?

   I pay for my own health care with 4 kids and a stay at home mom. YES, it's possible... because I know it is more important to my family than a play station, ipod, designer clothes, a certain car and so on. Those in "poverty" in this country still have these things. When they are ready to prioritize their values, then lets talk.

   • ANSWER:
     It's just one more step towards the fall of the U.S.

     You can be compassionate without wanting the government to control health care. Find something that the government does more efficiently than private industry?

     A lot of people want nationalized health care so that everyone has health care, but you don't realize that it's the government who will be refusing your operation or your experimental cancer treatment because it costs too much. Or if they fix the prices, it's the government that will keep students from going into the medical profession because the pay is so poor. Or, when they give tax breaks to medical students, it's the government that will raise your taxes to pay for it. And after your taxes are raised and you can't afford to pay your mortgage or your copay for government drugs, or your drug benefit for the year runs out, and you are deathly ill, you can think back and remember that it was you who were begging for the government to take your money and throw it away by nationalizing health care.

7. QUESTION:
   i was recently involved in an auto accident. my friend, the driver, has full coverage. we rolled 3 times?
   i have permanent hearing damage, i can still hear out of my ear,but there is a loud constant ringing, which i'm being told by the ear specialist my ear will never get better and i'm stuck with this ringing for the rest of my life. the night of the accident i was taken by ambulance to the emergency room, had minor cuts and bruises. how much money should i expect to collect from the insurance co.? they told me they will be calling with a settlement offer in 3 weeks.
   what's the most i could expect to get?

   • ANSWER:
     well, don't take what they offer right away. you may need a hearing aid later in life, so you have to consider the cost of those. you might ask your ear specialist the next time you go what you might need in the way of future medical treatment. if white noise machines or any medication helps with the ringing, then there's that. is the ringing impacting your work or anything? i just want you to see enough doctors that you really know what to plan for.

     i hope that darn ringing goes away--yikes!

8. QUESTION:
   Will Medicare or Medicaid pay my doctor bills due to an auto accident?
   I was in an auto accident with my sister and nephew back in January. My sister was driving, my nephew in the back seat and myself in the front passenger seat. While driving down the street. This truck come speeding in reverse down a private drive way and slams into us. Anyway... The pip ran out on the insurance (Nationwide) and my pain specialist doctor tells me that my insurance (Medicare / Medicaid) wont cover the remaining balance because its due to an accident.

   My lawyer tells me that Medicare or Medicaid will pay for the remaining balance. Is this true or is my doctor trying to pull a fast one?

   I live in Kentucky.
   The case is still open. I don't know if a settlement can be reached. We most likely will have to file a suit.

   • ANSWER:
     My reading of the rules seems to indicate its more a matter of the type of treatment than the cause, but I want to be clear that I am not 100% sure of this, the medicare site is rather vague.

     It looks like Medicare does not cover pain management for non-chronic conditions, which an accident would fall under. Other medical care may still be covered. Also it depends on what Medigap or other coverage you may have.

     It's possible you may need to sue the original driver to cover/recover those costs.

9. QUESTION:
   Thoracic Outlet Syndrome specialist?
   I've been battling what appears to be TOS. Right now we aren't conclusive on whether it's arterial or neurogenic.

   I need a specialist in the issue that practices in the DFW TX area, preferably closer to Fort Worth than Dallas, but I'm running out of time and already lost my job over it, next comes the house.

   I had a dozen dang MRI's, all unremarkable for degenerative changes to the structures of my spine both soft and hard, atleast at the level of where the numbness would be coming from. Every time we order an MRI it's for a section of spine, my assumption is the radiologist is overlooking elsewhere and only identifying issues (if any) for the spinal section the MRI was ordered for.

   I had an EMG, a little more painful than the MRI's but still no answers.

   I've seen two chiropractors, two orthopedic surgeons, two physical therapists and most recently the neurologist for the EMG. I'm getting nowhere fast and running out of time for insurance coverage.

   I know it's stupid to self diagnose based on the internet's questionable validity but all the symptoms fit and the other day my chiropractor did a Rides(no idea how to spell it, couldn't find specifics) test. It was a test of pulse in both arms at various positions both relaxed and exaggerated. Left arm showed significant restriction when in a self supported above head test.

   I read TOS can come from auto accidents, which I was in one about four years ago and a combined head on collision impact of about 85mph. Also the most significant symptom commonality was the numbness/tingling in the ring and pinky fingers most common in the early morning hours right before/after waking up. This nailed it on the head because the only time it would ever be numb was right as I was waking up, it was often what woke me up.

   So, long story short, this is the only real diagnosis that gives any real answers. Now I need a specialist to give me some hard evidence or some relief. Chiro is against surgery, neuro RX'd Neurontin which I found to be no fun, ortho hasn't returned call for a CT, so I'm moving on to a new doctor that won't dismiss me as just out of shape or pressure point irritation.

   If you don't know a specific doctor that would be best for the situation, atleast tell me which specialty to address the issue to. Ortho? Neuro? maybe Cardio? Any thing, I'm out of ideas and tired of being ignored.
   I appreciate the answers. I already found the Barnett tower shortly after writing this question, so I greatly appreciate the source info.

   I failed to mention I'm only 21, so I refuse to accept my body is just getting old because I should be moving in to my prime...not out of it. Thanks again.

   • ANSWER:
     If there is a change in your pulse and you have been ruled out for having a cervical rib, I would seek the advise of a vascular surgeon. I would start looking at vascular causes at this point. An MRA (not MRI) or angiography might be required.

10. QUESTION:
    forced to quit job after auto accident injury.. how do i pay my bills?
    ok, to make a LONG story short... I was in an auto accident where i was stopped at a red light and a woman in an SUV thought the light was green and slammed into me at full speed. my car was totalled and i've been dealing with major neck pain. i've got subluxation in my neck where basically all of the vertebrea have twisted to the right side the top of my spine is crooked and the curve of my neck has been straightened. and i have a badly pinched nerve in my collarbone. it's been 6 weeks and i'm still in pain. i am not able to do my job anymore. the chiropractor says that he sees improvement but it's going to be a slow recovery and if he can't fix me he will send me to a specialist. i'm either going to have to quit or i'm going to get fired because i can't do the duties that are require for my job and i keep missing work because of it. my question is, does anybody know of some way that i can get money to pay my bills while i'm out of work? i am going to get an injury settlement but i won't see any of that money until i'm released from anything medical. i really need time off to heal because the problem is i've been working and haven't been able to heal but i don't know if there's some way to get money from the insurance for that? by the way, the insurance company of the woman who hit me is paying for everything. i was also thinking of leave of absence but i know i won't get paid that way either. i'm getting very worried. any advice?

    • ANSWER:
      You really had my attention until you said you were seeing a chiropractor.

      That's a great big red flag in a personal injury case and in my experience, plaintiffs who see chiropractors tend to end up with a lower settlement than they would like and they think they should be entitled to.

      Don't quit your job. You would be at a real risk of not getting compensated for your missed worked - especially if you do it six weeks after your injury. You've clearly been physically capable of working - it will look really suspicious if you stop now. Quit going to a chiropractor. If you genuinely need time to heal - six weeks after the collision, you need to get a note from a legitimate doctor. Then you can try to get leave under FMLA.

11. QUESTION:
    The Scourge of Obamacare (Government health care) ?
    Your thoughts on this informative article? Best answer to the most well thought and well reasoned comment (regardless of which side of the issue you're on). This is a challenge to either defend or refute the article.

    10 Questions for Supporters of 'ObamaCare'
    by Dennis Prager (Copyright © 2009 Salem Web Network.)
    Tuesday, July 28, 2009

    1. President Barack Obama repeatedly tells us that one reason national health care is needed is that we can no longer afford to pay for Medicare and Medicaid. But if Medicare and Medicaid are fiscally insolvent and gradually bankrupting our society, why is a government takeover of medical care for the rest of society a good idea? What large-scale government program has not eventually spiraled out of control, let alone stayed within its projected budget? Why should anyone believe that nationalizing health care would create the first major government program to "pay for itself," let alone get smaller rather than larger over time? Why not simply see how the Democrats can reform Medicare and Medicaid before nationalizing much of the rest of health care?

    2. President Obama reiterated this past week that "no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition." This is an oft-repeated goal of the president's and the Democrats' health care plan. But if any individual can buy health insurance at any time, why would anyone buy health insurance while healthy? Why would I not simply wait until I got sick or injured to buy the insurance? If auto insurance were purchasable once one got into an accident, why would anyone purchase auto insurance before an accident? Will the Democrats next demand that life insurance companies sell life insurance to the terminally ill? The whole point of insurance is that the healthy buy it and thereby provide the funds to pay for the sick. Demanding that insurance companies provide insurance to everyone at any time spells the end of the concept of insurance. And if the answer is that the government will now make it illegal not to buy insurance, how will that be enforced? How will the government check on 300 million people?

    3. Why do supporters of nationalized medicine so often substitute the word "care" for the word "insurance?" it is patently untrue that millions of Americans do not receive health care. Millions of Americans do not have health insurance but virtually every American (and non-American on American soil) receives health care.

    4. No one denies that in order to come close to staying within its budget health care will be rationed. But what is the moral justification of having the state decide what medical care to ration?

    5. According to Dr. David Gratzer, health care specialist at the Manhattan Institute, "While 20 years ago pharmaceuticals were largely developed in Europe, European price controls made drug development an American enterprise. Fifteen of the 20 top-selling drugs worldwide this year were birthed in the United States." Given how many lives -- in America and throughout the world – American pharmaceutical companies save, and given how expensive it is to develop any new drug, will the price controls on drugs envisaged in the Democrats' bill improve or impair Americans' health?

    6. Do you really believe that private insurance could survive a "public option"? Or is this really a cover for the ideal of single-payer medical care? How could a private insurance company survive a "public option" given that private companies have to show a profit and government agencies do not have to – and given that a private enterprise must raise its own money to be solvent and a government option has access to others' money -- i.e., taxes?

    7. Why will hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies do nearly as superb a job as they now do if their reimbursement from the government will be severely cut? Haven't the laws of human behavior and common sense been repealed here in arguing that while doctors, hospitals and drug companies will make significantly less money they will continue to provide the same level of uniquely excellent care?

    8. Given how many needless procedures are ordered to avoid medical lawsuits and how much money doctors spend on medical malpractice insurance, shouldn't any meaningful "reform" of health care provide some remedy for frivolous malpractice lawsuits?

    9. Given how weak the U.S. economy is, given how weak the U.S. dollar is, and given how much in debt the U.S. is in, why would anyone seek to have the U.S. spend another trillion dollars? Even if all the other questions here had legitimate answers, wouldn't the state of the U.S. economy alone argue against national health care at this time?

    10. Contrary to the assertion of President Obama -- "we spend much more on health care than any other nation but aren't any healthier for it" -- we are healthier. We wait far less time for procedures and surgeries. Our life expectancy with virtually any

    • ANSWER:

12. QUESTION:
    injury settlement, should I take it?
    Allstate has offered me 0,000 as an injury settlement. Almost 3 years ago I was the passenger in an accident where the driver blew a .12 . I sustained lasting injuries to my right (dominant) hand and elbow as well as minor significant head abrasion. The pinky finger on my hand is fused at the last and middle joint and shows significant deformity ( as do most of the fingers to some extent) I have mallet finger on my middle finger and my index finger's top knuckle is fused. I have stiffness in all the joints that do move in that hand. My elbow was gashed open and has a horrible scar as well as loss of range of motion to a small degree. It does hurt if I put even a little weight on it( such as resting my head on my elbow while sitting at a table) I was also out of work for about 4 months and suffered a considerable amount of pain. My health insurance and auto insurance are looking for a combined ,000 reimbursment. I figure since the drivers liabillity insurace tops out at 0,000 and I would be getting back about 0,000 with the insurance reimbursment factored in that leaves them making out with 0,000. Is it worth 30% (lawyers fee) of that 0,000, assuming I would get the max, in hiring a lawyer. I figure that would net me about 0,000, ,000 more but a lot more headache. I had a medical consultation by a hand specialist who said I lost about 41% use of my right arm. I am also still able to work and have adapted to still be able to play violin, guitar, and hockey. I'm not looking to get rich just don't want to get ripped off. thanks for any help.

    • ANSWER:
      Absolutely DO NOT accept that offer.

      Permanent lasting pain and loss of range of motion are life long afflictions.

      Definitely get an attorney he/she would be well worth it. They'll tell you exactly how much they think you can receive and it's in their best interest to do so also.

      NEVER EVER ACCEPT AN INSURANCE COMPANIES FIRST OFFER. Their client blew a .12 which is EASILY provable, are you kidding...110,000 dollars? That's chump change.

13. QUESTION:
    What would you do in this situation?
    I was in a car accident in back in April. I was a passenger in my buddies car. He ran in the back of someone. He was not injured. I was, I had my orbit bone in my left eye fractured. It causes me to have double vision. I went to a lawyer who sent me to a doctor. I had surgery which repaired the bone but I still have double vision. The doctor said it has something to do with the muscle holding the eyeball in place. I went to see another specialist. He referred to me to the world renowned John Hopkins, because he was uncomfortable performing the surgery. The John Hopkins doctor said it was no problem and he could do it, but John Hopkins policy is to have all money up front in these type of cases. Which comes to about 12k. It was 5 people involved in the accident. The driver of my car was not hurt. 4 people along with me are suing. The auto insurance (nationwide) has a limit of a 100k total and 50k for each person. Now, I can't go to John Hopkins, and don't know what I or my lawyer can do. Any suggestions? (The 1st surgery cost 12k)--Can I sue my 1st doctor for not fixing it? Also would you settle and just pay for your surgery(s) this way? (With the settlement money)--Just need advice, not sure which way to go. Thanks in advance.

    • ANSWER:
      Ignore the first poster. The insurance limit is the insurance limit. Nothing you can do to change that. And you can't accept money from the insurance company and still sue the driver. You're legally barred from that once you sign a release for the liability coverage money. If you wnat to reserve the right to sue the driver, then all you can take from nationwide is med-pay/PIP money (usually 5-10K - for medical bills and/or wages only)

      The only way to get your hands on any money from nationwide is to settle. No insurance company pays a dime of liability money without a release. If the other 4 people settle out for 20k each all that's left of the 100k is 20k for you - regardless of the 50k per person limit, so you need to know how much is left or if the others settled.

      Did your lawyer check on med-pay/PIP? What about underinsured motorist coverage? Some states you can get covered for both of those things under the coverage on your own or family's car, in addition to the drivers car.

14. QUESTION:
    Why has no nation on Earth ever had a successful private, for-profit, universal health insurance system?
    Attention, high school drop-outs! Free debating lessons here:
    ************************************************************************
    Before answering the question above, please read my answer below. If you disagree with my facts and logic, please tell me why I am wrong. Then I will tell you why you are wrong. That is the way grownups do it. If you only want to type a sound bite, go away.
    ***********************************************************************
    Profit-making is incompatible with the prevention and cure of sickness. Healing sick people is not a service in the same sense that fixing a car is a service.

    The auto-repair industry serves its customers profitably in a free market for several reasons that do not apply to the health care industry:

    1. The cost of an auto repair rarely exceeds 50% of the cost of acquiring an equivalent vehicle and is usually less than 5% of that cost.

    The patient cannot acquire another body. The cost of an illness may exceed the combined cost of a buying a home and raising a family of university graduates.

    2. Garages stay in business by making good decisions and providing good service.

    Health care providers stay in business (retain their medical license) by conforming to industry standards. The health care industry (as opposed to the health care INSURANCE industry) does not want customers. They do not have to attract customers. There is no point in advertising for customers. The doctor regrets that the patient needs his help. The patient regrets being a patient.

    3. Auto repair is based upon commodities: widely available parts, repair manuals, tools, and mechanics. Costs are well known and prices are regulated by competition

    Health care equipment is highly technical and very expensive. Doctors are mostly specialists, often researchers with few students. They sometimes build their own equipment. The customer’s life may depend upon finding the right doctor. If that doctor does not have a contract with the patient’s private insurance company, the claim will be denied. (http://www.creators.com/liberal/froma-harrop/free-market-death-panels.html)

    4. All drivers can afford to drive – until they can’t. If too many drivers can’t afford to drive, some garages may suffer or fail. It’s tough on the ex-drivers and ex-garage owners, but that’s the free market.

    Patients must be served whether they can afford to pay or not. If they cannot pay, the cost must be shifted to others.

    In particular, children and students cannot afford to pay for their own care. But they must receive the finest possible health care (and education) regardless of the wealth or poverty of their parents.

    This requirement is enshrined in our Constitution’s Preamble which vows to “promote the general Welfare and to secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and to our Posterity.” Posterity is our nation’s ONLY product. We MUST do it right. Spending large public funds on the postponement of death for a few very uncomfortable months is an irrational betrayal of our heritage and our national interest.

    For the above reasons, universal health care costs can only be met by payments of deductible claims made through an insurance system financed by premiums that are subsidized for the poor. Costs are paid from the insurance pool. For statistical and administrative reasons, the larger the pool, the lower will be the premiums. The risk is spread over a larger population. That is why single-payer policies are the least expensive: everybody is in the same pool. This is a mathematical CERTAINTY.

    Breaking the insurance pool into a hundred different pools adds important costs: financing, administrative, advertising, customer selection, claims denial, high executive salaries, and profits. These additional costs (over 25% of the total current cost and over 33% more than the single-payer costs) represent a “tax” paid to private insurance companies by all its customers with no benefit to the consumers.

    The usual objection to single-payer is government inefficiency. And reduction of Medicare and Medicaid costs are part of the legislation before Congress. But the Veterans Administration provides excellent care to millions of veterans suffering a wide range of problems at a very reasonable cost compared to private industry.

    Government rationing of health care is another objection. But, without exception, every private health care insurance company has a large building with an entire floor or two devoted to a department that does nothing else but ration health care. These claim deniers are answerable only to their highly paid management, not to Congress or to a State Legislature or to the voter. The only recourse to denial of a claim is to file a suit through the court system and pay the lawyer.

    There are now insurance solutions approximating single-payer before Congress. They need your support.
    General answers:

    Success means that, with relatively few exceptions, everyone is served as well as possible within the available resources regardless of previous history or ability to pay. Of course, some will be served better or worse than others. It's the intent that counts.

    We have two excellent VA hospitals in the Chicago area. I receive excellent service in my clinic. The brouhaha at Walter Reed was solved by firing a general. There are problems at all hospitals, VA or not.
    Most of the VA problems arise from PTSD cases. No civilian hospital has that problem.

    I can't believe how many high school drop-outs skipped reading my carefully thought out essay and just dropped a sound bite. That's rude. I begged you guys to go away.

    For those who got ripped off at a garage, welcome to the free market. If you were treated that badly in a hospital, you might want to hold off on tort reform.
    jwoody88: The USA has a private (not public), for profit, health insurance system. It is neither successful in economic terms nor universal. Many people, including me, have been very well served, whether private or public. I am on Medicare and have no complaints, nor have I ever heard a senior complain. The problem lies with those who are not served.
    Texas Tre. The US Army, Navy, and Air Force are models of efficiency. Expensive, yes, but efficient in the sense that they do their best and are held accountable.

    That is somewhat like the USSR, which could beat us into space but couldn't make bumaga (that's toilet paper).

    The civil service people in our government are excellent. The problem is the guys like Brownie, who did a hekkova job at Katrina. Bush tried to run Iraq with born-again Christians just out of Bob Jones college. He tried to replace federal attorneys from the same source, which is getting Karl Rove into trouble now.

    • ANSWER:
      As you say, it is because of the unique situation regarding health care. In the United State between the health insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the food industry there seems to be three-headed monster that has a goal to keep the populous in ill-health. The result is that we have a health care system that is more reactive to sickness rather than proactive in promoting wellness (which would mean a whole lot less profit for all three of those industries).

      And to your answer . . . very well thought out. I am indeed in favor of a sinlge payer VA-like system.

15. QUESTION:
    Questions for a bankruptcy specialist?
    OK here is my problem, I have so many bills that I cannot possibly pay all of them off. I have a ton of old medical bills from back before I had insurance, and I have some more current ones as well, I can't afford to pay them. I'm pretty sure these bills would add up to probably over ,000 total. I had an auto repossession in 2003 which shows as a charge off for 00 something, I have 3 credit cards that are pretty much close to the limit if not at it already, totaling close to 00. I have an online store account that I owe 0 some dollars on. I have gotten myself in a bind, and I need advice from someone who has been there. I pay on all of the charge cards, the online store, my current truck payment, gas/and or upkeep, rent, insurance, household items, i chip in on utility payments, and groceries, phone bill, and whatever else comes up, and I just cannot afford to put out any more. My main question is what does it take to qualify for bankruptcy eligibility? I pay an auto loan, but the loan is in my fathers name since he got the truck for me, so that will not show as outgoing in my name, how do I get around that? I pay rent where I live, but it is to my boyfriend, so i have no proof per say on paper. Please help, I feel like I'm in a tunnel and I can't get out. Serious answers only please.
    If it would be better for you, you may email me, click on the email or send to johnson.april86@yahoo.com Thank you

    • ANSWER:
      Go on a paper hunt.
      Locate ALL of the bills that you currently owe on.
      Add up all of their minimum payments.
      If this is more than you make in a month, than you may be eligible.
      It will be easier if you get a free credit report (don't pay for the FICO score as it should NOT matter to you at this time).

      If you have to see a lawyer, you will have to do the same thing. Although you cannot count the bills that are in someone else's name (such as the vehicle in your father's name). This is the same process I went through about 15-16 years ago because of my own stupidity.

      If you are close to [FAQ-ANSWER] at the end of the month, then you have a chance. You simply budget to see where you are spending too much.
      You can do this on paper, or on a spreadsheet. If you want, I have a spreadsheet handy that can help ... just send me a message by using YahooAnswers.

      I forgot to mention that you can visit websites like:
      www.daveramsey.com
      www.livinglikenooneelse.com
      www.ynab.com (You Need A Budget is what 'ynab' stands for)

16. QUESTION:
    auto accident.. how much do i ask for pain and suffering?
    I stopped at a red light and a woman in an SUV thought the light was green and rearended me... hard! my car was totaled and i had a pretty bad whiplash injury. it's been 4 weeks and my neck is still in terrible pain and i still have a knot on the back of my head from hitting the headrest. i am unable to do my job duties as i was instructed to lift no more than ten pounds. I've missed 30 hours of work. i've been seeing a chiropractor to try to fix my neck injury. my head is tilted on my spine and all of my vertebrea have shifted to the right side and i have a torn muscle around my collarbone that is extremely painful. my neck is pretty jacked up. the xrays freaked me out when i saw them! i received about 10k for the car. 6 of that went to pay the car off and 4 went to me. they are paying my medical bills which, so far are around ,000 but that doesn't include the chiropractor or physicians bill. if my collarbone injury doesn't get well very soon he is sending me to a specialist. (not exactly for sure what kind of specialist) this injury has severely affected my everyday life and my work. i've used up all of my sick time at work and my only personal day.
    everybody is trying to get me to call a lawyer but i really didn't want to have to do that. i'd rather just settle it myself with the insurance company. my question is how much is reasonable to ask for? i want to make sure that i am taken care of in the future should i have any issues related to this injury. i really have no idea where to start. is ,000 too much to ask for for my pain and suffering? (in addition to them paying the medical stuff) someone told me that i might not get anything. i don't want to be greedy but i want to be fairly compensated. any advice would be great!

    • ANSWER:

17. QUESTION:
    should a chiropractor refer you to a tmj specialist?
    I was in an auto accident 6 months ago. About a week later my jaw started to click. I went to the chiropractor for therapy on my neck and back and he noticed the clicking. So he worked on that,the bulged discs in my neck, and my back for the next 3 months. When the 3rd month came and my insurance check exhausted he told me to come in as need opposed to the 3 times a week I was. So I switch chiropractors.

    The clicking in my jaw turned to like a cracking. My jaw is misaligned now. It feels and looks crooked. I can only open it like half way and when I talk or chew it feels like it gets stuck open for a second. My face feels bruised and numb in some spots and my bottom jaw feels constantly tired like it can't hold itself up. Whenever my jaw pops or cracks it shoots like a shooting pain on the side of my face to a throbbing migraine. Every time they do treatment on it, it wont pop for a few hrs then it would start back up.

    It's been about 3 months more therapy on my tmj and lower back and he's now ready to do a evaluation on me. What chiropractors only work 3 months at a time or something?

    Ignoring the fact of my jaw I took it apond myseld to schedule and appointment and see one myself.
    Hopefully the delay isn't that damaging.

    • ANSWER:

18. QUESTION:
    looking for any/all job listings in the automotive transmissison mechanic/auto. diagnostic technician field..
    I've tried searching for a new job in my specified field: "Automotive Diagnostic Technician-Specialist"; ie; also "Experienced Automotive-Transmission Mechanic," But it seems that I must be going about this in the wrong way...Since Yahoo Job Search keeps saying there aren't any matches. Which I cannot believe there wouldn't be any job openings in this category. I am a very experienced, over-worked, under-paid hard-worker simply looking for a better opportunity-- All I want is some job listings in my area of expertise. Is it too much to ask for Health Insurance and fair pay for a family-man Mechanic?
    I really hope to recieve some sort of helpful feedback at least...
    I live in the San Fernando Valley area-Have car will travel!
    Thank you.
    Sincerely, Gino A.

    • ANSWER:
      Gino,
      I don't know how much help this will be. But if you are not interested in working nights, you probably won't want to read this any further.

      I got out of retail auto repair a few years ago and got into fleet repair working for Southern California Edison. The pay is excellent and the benefits are top notch. However, they do get something in return. You must be willing to work swing shift (3pm - midnight) because that is when the trucks are in the yard. You must be willing and able to get a class A drivers license with Hazmat endorsement. Which means you have to pass a physical and drug screening. They will pay and assist you in getting the class A license. You have to be willing to work on anything from golf carts to tandem axle trucks. And you must be willing to be on call including being called out at 2 in the morning in some very treacherous weather conditions. Call outs pay double time.

      The job is union so pay is not negotiable. But being union comes with a lot of benefits.

      To apply you log into SCE.com and click on careers in the lower part of the screen. There will be no job listings for any of the garages. That's okay, there never is any listing. Fill out an online resume and use key words like "automotive" "mechanic" and a few others. The resumes are electronically scanned.

      Then be patient. It takes time for someone to call. Positions come open regularly because there is a huge retirement bubble going on.

      You will probably get hired on as an automotive attendant. That means you will be fueling vehicles at night. This is where everyone starts. But they never stay there. It is a position until you get a class A license and then bid into a hire position.

      It is well worth it!

19. QUESTION:
    Should this be considered a 50/50 accident?
    I was traveling in the left lane and i wanted to make a left turn, the light was green. The lady driving the other vehicle singled for me to go and while i was half way into the drive way she smacked into the back of my vehicle. The police report says that i disregarded her presence, and she hit me. I called her insurance company at first and they set up an appointment with their auto body specialist's to give a full report on my vehicle.When i went to the specialist they were closed, so i called the company back and told them the story. When they heard my situation they transferred me to another representative and he said that it was a 50/50 scenario. Can anybody tell me whether or not i should follow up on this matter? Thanks.

    • ANSWER:
      I would have to hear both drivers' statements on this one. Could you have misinterpreted her gesture? Is the person who waved you through the same one that hit you? I find this confusing. It sounds like you are majority since you were turning left. No matter how many people wave you through you should wait until the way is verifiably clear.

20. QUESTION:
    Pretty Sure She Needs a Lawyer The Question is: Sue or Settle?
    Pregnant passenger in an auto accident.

    Opens a PIP claim w/her own auto insurance to make sure the bills get paid as they come in. Then her insurance can go after the responsible insurance for reimbursement when treatment is done.

    Problem now is her PIP is claiming they will only make partial payments on her treatment (PT/Chiropractor/etc) as "according to their calculations" the providers she is seeing charge more than is reasonable. But their "calculations" don't compensate for the fact that NOT JUST ANYONE is qualified to perform these treatments to a PREGNANT woman. Apparently specialists are necessary and YES specialists get paid more that's why they get extra schooling/training!

    Looking at being sent to collections over the unpaid balances because she cannot afford to pay. All she really wants is the bills paid, gas money back in the bank and whatever else is reasonable for pain and suffering.

    Tired of the run around and confused on how far and which way to go next she poses the questions:

    Do I get a lawyer, yes or no?

    If yes, do I seek to settle or is it really worth suing over?

    Honestly clueless so helpful answers would be appreciated.
    The pain and suffering part would be for the accident itself.

    SHE WAS A PASSENGER IN A CAR THAT WAS REAR ENDED.

    THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY SHE IS IN ANY WAY LIABLE FOR ANY OF THIS.

    SHE JUST WANTS IT TO BE TAKEN CARE OF SO SHE CAN MOVE ON WITH HER LIFE!

    • ANSWER:
      If you find a lawyer to take the case (I doubt it) you will lose. In my experience, anytime an insurance company hears the word chiropractor instead of a real doctor there may be problems. If the injuries are serious, why in the world would anyone waste their time and risk their well being on anything but a real MD ?

21. QUESTION:
    How can we solve the primary care physician shortage in the US?
    Imagine you are the typical medical student is coming out w/ 200,000 in debt. Will you opt to be a Primary care physician (family practice, ,pediatrician, psychiatrist) who makes 140,000 a year, or will you opt for a lucrative specialty in a lucrative field, like the ROAD's (radiology,opthamology,anesthesiology,de… that banks 300,000-500,000? Even the most idealistic of students have to consider debt burden, raising a family, having free-time, reimbursement issues, threat of scope of practice being invaded by advanced nurses etc. The PCP fields have the lowest Average Board scores, because the top students are all attracted to the lucrative fields (even though PCP's are just as important to health-care). Generally, Average Step I Board scores for a specialty get higher as income of that specialty increases.

    Anyways, the fact is that with our system now, procedures are what are compensated for, and primary care doctors lag so far behind because they mostly bill based on in-office visits and don't really have too many procedures to do. But the fact is, that like any specialist, they serve an equally important role in medicine, and it is anticipated that a massive shortage will occur in the next 20 years.

    How can we bridge this gap and get more med students into these fields?

    Auto-Loan Repayment for med students going into Primary care?
    Redefining the way medicare and insurance companies compensate physicians?
    Pay-cuts from specialists?
    Stronger Organizations to counter Advanced Nurses trying to influence legislation?

    Obama has talked about this problem plenty, but I don't see anything really specific in his plan that will really encourage med students towards any of these fields.......without new medical students opting for these fields, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE REFORM IS INHERENTLY DOOMED (the effects will be devastating to patients in the next 10-20 years)

    • ANSWER:
      What shortage? There are a buttload of doctors here.

22. QUESTION:
    how can we solve the primary care physician shortage in the US, and bridge the income divide in medicine?
    Imagine you are the typical medical student is coming out w/ 200,000 in debt. Will you opt to be a Primary care physician (family practice, ,pediatrician, psychiatrist) who makes 140,000 a year, or will you opt for a lucrative specialty in a lucrative field, like the ROAD's (radiology,opthamology,anesthesiology,dermatology… that banks 300,000-500,000? Even the most idealistic of students have to consider debt burden, raising a family, having free-time, reimbursement issues, threat of scope of practice being invaded by advanced nurses etc. The PCP fields have the lowest Average Board scores, because the top students are all attracted to the lucrative fields (even though PCP's are just as important to health-care). Generally, Average Step I Board scores for a specialty get higher as income of that specialty increases.

    Anyways, the fact is that with our system now, procedures are what are compensated for, and primary care doctors lag so far behind because they mostly bill based on in-office visits and don't really have too many procedures to do. But the fact is, that like any specialist, they serve an equally important role in medicine, and it is anticipated that a massive shortage will occur in the next 20 years.

    How can we bridge this gap and get more med students into these fields?

    Auto-Loan Repayment for med students going into Primary care?
    Redefining the way medicare and insurance companies compensate physicians?
    Pay-cuts from specialists?
    Stronger Organizations to counter Advanced Nurses trying to influence legislation?

    Obama has talked about this problem plenty, but I don't see anything really specific in his plan that will really encourage med students towards any of these fields....

    • ANSWER:
      I'm in one of the lower-paying specialties, and I don't have a problem with my colleagues in other specialties making considerably higher incomes. They often earn it.
      Neither is it appropriate to circle the wagons against nurse practitioners, who are filling holes as things stand now. The most common complaint I here from them is that they're forced to treat patients too complicated for their level of expertise, because there's already such a shortage and maldistribution of primary care physicians. They'd generally prefer to redirect their efforts into more appropriate directions, but they're often caught in the crisis, themselves.
      It is true, though, that cognitive skills are undervalued compared to technical ones. It's also true that we strain at gnats while swallowing camels, and much more money should go into primary care in general, and underserved areas such as inner cities and rural areas, too. This can't be done by simple changes in fee structures, and I honestly don't have a good idea how that might be done. We certainly could increase the number of medical students, and the number of training slots in primary care, as a start. It's been done before, without decreasing the quality of care, and the shortage we're seeing now is in large part as a result of budgetary constraints that had as their basic thinking the idea of cost containment in medicine being controlled by restricting the number of primary care physicians, as backwards a bit of thinking as our politicians have ever had.

23. QUESTION:
    i have symptoms i dont understand and i cant get my doctors to understand me....?
    I have been diagnosed with many things including, auto imnune diseases, lupus, depression, shingles, and many more.....but the doctors are allways changing the diagnosises to something different and now they just say they arent sure.so im going to A hostipital and specialist in detroit if i get insurance.but i would like to hear what others think about my symptoms.so here are some of the worst ones,
    1)cronic dry eye
    2)headaches in only my eyes
    3)pain all through my body(feels like my bones are being squeezed all at once)
    4)invulintary twitching sometimes
    5)sores on my breasts that hurt and ooze,like infected breast or shingles but isnt...
    6)tired most of the time
    7)weight loss and loss of appitite
    8)hair loss
    9)wasnt able to move my legs for a short period of time
    10)i just feel very sick all the time

    PLease if someone can maybe help me i would love to hear what you have to say.....

    • ANSWER:
      this could be multiple sclerosis.

24. QUESTION:
    Help with an immune system for a special girl!?
    Hey guys, I need some advice/help, so let me fill you all in with the details, and I welcome ANYTHING!

    Ok so I'm 21years old;
    I have Muscular Dystrophy- form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth which falls into the category of neuro-muscular degenerative diseases;
    I have RSD-reflexive sympathetic dystrophy also known as CRPS type 1-Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 which falls into the category of severe chronic pain disorder/auto-immune disorder;
    I have HNPP-Hereditary Neuropathy to Pressure Palsy which also falls into the category of neuro-muscular degenerative diseases;
    I also have TOS- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which these days my specialist says is getting pretty severe;
    I have severe GERD (so I'm picky about what I eat, however if theres a miracle fruit out there that would give me acid reflux- ID GET OVER IT!! hah);
    I have severe chronic IBS-irritable bowel syndrome with an ulcer every now and then;
    I have severe generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress syndrome, and bouts of severe depression;
    I currently am without insurance otherwise I would go visit a ton of specialists (but not to worry, I've applied through the state and everything so I'll either be getting medical assistance or medicaid/medicare something so it won't be more than a couple months) so I'm really looking for any kind of advice that I can get, I'm not looking to put my disabilities out there just for "attention" otherwise I would've done this 8years ago. Ok back to my back round...
    21-disabled...My diet isn't spectacular, but it is not poor; I eat a decent amount of fruits and veggies. Unfortunately I can't exercise all but small, very quick exercises that don't put too much strain on my muscles or put me in pain, so if anyone has any advice on exercising for disabled people, I'm all ears because I know that helps immune systems.
    I also just had surgery back on December 10th 2010, and September 10th 2010 although my specialists knew it would send my RSD/CRPS type 1 back into remission however the surgeries were absolutely necessary (I had all wisdom teeth removed because of the amount of infections I was getting in my mouth, and then in Dec I had an appendectomy).
    Due to my disabilities I need to be on a number of different medications in order to just function daily otherwise I'm in a hospital bed just laying there but the lists is as follows: cymbalta, neurontin, oxycodoneIR, prilosec.
    I also had an experimental, non-FDA treatment performed on me to see if it helped my RSD/CRPS type1- it was a "ketemine treatment" which consisted of me sitting in a dark room for 10 days 5.5 hours each day receiving a ketemine drip, unfortunately with the combo of Muscular Dystrophy and RSD/CRPS type 1 even the strongest of nerve blocks doesn't work, hence me being so young and on narcotics.
    I consume absolutely no alcohol except half a glass of Champagne on new years, I am a non-smoker as well, I know some people may find this hard to believe since I'm young and such but why would I lie to a bunch of anonymous people?
    So now I know I need to improve my immune system, for the past year (and previous years it was pretty bad but it has gotten much worse to the point of what I'm about to explain) every month for about 2 weeks, sometimes 3 weeks I am sick, vomiting for days at a time, I can't hold anything down, I get severely dehydrated I've gone to the hospital a shit load of times however without insurance now I don't go as often unless I'm so dehydrated I pass out, which happens quite often, I get alot of UTIs, bladder infections, and other types of misc. infections, stomach bugs, and countless viruses.
    I mean I'm down to try anything- aromatherapy, revising my diet, specialized exercise, I mean NO BODY HOLD BACK! I'm getting very desperate to leave this all behind and when I do get my insurance back I plan to visit a nutritionists and if there is one my insurance covers- an immune specialists (however I know they are very expensive!)
    So I think that pretty much covers everything, and I thank every single person's response and time anyone took to read this, Thank you again, -TB.

    • ANSWER:
      Wow. I'm sorry you have to deal with all this. I can't imagine how you can function properly with all of that going on

      Have you tried natural remedies such as AloeElite? It helps with digestive disorders, including GERD and IBS. It's helped out my sister who suffers from IBS. I attached some informational links, hope they help!

25. QUESTION:
    knee surgery?
    I had invoved in auto accident and had a foot facture. And shortly, I realized that I also have a pain around my knee, on the same leg actually. At first, I thought it was something related to my foot, the heavy cast or a discomfort associated with the pain on my foot. But it was not.

    My primary physician refered me to an Orthopedic Specialist who did a surgery on my feet. Now after 2 months, I am on the way to walk again.

    My knee however is getting bad day by day despite the fact that I have been under a physical therapy and other treatments.

    After he reviewd the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) around my knee, the surgeon now suggested I should have a surgery there too.

    A lot of people advise to avoid any surgery on knees whenever possible. They also say sometimes doctors may push you for such prosedures as long as your medical bills are insurance-covered.

    I trust my doc but still worried.

    I am 35 yrs old and no other any medical problem.

    WHAT IS YOUR OPINIO

    • ANSWER:
      Honestly, its better you consult a specialist to find out what's best for you. I really want to help but I don't think I can give better answers than specialist do. Sorry.

      good luck

      Love is omnipresence, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

26. QUESTION:
    What will The Seeker ask the rep. vice presidential candidate?Asperger, celiac Hunter/gatherer?
    I am the Seeker. I am an self proclaimed Asperger 5. This is a full functioning autistic. I have a peculiar savant. I have an attention for details. Now I wasn't always Class 5 asperger. I had severe ADHD and mild bipolarity. With a new science coming out that may actually change the FDA food chart, with the simple fact she is of the same gene as I. The HLA DQ2 and The HLA DQ8 genetic markers for celiac. Celiacs sprue is currently the number one misdiagnosed genetic malfunction and deadly auto immunal disease. The sciences are clearly pointing to the same thing on scales that are shocking, yet remain unaddressed. The Seeker has more than just the simple knowledge of how to fix health care. The Seeker is the number one misdiagnosed man surviving the toughest physical job in america. What he knows is so valuable to either party, that his input may actually sway the vote to either side. I have knowledge of immigration that is more than firsthand. I know all the methods of ops for the illegal immigrant communities. I know more than what is wrong with our economy, and I have more of the solutions that would undeniably and accurately Sway the vote. The knowledge locked in this idiots head, could reshape america. To further loose creditability in what I specialize in, What is happening to our revered senior population. I know what to do about managing and restructuring our american workforce. I am the backbone of America. Mr bush himself has stated this. I am A fine drywall specialist. I have the perfect method of drywall that should be instituded as code. The mental illnesses I "claim " to have recovered from are the same marker as the Republican Vice presidential candidate. My genetic marker is shared with 43 percent, minimumistically of the US population. I pose this question to either side of the fence. I also make a clear statement. I as an Infantry soldier, I who am considered mentally ill and incompetent, want to here an answer to one solid question before this soldier decides which side of the fence he sits. If my theories, Dr. Peter Greenes theories, and Dr. Alessio Fasano's theories all point to the republican vice presidential candidates autistic son, will any candidate take the, Adopted, autistic son of a Senior Pharmaucutical lobbiest retire, seriously? I am a true asperger five. Will you look to the seeker speaking in third party with mental illness, for questions and answers that the public truly want to know about? The seeker needs a job. The seeker needs a purpose other than being a mud specialist. I will work diligently to the point of amazing OCD. The question to the candidates is as follows.... With the FDA food chart being so politically incorrect, with wheat being named a number one enemy on the war on cancer, Parkinsons, autism, eldsheimers,Diabetes,heart disease,Epilepsy,MS,Occular degeneration,Eating disorder, ETC, ETC,... Do you get my miandering point? This makes the tabacco industry look like it was run by saints. Please restore my faith in the governmental systems. Please reintegrate, the word of Joe Publics concerns. Reninstill our faith. I can even raise a ruccuss heard to the heavens, just on new labor law. I can accurately address the workers comp issue. It failed me miserably. I can tell you what is up with healthcare in the insurance run business. We need government intervention from the insurance monopoly. I love my wife, I love life, and wish to be of more survice to my country. I am the mentally handicapped, you even get a tax break on my salary! Consider me a war hero that suffered right here on the home front. I am happy to be alive! Ask me why. The only current credibilty I have is small. On yahoo, I have an amazing run of best answers in the medical communities. This is with my 10th grade dropout education.

    • ANSWER:
      Ask him about the wheat thing. Educate us how to eat without wheat - it's everywhere. It's like oil - big business don't want an alternative.

27. QUESTION:
    Is this seisures or stress?
    So one day a year and a half ago(i was 20) i woke up one morning and felt VERY detatched emotionaly and physical,More sensitive to light(cant do anything without sunglasses and if i do i get eye twitching and head aches) I cannot think nor read or focus,my memory is terrible,i have pins and needles in my hands and feet and increased floaters in my eyes and irritability and the main issue with my eyes is i cannot seem to unfocus them to look at the "big picture" of things,i have to stare at one spot and if i do that my EYES AND MIND AUTOMATICLY,NO MATTER WHAT space themselves out,i am coherrent and know im doing it and can have a conversation while im doing it but i litteraly space out all day,especially any down time(When im urinating,trying to sleep,In a car etc) and i also cannot sleep AT ALL,Like even if i stay up all night im not even close to tired the next time,i have IMMENSE apathy and nothing at all feels real,i see colored lights and flashes everywhere and i feel if this is anxiety it gets worse when i think about it...

    Sorry about that long paragraph and my terrible grammar,Now the only type of seisure it could be would be "Absense" seisures but it says that i would not only space out BUT i would not be able to snap out of it if touched or talked too,with this i can talk and hold a conversation but it feels like auto pilot...

    ive been to EVERY doctor(Ear nose and throat,neuro,lyme disease specialist,tested for diabeties) i think about this every second of the day and its my obsession and now im afraid im having mild seisures,i have no insurance,will the emergency room do a MRI or a EEG? or only a catscan and refer me somewhere else? i need to figure this out asap,please anything helps... im at my wits end...Ive been on anxiety and anti depressents,nothing helps so im nervous its something more serious.
    I acctualy had migraine tests done and was on midrin and got a couple shots at the ER and nothing help,it made me high and spacey and not care and that was about it:/

    • ANSWER:
      for some reason it sounds like migraines to me♦

28. QUESTION:
    conclusion from roll over accident. The past 3 years of my life has been a up hill battle with my health.?
    I was diagnosed with pelvic floor dysfunction in sept 08. before and after the accident i was treated with extremly high amounts of pain meds and muscle relaxers for my previous other conditions. mayo diagnosed the PFD in sept 08 I was advised to stop pain meds and take the med nortryptline that was prescribed by mayo. I did and the pain from the injury to my neck caused me to have to see a specialist for my spine. New injuries were found along with degenerative changes in my spinal column. 25 years as a Doctor in the field of chiropractic service, said he was 99% sure the pictures do tell the story. Old injury and new injury are very detectable. Dirt bike injury to my mid and lower back at 18 years old then at 19 years old fell off moving vehicle mid and lower back again. I have nerve damage in the muscles in my pelvic and spine. The only thing I am out is some lost wages and mileage at the present time. I have excellent MM. Doctors billed major med instead of auto ins. My first and second trip to a chiropractor ever was met with snapping of my neck causing more than normal pain. I protested no when told to lie on my back for the 3 rd setting I said no Dr Robinson insisted when he tried to crack my neck it sprung back and wouldnt set. This caused me to have to see another doctor for injections for pain. These doctors were all given the information that was needed to file a claim with the proper insurance. The wrong insurance was filed by the doctors. How will I get the money I am out. I didnt know someone would be able to answer this quick thank you . More to this story!

    • ANSWER:
      your question is somewhat confusing.

      any medical bills associated with dirt bike should have been billed to the insurance company for your bike if you have one. it may not be required to have insurance on a dirt bike.

      as for the falling off a moving vehicle? that should have fallen to owner of vehicle that owed the moving vehicle; they hopefully have medical payments/pip coverage on their policy.

      even though the doctors filed claims under your medical insurance, the medical insurance once found you had accidents, would go after the responsible parties for reimbursement.

      the problem is that one injury or different diagnosis maybe difficult to seperate has being caused by that specific accident, or aggravated by a prior accident.

      you may need to get copies of all the bills from all of the providers and try to seperate per accident;
      you will also need to determine what injury is associated with what.

      if falling from a a moving vehicle was not your fault, then the owner of the vehicle may owe your for your injuries. but how on earth did you fall from a moving vehicle, unless you were an idiot playing games, drunk etc.

      you may need to contact an attorney for advice

      good luck

29. QUESTION:
    PLEASE READ AND ANSWER?
    I was involved in an auto accident...where me and My son was hit from the rear. I have limited tort, the driver of the car had full coverage. The driver gave the insurance company his statement and They paid for my car to get fixed and a rental. I was having unbelievable back pain, stiffness and sharp pains, so my lawyer referred me to a therapist. Then I had gotten a MRI done I had a bulge in my disk and a annular tear...so now I have to see a specialist. My therapy will be up in a few weeks....I want to know how much my case is With so I wont get treated) and if I could sue also for personal pain and suffering...Since my son was in the car , what type of compensation he receive..( he is only two yrs old)....since the insurance company has both parties statement how long will it take settle out..therapy ends july 10 2010 and most importantly...with a annular tear..how bad is it???
    I ASKED THIS QUESTION FOR ADVICE AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. IF U DONT HAVE ANY DONT ANSWER...AND STOP REPLYING ....

    • ANSWER:
      You asked this question before, the answer hasn't changed - ask your lawyer. No one here can give you what you're looking for. Your attorney was hired by you to represent you. Let him do his job. You're paying for it.

30. QUESTION:
    Help with back pain and correct medical images test?
    HELP!!! I was in an auto accident in December 1, 2008. My upper back and neck were seriously injured, although the pain was not felt untill 3+ hours after the accident. Since then I have seen several doctors including : orthopedics, neurologist, chiropractor, and pain management specialist. The pain management doctor diagnosed me with Facet Joint Syndrome and Myofascial Syndrome. He assigned me 3% permanent disabilty in my neck, and also put me on 6 rescriction such as weight limit and work activity etc..... I have been on at least 10 different medications for this. The most recent that have been some what helping are tramadol 50mg 4x a day and soma compound 2x a day. I have been to the ER 2x because the pain was so unbearable. Xrays were taken 2/09 and 9/09. The ones taken in 2/09 showed a possible vertebrae fracture. There was also an MRI taken 3/09 and they said they could not see any fracture on the vertebrae. On the MRI to me it looked like the discs were slightly bulged into the spinal cord but no enough for the radiologist to say anything. He did say there was a mild straightening of the cervical spine which is due to muscle spasms. We do have a lawyer for this as the accident was 100% the other parties fault and also because I have not been able to work for more than 2 months without being in total agony. As some points it gets to a point where the pain killers don't touch it. The pain has gotten worse over time and it is now not only in my neck but in my upper back and it seems as time goes on it begins to go farther and farther down my back. Is it possible that the doctor has wrongfully diagnosed me? If so what do you think it could be? Also the lawyer stated that the insurance company is going to want some kind of proof that there is a problem in my back. What kind of medical images would show what is going on in my back? Should I get another MRI because the one that we have no was taken so long ago and the new one could show something that was no visible at that time but has no progressed to a point where it is visible. Also what about a CT/PET scan? Would either one of those help? Please anyone any kind of input.
    I am currently taking tramadol now. I have seen bone doctors but not specifally a spinal doctor. I guess that will be my next step. I talked to my doctor today and they ordered the MRI and hopefully that will show something. I will try to load some pics of my MRI on here and see what people have to say.
    EDIT : here's the pix http://www.flickr.com/photos/50159725@N08/?saved=1

    • ANSWER:
      So, you want to know what scan would be best for you? Let me put it this way, if a doctor suspects something and orders a CT and they do not see it they order an MRI. Just ignore PET scans (they are more from organs and tissues if I remember correctly). If you feel there was bulging on the original you can always take the original images to another doctor for a second opinion (it is still allowed) or get another scan if you are worried that they missed something on the first. It is always possible a doctor misdiagnosed a patient.

31. QUESTION:
    Anybody know where I can have a custom pair of shoes made for someone with damaged feet?
    My husbands feet were crushed in an auto accident 2 yrs ago.Hes had 4 surgeries with pins wires screws and parts added and removed from his feet, the worse being the left, now at least one size larger.He has lost most of the feeling(sensative/soft)to his feet,and I often have to file and attend sores and "rocks".His toes are curling under and hes walking on them,which causes more problems-He does have inserts from our workmans comp doc but we need something custom to help with All these problems, They are more concerned with his anckle,which he has lost 89% of the muscle and strength in.The doc is inatentive regarding this and weve asked several times,so we need to do this on our own.For more in regards to this please email me. We really need to get him proper shoes, made by a specialist?We live in missouri, closest to columbia and kansas city.Price is not an issue because of the severity of the problem, though payments may be necessary, and we will be paying for this out of our pockets-most likely no insurance.Thanks!!

    • ANSWER:
      Podiatrists are usually better at dealing with this sort of thing than doctors. I think you would have more luck with them. They are very professional and often take moulds of patients feet so that appropriate insoles or shoes can be made. They would recommend where you can get the shoes, or you might even be able to get them through the podietrist.

32. QUESTION:
    Is it possible an Asperger savant may have the answers to our political problems?
    I am a simple guy claiming I fell through all possible cracks in the US infrastructure and in doing so claim I know where they are.

    I have 0,000 of misdiagnosis at the hands of the "Practice" of medicine and I saved my own life from deadly celiac sprue undetected for over 20 years and was able to solve the problem with medical science and genetic testing for under 0. In my case we could save over ,800 of health care moneys.

    I am a subcontractor. I have worked exclusively for one drywall contractor for 5 years without even a side job. This technically makes me an employee by law. I worked steady for this man for 5 years, and when I got sick, he stole money from me. I have a case, but will loose my home to a disease that politically does not exist even though it may be the most misdiagnosed and deadly auto immune response since aids, and a loophole system that does not protect those who pay for it.

    I am multi symptomatic. Health care is designed to generate stupid amounts of moneys. If I have 5 different problems, I must see my general practitioner 5 times and pay 5 20 dollar co pays.

    Then I must see each individual specialist and then pay 5 different consultations before I need to even think about which care to choose.

    I must then pay the 5 needed proceedures and simply put, in this manner of business practices implimented so insurance companies do no have to pay for multi issue patients. It is too costly and frustrating and the patients usaually gives up and goes back to work partially treated.

    I have ideas in my Asperger autisic high functioning systemic autisic mind, but people cannot believe the pure and simple answers that I have.

    I have the education as to where every loophole in the system are only attainable through life experience. My wife is an immagrant and we both know where they sell phony social security numbers across the street from the Danbury Police station. I know they have dentists practicing in our country with no liscenses. I know who they are.

    If I can do this all day, can president Obama learn to read more than the three word, interuptive speech pattern the prompter makes him have?

    Would it be better to look for a leader who has humility and true understanding, or do we keep this up?

    • ANSWER:
      Yes, in some cases, we must work outside the system in order to save ourselves and our family.

      However, this action should be the last resort. We should always first attempt to work within the system and adhere to cultural tenets until the process breaks down and thus cannot fulfill our immediate needs.

      And, we should focus more on helping ourselves in a time of personal trauma rather than focusing on changing a system which we, as individuals, have little hope of influencing to any worthwhile degree.

33. QUESTION:
    HELP with upper back pain and medical images?
    HELP!!! I was in an auto accident in December 1, 2008. My upper back and neck were seriously injured, although the pain was not felt untill 3+ hours after the accident. Since then I have seen several doctors including : orthopedics, neurologist, chiropractor, and pain management specialist. The pain management doctor diagnosed me with Facet Joint Syndrome and Myofascial Syndrome. He assigned me 3% permanent disabilty in my neck, and also put me on 6 rescriction such as weight limit and work activity etc..... I have been on at least 10 different medications for this. The most recent that have been some what helping are tramadol 50mg 4x a day and soma compound 2x a day. I have been to the ER 2x because the pain was so unbearable. Xrays were taken 2/09 and 9/09. The ones taken in 2/09 showed a possible vertebrae fracture. There was also an MRI taken 3/09 and they said they could not see any fracture on the vertebrae. On the MRI to me it looked like the discs were slightly bulged into the spinal cord but no enough for the radiologist to say anything. He did say there was a mild straightening of the cervical spine which is due to muscle spasms. We do have a lawyer for this as the accident was 100% the other parties fault and also because I have not been able to work for more than 2 months without being in total agony. As some points it gets to a point where the pain killers don't touch it. The pain has gotten worse over time and it is now not only in my neck but in my upper back and it seems as time goes on it begins to go farther and farther down my back. Is it possible that the doctor has wrongfully diagnosed me? If so what do you think it could be? Also the lawyer stated that the insurance company is going to want some kind of proof that there is a problem in my back. What kind of medical images would show what is going on in my back? Should I get another MRI because the one that we have no was taken so long ago and the new one could show something that was no visible at that time but has no progressed to a point where it is visible. Also what about a CT/PET scan? Would either one of those help? Please anyone any kind of input. I have the pictures of my old MRI here if anyone can tell me what they think from them..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/50159725@N08/?saved=1

    • ANSWER:
      Ask Your Nuerologist For A Bone Scan!!!You Drink Some Kind Of Dye Substance That Goes Throughout Your Body and They Run Tests On You While You Have The Dye In Your System!!!!My Husband Had It Done!!!!Also You Can Google Test To Show Back Injuries!!!!Sorry To Hear About Your Pain and I Hope That I Was Some Help To You!!!!Good Luck With Your Situation!!!!