Can someone translate this into regular English please as to what I'll have to pay?
I need a bladder procedure with cpt code 51700. I asked my health insurance if it would be treated as a doctor's visit with a co-pay, since the procedure would be done in office by her or her assistants and the clinic & doctor are in network. The doctor's office told me the procedure costs between $280 and $350 each time. I got the following convoluted response from my health insurance company:
"Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding your benefits. The following information pertains to the general in and out-of-network benefits for such services when eligible under your benefit plan. Verification of benefits is not a guarantee of coverage or payment. All services are subject to medical necessity, contract exclusions, and eligibility at the time the service is rendered.
You have general benefits for both in and out of network services. When utilizing an in-network provider, the service would be considered subject to a $1,000.00 individual deductible per benefit period. Once the deductible is satisfied the services would be considered at 80% of the allowed amount, up to an $2,500.00 individual out-of-pocket per benefit period. After the out-of-pocket is satisfied, services will be considered at 100% of the allowed amount. The benefit period is based on a calendar year from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
When utilizing an out-of-network provider, the service would be subject to a $1,000 individual deductible per benefit period. Once the deductible is satisfied, services would be considered at 60% of the allowed amount, up to the individual up to an $2,500.00 individual out-of-pocket per benefit period. After the out-of-pocket is satisfied, services will be considered at 100% of the allowed amount. The out-of-pocket does include the deductible totals. The benefit period is based on a calendar year January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. An out-of-network provider can balance bill you.
We can provide you with a benefit quote regarding how the claim will process with the given codes. You may view the estimated cost of a procedure by accessing the provider search on our website and using the Care Cost Estimator. Please log in to the member portal and click on the Find A Doctor tab then click Medical you will be prompted to acknowledge that you are leaving our site to reach the provider search, click continue to proceed.
On the Sapphire provider search page click on Browse by category and select Care Cost Estimator from this menu you can select a procedure by type or click on All Procedures (A-Z) in order to search for a specific service. Reminder this is an estimate.
If we can be of further assistance, please contact us by utilizing the "contact us" form on our website or contact customer service at the number located on the back of your identification card."

This is the first time I've really done anything like this. Especially on Reddit. Actually, someone I used to work with showed me the world of reddit. I've been struggling with my story of being groomed for so long, wanting to just talk with someone about it in full, but I never really knew where to go. I've thought of doing anonymous blogging but couldn't quite find the right place.
Here's some notes before I dive in (mostly for myself): Groomer's Alias (for this): Old Geezer The Where (where I worked): LakeyBakey (code name) Regions: Lake States (where I was before), Southern Hell (where he came from and returned), North Pole (where I reside now, but had visited) Old HS: WR (Wanna-be Richies) Legal Mom: The Witch (you'll see why) My bf before: Narly Dude
Old Geezer was 38 I was 18
The Story: I had gotten a job right out of graduating from WR. Well, job offer. I went in for the interview for this place called LakeyBakey (not actually what it was called, but again code naming everything). I honestly was shocked about the place as it was a business/corperate type thing. But one of my friends was bragging to their father about me being more mature than your average teen. It was pretty exciting. I ended up starting the day after the graduation ceremony. The first week there was just training. There was one guy who was intrigued by the newbies. Specifically me, but was subtle about it. He didn't really start chatting with me until the third week of having the job. But my Legal Mom, The Witch, wanted to use me graduating as an excuse to have a vacation to an Alabama beach. Now, I'm not ungrateful, but I've express to The Witch several times about my fears of oceans. I'm fine with Lakes, but Oceans were a whole different thing for me. I told her countless times about how I wanted to go to a country side, somewhere for me to do some stargazing and research of the night sky. That was my Vacation. But back to my grooming story. The week after returning, I was briefed on how to start the job (aka no more training, which there's two weeks of training for LakeyBakey, but the second week is just getting you set with being on the FlooPhones). I got a message on Slack (This is like the business form of Discord. They are very similar in set up) from a guy. Old Geezer was just checking to see if I needed any help. He'd constantly ask if I needed help. But soon the comments went from asking if I needed help, to mild flirting. I had promptly brought up how I had a boyfriend and was happy with him. I had told the story of how we really connected. Well, more of how I connected with Narly Dude. Narly Dude actually saved me from an attempt and more than proved he cared for me. I mentioned in a Slack message to Old Geezer that I felt like I somewhat owed Narly Dude for practically saving my life. And that's when it started mildly. He got his foot in the door of my mind. He told me, "That's not fair to him. If you're only dating him because you feel like you owe him, that's just wrong." (AN: That wasn't the case, but the guy was twisting my words and basically guilt tripping me). Then after a bit of him doing more of that to me, he'd start telling me about all these things he could offer me. A place near the countryside, being able to be around nature more, and so much more that I'd never receive. A few weeks later, he told me he wanted to see a park I loved to frequent, to take in the nature that I love so much. So I told him about it, and he told me I should show him around. So I did. And then he lured me to the bathrooms and illegally tengo-ed with me (SA if you're not sure what I meant by that). I was still with Narly Dude at this time, but from this happening, I felt so guilty. The guilt from letting myself get in that situation when I was happily with someone else. I was sick from myself with the guilt. I ended up breaking up with Narly Dude soon after. And once Old Geezer heard of this, he didn't hold back with the flirting. Well, not long after, the friend he was living with caught drift of what Old Geezer was up to. That friend kicked him out. And that friend's wife and wife's best friend reach out to The Witch and My sister. Once The Witch heard about this, she confronted me about it. But she did it so passive-aggressively. Because of my past trauma I had before I came to live with The Witch, I learned how to pay attention to people's tones. I knew her "I'm irritated and I plan on getting you in trouble, but I'm going to act like we're having a normal conversation first" tone very well. And she was using that one. Constantly saying she's "worried for me" and when I kept asking for her to leave me alone to think and cool down, she wouldn't. She just sat there by my bedroom door, refusing to leave and continuing to bash on me subtly. I started to raise my voice to the point that my Legal Dad came in to see what the issue was. That's when all hell broke loose. I lost it at them and they ended up saying to me, "Fuck you. Fuck off!" So I grabbed a few of my things and went out the door and a friend's family took me in. I stayed there for a month. The family helped me in getting an apartment of my own. And once I did, I also had a roommate. Well, Old Geezer took me being homeless practically as a way to have full grasp on me. Once I had my apartment, I was never allowed there. We could only be at his apartment which he got a month prior. His reasoning? No one knew of that address. He'd constantly belittle my "teen moments" (when I was having high anxiety, or just was struggling with past trauma issues) with saying "You're 18 year old is showing". His goal was to make me a submissive house wife. But he never intended to marry me (even though I've express I only date to marry). This went on for 6-ish months. He stopped listening to me. He always had these audio books on and wouldn't pause it until I've repeated myself 5 times. He'd say when I felt the need to cry that I was being overdramatic and a crybaby. And when he'd want to do bed time, he'd use the terms that had haunted me in high school when my boyfriend at the time had SA-ed me ($!ut, and wh0r3). He would pin me down to tickle me (sometimes licking me) and didn't stop until I'd bite him, even though I would scream for him to stop it. He would mostly do this when I would stay up a bit later to watch something or play a game a little longer than when he wanted to sleep. It was his way of getting me to go to sleep with him. But whenever I did the same, he'd just say my "18 year old was showing). He even made me stop talking to friends. Told me that I should wait at least 5 years to unblock my sister. When I didn't want to sleep in the same room, he would drag me back to the room where we both *had* to sleep (sometimes even by the hair). And like I said, this went on for 6-ish months. Well, in November, I decided to visit my biological father and his side of the family up in the North Pole. I was more open with them about what was going on in the relationship. And a week after I returned back to the Lake States, my aunt had told me she believed he was grooming me. Several of my remaining friends agreed with her. And on December 8th I tested positive for Covid. And because Old Geezer is "old and thus had a weak immune system" I was thrown to the apartment that was mine until the symptoms started to go away. In that time, I made some new friends through the Roblox game Mic Up (actually through further events from this, I actually found my current Boyfriend who has been a massive blessing with helping me get through all the trauma). I realized how much I missed having friends closer to my age--well, friends in general. And the time away really got me the time I needed to feel the ick I had felt when it all started. About the third day in, Old Geezer wasn't liking how much I was not under his surveillance so he brought me back to my apartment. I think it was the second night of me being back to his place, I snapped at him for not letting me stay up later to game. I'm young, I don't work the next day, I should be able to do such. So I stormed into another room and locked myself in to do so. About 10 minutes later, I heard the apartment door slam. He left. So I went to the bathroom to calm down when I heard some night time noises. From the neighbor. The one who's a single lady. So I rushed out of the apartment building and called my biological father, sobbing. Telling him how certain I was that Old Geezer was cheating on me. About 2 minutes of me calming down from the crying/sobbing moment, I watch Old Geezer walk out of the building and to the Apartment's Gym (it's in a separate building and this one in particular came with one). So I snuck my way back into the apartment, gathering up my things. When he came back, I confronted him about what I heard. While doing so, he gave me a drink as he poured himself one. He told me that there was nothing for us if I couldn't trust him. I don't really remember how the conversation ended because I lost consciousness. I woke up the next morning. The week after that situation, I'd make excuses for needing to stay at my apartment more while I gained the courage to do what was needing to be done. I gave some trusted friends Old Geezer's address and even told them to give the police my phone number if they didn't hear from me after a certain time. Once I got to Old Geezer's place, I confronted him. I let it all out. About how he'd ignore me, never really listened to my feelings, and not being able to trust him. He made excuses. Saying he'd "start listening better and changing" that "we could always work to rebuild that trust". I told him "You had the chance to change and listen and you didn't take it." And once it was settled that what we had was over, I got my stuff packed into a car and made it back to my apartment. The words "I'm Free" becoming louder and louder as I got closer to my apartment and locked the apartment door. Once the door was locked, I slid to the floor and just silently sobbed mixed tears (tears of joy and pain). About 3 days after this happening, he made one of my online friends send me a "letter that he wrote" (spoiler: it was a ChatCPT generated thing). He said he supposedly went straight back to Southern Hell. I had told the friend to cut ties with him or I'll block her. I wanted nothing to do with him. Well about a week later, The Witch invited me to a Christmas Party with the family. I confessed to her about what was happening. That I learned my lesson from the whole thing. I even brought up how I had several people (one being my therapist, but I didn't mention her) telling me it was a grooming relationship. The Witch promptly said that "Adults cannot be groomed". And after me confessing everything to her, she said that she was "greatly disappointed in me". There was no validation. It wasn't until several months later that I realized that she and Old Geezer had shared some mentally abusive tactics of manipulation. Which was why it was so easy for Old Geezer to get past my defense system for so long.
I also have since moved away from the Lake States for several different reasons, including my safety. I was told by The Witch that if I moved that I "shouldn't consider ever reaching out again" that I "would no longer be her family or daughter if I moved". So that's the story. And within a week of me uploading this, I'll be turning 19. A Year since everything went downhill. So yes, this happened in 2023.

A Beginner’s Guide to Cognitive Functions and CPT, Part 1:
~Section A~
There are four functions:

Thinking = T
Feeling = F
Sensing = S
Intuition = N

These functions are then further divided up into extroverted/introverted functions.
(↓ shorthand terms for each function):
Te/Ti = extroverted/introverted thinking
Fe/Fi = extroverted/introverted feeling
Se/Si = extroverted/introverted sensing
Ne/Ni = extroverted/introverted thinking
Each of these functions come in pairs, or axes, which balances the other function out. This should be pretty intuitive (hah, see what I did there?)
The axes are as follows:

Te/Fi, Ti/Fe, Fe/Ti, Fi/Te, Se/Ni, Si/Ne, Ne/Si, Ni/Se.

————————————————————————— —
~Section B~
Type: A four letter code that describes the main functions you use on a daily basis.
Lens = Perceiving functions.
Codec = Judging functions.
Lens Functions: Ways of perceiving data.
Codec Functions: Ways of judging data.
Introverted: Of the self, internal.
Extroverted: Outside of self, external.
Introverted Lens Functions (Si/Ni): Ways of observing your thoughts.
Introverted Codec Functions (Fi/Ti): Type of internal info you value primarily.
Extroverted Lens Functions (Se/Ne): Ways of observing the outer world.
Extroverted Codec Functions (Fe/Te): Type of external info you value primarily.

Dominant = Dominant
Tertiary = Agency
Auxiliary = Authority
Inferior = Oppositional

————————————————————————— —
~Section C~
Responsible: Having an obligation to do something, regardless of whether the action is positive or negative.
Convergence (dominant & agency): The functions you are naturally conscious of and responsible for. Enact change upon, control. The pilot seat. Take charge of. Inspired by divergence functions. Action, chaos, creativity, control, responsibility.
Divergent (authority & oppostional): The functions you are naturally conscious of but not responsible for. Inability to take responsibility for in the first place; static, and observed. Abided by, step around them. Passive, order, authority, observation.
The dominant is supported by the agency, and the oppositional is supported by the authority.
So,

ID-IAg-EAu-EO, or ED-EAg-IAu-IO.

For example, an INTP would have:

Ti-Si-Ne-Fe

Whereas in MBTI, INTP has:

Ti-Ne-Si-Fe

This is because you cannot perceive the external or internal world with just a single function (in my case, that would be Ti).
The lens functions are perceiving, and then the codec functions are assigning value to data that’s being perceived.
To see why this works, look at the definition of a cognitive introvert:

Reconciliation of themselves to the external world.

Cognitive extroversion on the other hand, means:

Reconciliation of the external world to themselves.

This is why many people say that if you’re a cognitive extrovert, you can still be a social introvert, because a social introvert could be spending time alone working on a project that lets them react to the external world, whereas a social extrovert may still be a cognitive introvert, because they’re fueling a dialogue by interacting with others.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS INFERIOR, TERTIARY, OR AUXILIARY FUNCTIONS IN CPT.
————————————————————————— —
~Section D~
Definitions of the Cognitive Functions:
~Lens Functions~
Se (extroverted sensing):

Seeing the external world in its current state, as it is. Concrete lens faced outwards, focused on a small portion of reality that’s relative to the present. “Small portion” = what is currently tangible and observable. Detailed perception. Is NOT “pleasure” or “sensory experiences.”

Ne (extroverted intuition):

Seeing the external world as what it could be. Macroscopic lens faced outwards, focused on the movement, vague connections, abstract concepts. Anticipatory quality. Sees and makes connections, “what ifs?” Does NOT see “patterns” nor is it “having less attention span” or “ADHD.”

Si (introverted sensing):

Perceiving the details of the internal world. Focusing on the concrete, tangible data within the internal landscape. Knows “what is,” as it is. Small, focused and detailed lens facing inwards. Concrete knowledge, causality, memory. Is NOT “reminiscing,” “nostalgia,” or “internal sensation.” It’s comparable to facts, and reliable knowledge. Think of it as a dictionary which you can rely upon.

Ni (introverted intuition):

Perceiving a holistic view of the internal world. Focusing on the movement between ideas. Knows “what can be.” Wide, macroscopic lens facing inward. Holistic answeconclusion, vague. Does NOT see “patterns” or “prophetic visions.”

~Codec Functions~
Te (extroverted thinking):

Values based upon the external data. Assignment of values to externally perceived objects. Bringing of order to the external world. Dislikes the disharmony of external objects, wants to feel one with the external world through its harmony. Is NOT the accomplishment of goals/objectives.

Fe (extroverted feeling):

Values based upon the subjective external data of others. Assignment of values to things that are unanimously agreed upon. Bringing of order to the external emotional world. Dislikes the disharmony of emotions of others, wants to feel one with others through their emotions. Is NOT social norms/people-pleasing.

Ti (introverted thinking):

Determination of the value of data itself. Determining what’s logically valid and what’s not. Theorizing for the sake of theorizing. Categorization of internally perceived data. Objective logic relative to the self. Is NOT the understanding of logic or being logical.

Fi (introverted feeling):

Determination of a value of an emotion itself. Determining what’s morally/emotionally valid and what’s not. Valuing for the sake of valuing. Categorization of internally perceived emotions. Is NOT the understanding of emotions or having an identity.

Hi y’all, our 3 month old wasn’t feeling well earlier this year so we took him to our pediatrician. He performed a covid/flu test which we recently received a bill for. Our insurance is United Healthcare PPO and our doctor is in-network. They billed $600+ for the test under the CPT code 87636. Our insurance covered $300, but the left they say is owed by us, and because we haven’t met our deductible (visit was in January) we owe that much out of pocket. The price seems super high for this test so I’m curious what my options here are. Zip code is 10028 and I have the EOB handy. Thanks!
Link to test cpt info

I have a coding situation living rent free in my head and the imposter syndrome is REAL. I can't deal with it anymore and need some input.
A friend asked for my help after she went to a gastro to get some external growth checked out and a bx confirmed it was a condyloma acuminatum. Gastro wanted a colonoscopy to make sure it wasn't growing inside as well so they scheduled a procedure.
Apparently hospital calls her and says insurance is going to refuse to cover anything and that "they (insurance) is concerned since it was coded as preventative". Friend already had lots of trouble with this practice and didn't want to go through with this but she was scared of the dx. Cue her getting me involved because she knows I used to work for a gastro. She shared with me the codes in her portal and went through the hoops to get the office scheduler to talk to both of us together.
I'm polite and explain that there's been an error and to check the coding on the account. Not only is she way underage for the preventative benefit to even be applicable but there should be no screening code anyways as this is clearly a diagnostic procedure. Scheduler says that's how all colonoscopies get sent to the surgeon and any finding codes come after. I say that's incorrect in these circumstances because there is no preventative intent, there is a diagnostic reason they are looking and it is not because she's asymptomatic and "just that age". They should be using the A63.0 that was picked for her records and a Z12.11 screening code shouldn't be anywhere near this claim. This was not acknowledged at all because the literal response was a very flat "(Friend), we know what we are doing." (So do I, dickcheese!)
She asked my honest opinion and I told her if it were me personally and with all the bad experiences she had I would much rather start over with a different doc than deal with the headache of waiting for 1000$ bills and the back and forth battle that would inevitably come. So she canceled it but has been procrastinating going elsewhere. Cue my existential crisis. Now I worry for her well-being and I feel so terrible that I'm responsible for her cancellation that I am second-guessing my knowledge.
I have always told friends and fam to feel free to use me as a resource to navigate the intentionally convoluted world of healthcare but the road to hell is paved with good intentions and now I'm scared to point someone in the wrong direction or influence their medical decisions negatively. I would still put money on knowing we never use screening codes if there is a known reason for going in there, though. For years I argued benefits lots with insurance and had to deal with the denials and fallout of inaccurate information and incorrect claims. Scheduler was semi-right that Z12.11 comes first and diagnoses come after but that's ONLY if they go in there with no S/S just because it's that time in life to check and find things - the same kind of occasion you'd use PT modifier on the CPT code - not when they go in there with diagnostic intent. Right?? ....but then the doubt in me says...I've never seen that A code maybe for a reason, and furthermore my gastro experience started at a time prior to my CPC when I had questionable on-site training from a practice with zero certifications in the building. I did get it halfway through though, but maybe I wasn't able to identify and correct every bad habit, and maybe I AM wrong.
Section 1.C.21.c.5: "The testing of a person to rule out or confirm a suspected diagnosis because the patient has some sign or symptom is a diagnostic examination, not a screening. In these cases, the sign or symptom is used to explain the reason for the test."
What say you, gastro peoples of Reddit?
Tl;dr: A53.0 sparked colonoscopy order. This makes it diagnostic not screening, and Z12.11 would be inappropriate coding especially as a primary Dx. Agree or no?

So I had a previous post that talked about some of the *weird* explanations of my benefits I got while on the phone with insurance and I've since then collected more info which I'll toss down here incase it helps anyone, because having the info helped me confirm I shouldn't be billed for the procedure.
My plan: IBX Personal Choice Bronze EPO Basic
Today's findings: I was told that my specific plan will cover 1 of each preventative procedure per year (1 colonoscopy per year, 1 birth control, etc) and after that the 2nd procedure would count towards the deductible (which is obvs not relevant for sterilization because there is only 1 procedure). BUT for my plan this ONLY works if it's billed as PREVENTATIVE care by the doctor. If it's a medical necessity or elective, it will NOT be covered fully on my plan (and this is apparently just a thing the doctor will say like '58661 because preventative care' when they send the codes to insurance). She also confirmed that related services (consultation for the procedure, anesthesia, etc) should be covered with no cost to me.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Documents that helped me get my point across
(and bless the lady who put up with my questions because there was a bit of a language barrier and I'm sure she wanted to strangle me lol); But I legit had her pull up some of the docs and I referenced specific passages (I've bolded imo the most useful):

• Plan Benefit Book
  • page 7: discusses preventative code and links to another page that discusses preventative care
  • Page 20: says Adult preventative care is covered 100%
  • page 21: says women's preventative care is covered 100% with deductible not applying
  • page 92-93 (or search 'sterilization'): says peeps should have access to full range of female-controlled contraception and then lists 'sterilization surgery' under that list. It also mentions 'only certain contraceptive drug options in each category are covered at no cost' so perhaps heckle insurance about what would/wouldn't be covered.
• Generic page on preventative care
  • lists generic stuff covered and takes you to a more useful page which...
    • page 2 (bottom paragraph): "Most Independence Blue Cross health plans fully cover recommended preventive care services at an in-network provider, so you pay $0 out-of-pocket"
    • page 5: includes sterilization and contraception under women's preventative care
• The giant list of CPT codes I mentioned (direct link may or may not work)
  • just search '58661' or 'sterilization' and it'll take you to the miscellaneous section; as far as I can tell, this just lists the code as being covered, not necessarily that it's FULLY covered, but the other passages mention above should indicate it's fully covered since it's listed as preventative care.
  • There's a search bar in the upper-right where the lady searched '58661' and the first thing that came up was the gender affirming surgery.
  • if the direct link doesn't work... go to ibx.com/medpolicy (and accept the terms) > search 'sterilization' or the cpt code > it's doc 00.06.02aq also listed as 'preventative care'
  • miscellaneous policy says: "Sterilization procedures, patient education and counseling for contraception, and all Food and Drug Administration (FDA)--approved contraceptive methods are covered as a preventive service for all females with reproductive capacity."
  • related bulletin where they seem to have added the 58661 cpt code

External government resources:

• healthcare.gov
  • says must cover some preventative services at no cost if in network
  • link to preventative services for women
    • all market place plans must cover FDA approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, etc
    • links to another page mentioning sterilization being covered

------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issues I ran into questioning people along the way: - They were searching a giant list of CPT codes, but they were searching the WRONG one. Using bisalp code 58661 they were searching in the 'gender affirming services' doc. I only found this out when I asked how she had gotten to the doc she was looking at. (see med policy cpt doc linked above. - She should have been looking at the 'preventative care' code. This might also be why the other people I talked to thought it counted towards the deductible, but idk. - people counting the cpt code as 'surgery' or an 'outpatient procedure' rather than 'preventative care' (which i have a feeling was tied into where they searched for the code - Apparently doctors may practice at different locations and some of the LOCATIONS aren't covered, but some are. Doctors may also not renew their being covered with insurance, so it's not a bad idea to call the doctor to verify they're in network and then call insurance to check and make sure that's not going to end randomly in a month if they're not planning on renewing. Super weird... Anyway...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also HELLA thanks to everyone who has helped me dig up policy content and find relevant info - you're all fantastic and I appreciate you <3
I'm legit so excited right now (even though I'm still paranoid I'm gonna have to fight with insurance later again) because the lady sounded very sure that it should be covered (compared to the other people I spoke to). Now off to heckle some more doctors on the list and see if any of them are properly available lol.

Hi there,
We're moving from sheets to excel and I'm having some trouble with a few things. On our facility sheets, each row is a patient at that facility which contains their info, along with each Date of Service and the billing code next to it. Below is what the data looks like along with the formula. The formula essentially scans from Initial DOS onward, checking only the dates, and stopping at the latest value. With conditional formatting, I can sort and easily see patients not seen in 4 weeks, or patients going green as their scheduled date gets close.
Whenever I run the formula in sheets it just errors out, and I know why but can't find a solution that isn't far more work. In Sheets, DateValue() will work with strings AND formatted dates while excel will ONLY work with strings. I tried using Date(), but the CPT codes also get returned as dates.
I haven't really found an effective solution that doesn't involve some scripting. The only thing I can think of is scripting a basic loop to check each row for a date, save it, and replace when there is a higher one. Alternatively, the cpt codes are all in the 9000's which is a date 125 years from now and they could be filtered, but I'd really like something that only selects dates.

=IFERROR(MAX(filter($W1:$IS1,datevalue($W1:$IS1))))

name	LATEST DOS	INITIAL DOS	CPT	CPT	F/U DOS	CPT	CPT	F/U DOS	CPT	CPT
bobby hill	4/4/2024	2/4/2024	99306	90833	3/4/2024	99306	90833	4/4/2024	99309	90833
hank hill	5/11/2024	3/2/2024	99306	90833	3/19/2024	99309	90833	5/11/2024

Dear ZeroWaste friends,
There is a global plastics treaty being negotiated at the United Nations right now. Reuters calls it "the most significant deal relating to climate-warming emissions and environmental protection since the 2015 Paris Agreement." The World Wildlife Fund provides more background on the treaty here. Its goal, according to the UN, is to ensure plastics are only used in essential functions, like healthcare, instead of in single-use consumer packaging.
It has strong support from many countries and even large brands, from the U.S. Government to Pepsico and Unilever, as reported by Reuters. However, the treaty also faces fierce opposition from fossil fuel lobbies and others who profit from widespread plastics use.
Speaking out in support of this treaty is, I would argue, THE most impactful thing you can do right now to support zero waste. If this treaty passes with strong limits on plastic production, it will make zero-waste living more accessible for people worldwide. Oh, and it would also casually prevent a 15% increase in global greenhouse gas emissions on top of drastically cutting plastic pollution.
How can you support it? Speak up!!
USA - You can call or email your Congressional representatives. Calling is most effective because you can share your feelings directly with a real person, but email is ok too.
UK - You can call or email your MP to urge them to support it. Similar to the U.S., calling is likely the most effective option. Here is a full guide to making your voice heard by Parliament.
Australia - You can find your federal MP and urge them to support the treaty.
Canada - You can find your Canadian MP here and urge them to support the treaty. If you live near the negotiation venue, you can check to see if any rallies or peaceful protests are being planned and join those. Here is a guide to public advocacy in Canada.
Other Countries - While I can't cover the whole world, please know that everyone, and especially developing countries, have important roles in this debate. Your voices matter so much in this fight! If you're from a country not listed above and need help finding resources, please let me know and I will do my best to help. If any readers know good resources for other countries, please share them in the comments!
What do you say?
Keep it simple, polite, and factual!
Example: "Hi, I'm a constituent of (Representative/MP) and I wanted to urge [him/her] to vocally support the plastics treaty under negotiation at the UN right now, called INC4. I care a lot about ending plastic pollution and as [his/her] constituent I want to see [him/her] support an ambitious treaty at INC4 to ensure the world commits itself to binding production caps on plastics. (Add any extra notes you'd like about personal experiences with plastic pollution). Thank you so much for your time and your work representing me."
They may ask for your zip code or name, provide the amount of info you're comfortable with. In the U.S., you may need to provide your address to prove you're actually a constituent.
What Else Can You Do?
You can sign petitions from major environmental groups, write letters to your legislators/parliamentarians from your schools/neighborhood councils/affinity groups/other organizations (there is power in numbers!) and just generally be a positive voice in favor of the treaty when talking with friends and family.
Why Am I Writing This?
Because I care about the issue and I thought this community would, too. This treaty could be the Montreal Protocol of our generation (the Montreal Protocol ended the use of highly polluting refrigerant chemicals that were punching a hole in the ozone layer, and is often cited as the prime example of an effective global environmental treaty). This opportunity is too valuable not to talk about!
Learn More:
Report on the climate impacts of plastics by the U.S. Berkeley National Laboratory: https://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/climate_and_plastic_executive_summary.pdf
The business case for an ambitious plastics treaty: https://www.businessforplasticstreaty.org/latest/our-presence-at-inc4
Deep dive into breaking free from plastics: BreakFreeFromPlastics.org
The history of the plastics treaty: https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/global-plastics-treaty
A petition for an ambitious plastics treaty: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/takeaction/petitions

Date: 04/26/2024

Reading time: 4 minutes, 811 words

🏛️ Politics & Government

TI-Georgia’s Claim that Government Refuses to Publish GRECO Corruption Report Denied by Authorities

Transparency International – Georgia said on April 26, calling on the Anti-Corruption Bureau to release the report to the public. The report examined the prevention of corruption and the promotion of integrity in the top executive functions of central government and law enforcement agencies. The document is accompanied by recommendations and the Georgian government has until September 30, 2025 to report on their implementation.

CivilGe

Opposition Parties Call on Civil Servants Not to Participate in GD-Announced Rally

On April 26, six opposition parties issued a joint statement calling on civil servants not to participate in the April 29 rally organized by Georgian Dream. Instead, the opposition parties expressed their support for the April 28 march announced by the local CSOs. The signatory parties said they are appreciating the position taken by the public sector in suspending cooperation with the government.

CivilGe, Opposition: The assembly organized by Ivanishvili aims to divide the Georgian people

Aleksandar Vucic apologizes to the Slovenian people

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic apologizes for calling Slovenians 'disgusting' at UN Security Council meeting. He said it was a reaction to anti-Serbian statements that came from Slovenian politicians. The President of Serbia said he meant the country's politicians, not the people.

EuroNewsGeorgia

NAPR Refuses Registration of Alt-Info’s Alternative Party

National Agency of Public Registration of Georgia (NAPR) started the procedure to abolish Georgian Idea. This defunct party was “gifted” to Alt-Info by its Chairman after NAPR cancelled its initial registration as a political party.

CivilGe

Parliament Committee Chair says “no reason for panic” over visa liberalisation suspension with EU

Maka Botchorishvili, Chair of European Integration Committee of Georgian Parliament, said there was “no reason to panic” about the European Union activating the suspension mechanism of its visa liberalisation with Georgia. The European Parliament adopted a resolution against the Georgian bill on transparency of foreign influence on Thursday.

AgendaGe, GD Member of Telavi City Council Stands Against Agents’ Law, Tbilisi State University Allegedly Obstructs Student Discussion on Agents’ Law, EESC Leadership Calls on Georgian Government Not to Adopt Foreign Agents Law, "Resolution on the law of foreign agents" – assessments of politicians, Parliament to consider draft law “On foreign influence” in second reading on April 29, Parliament Speaker: Visa liberalization won’t be canceled – this resolution is created by several MEPs who are angry with Georgian people, Irakli Zarkua: Such a resolution, which is created by friends of the torturers’ party, is worthless, Parliament to consider draft law “On foreign influence” in second reading on April 29

💵 Economy

Geostat: Emigration from Georgia Nearly Doubled in 2023

The migration from Georgia rose by 95.6% from the previous year, with 245,064 leaving the country. Immigration increased by 14.5% to 205,857 persons, with the majority of immigrants (75.9%) and emigrants (62.2%) of working age (15-64 years old) The total population of Georgia as of January 1, 2024, was estimated at 3,69 million people.

CivilGe

Georgian National Tourism Administration retrains about 250 representatives of private sector

Georgian National Tourism Administration retrained about 250 representatives of private sector. Trainings continue throughout Georgia. The training covered the following topics: basic principles of first aid and personal safety.

GeorgiaToday

Date: 04/25/2024

Reading time: 4 minutes, 862 words

🏛️ Politics & Government

CPAC: PM Kobakhidze Defends Christianity, Identity from “So-Called Liberals”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest on April 25. The speech comes amid an increasingly right-wing turn by the ruling Georgian Dream party, its growing isolation from the Western democratic political circles.

CivilGe, Hungarian PM: Kobakhidze is considered a great chess player in Georgian politics

Sovereignty & Independence

Sakartvelo is a sovereign country with a certain amount of independence in expectation of fulltime independence, if this is possible at all in today’s world of unknown-before interdependence between the nations. No nation is absolutely independent from others, but some countries, being members of some of those clubs, try and. often succeed in maintaining both their state sovereignty and national independence.

GeorgiaToday

MEP accuses lobbyists of using EP to change government in Georgia, bring country into political conflict with Russia

Clare Daly, a Member of the European Parliament, accused lobbyists in the EP of using the body to change the government in Georgia and bring the country into political conflict with Russia, “as they did in Ukraine” She alleged these MEPs “have had deep relations” with Saakashvili and the former leaders of the United National Movement government.

AgendaGe, EP Resolution: Accession Negotiation Shouldn’t Open Until Foreign Agents Bill is Dropped, Protests against Foreign Agent Law Continue, Now Spearheaded by Georgia’s Europe-Focused Youth, Rally against draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” underway near Parliament, European Parliament adopts a resolution that provides for a possible review of visa-free travel, European Parliament to vote on a resolution on Georgia’s law on “foreign influence”

Prisons should ensure that transgender persons are treated with respect and prevent ill-treatment risks: Anti-torture Committee report

Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) has issued a set of standards and recommendations to European prisons aimed at ensuring that transgender prisoners are treated with respect and protected from the risks of ill-treatment. Few states have specific policies and legislation to guide prison authorities on placement of transgender persons.

GeorgiaToday

Ombudsman Report 2023: Violent Attack on Pride “Could Not Be Prevented”

The Public Defender’s 2023 Equality Report exonerates the police from the failure to defend the Tbilisi Pride Festival from the violent mob on July 8, 2023. The report reads that since the number of far-right supporters on the spot grew quickly and the festival site was large, “it was not possible to stop them” The Human Rights Center also noted in its report that the police presence during the festival was inadequate.

CivilGe

Over 100 CSOs, Media Suspend Cooperation with Government

Civil society organizations and media outlets say they are suspending cooperation with the government until it drops the controversial foreign agents bill. They vow to never register in any ‘defamatory” registry. The statement stresses that the government has betrayed the will of the Georgian people. The signatory CSOs say they won’t participate in meetings alongside the political leadership.

CivilGe, Protests against Foreign Agent Law Continue, Now Spearheaded by Georgia’s Europe-Focused Youth

Disability Community Urges International Response to Georgia’s “shady” UNCRPD Nomination

Persons with disabilities and CSOs issued a joint statement condemning the Georgian Government’s non-inclusive and “shady” nomination of a candidate for the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The signatories accuse the country of violating the relevant Convention by excluding the procedures for due participation. The undersigned urge an international response.

CivilGe

Date: 04/24/2024

Reading time: 3 minutes, 702 words

🪖 Military

Ukraine is waiting for new weapons

US Congress has already approved a new aid package for Ukraine, which, according to President Biden, will be signed in the near future. The Ukrainian president's party says that ammunition will be sent to the Ukrainian front soon. Fighters on the front line need shells of various calibers, as well as aviation bombs, guided bombs and similar means.

EuroNewsGeorgia

Washington's military resources and spending

In the First World War, Washington spent 334 billion dollars, in the Second World War - 4 trillion. In the years 2001-2014 in the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan - 1.5- up to 1.7 trillion dollars. 9 billion dollars is intended as a loan, which can be written off by the president with the consent of the Congress.

EuroNewsGeorgia

Europe is transitioning to a war economy – what does this mean?

After the end of the Cold War, European countries have significantly reduced defense spending in favor of social, infrastructural or technological investments. After the war in Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz publicly stated that this was a turning point. Increased defense spending can be an important driver of economic growth.

EuroNewsGeorgia

🏛️ Politics & Government

Archbishop Zenon Iarajuli: Foreign Agents Bill Creates Threats of Stigmatization

Archbishop Zenon Iarajuli of Dmanisi and Agarak-Tashiri issued a statement on the reintroduced Foreign Agents Bill on April 24. He said that if the bill is passed, non-commercial organizations of the Georgian Church will also be considered foreign agents. The Archbishop stresses that a Georgian Church cannot be called an “organization that carries out the interests of a foreign power”, because it is recognized by the state as the creator of the national world view and values.

CivilGe, Protest against the "transparency of foreign influence" bill

Lazare Grigoriadis Released From Prison

President Zviad Sharvili pardoned the 22-year-old on April 24. He was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of harming the health of a police officer under Article 353 of the Criminal Code. The judge nearly ran out the clock on the 14-day limit on the court’s.

CivilGe, Lazare Grigoriadis released from prison

Law on Securitization Comes into Effect in Georgia

Parliament of Georgia passed the new Law on Securitization (the Law) The Law officially came into effect on April 1, 2024. It provides a legal framework for transforming future receivables from third parties into liquid assets through the issuance of securities.

GeorgiaToday

EU High Representative urges Georgian political leaders to withdraw transparency bill

Josep Borrell urges Georgia to withdraw the draft law on transparency of foreign influence. He said it was “clear” that this bill was ‘incompatible’ with the EU norms and values. Borrell said the bill would “jeopardise Georgia’s progress on the EU path”

AgendaGe, Ruling Party Defiant as European Parliament Debate Fuels Controversy in Georgia, Protest against the "transparency of foreign influence" bill

Georgia Extends Visa-Free Stay for Ukrainians to 3 Years

Government of Georgia has issued a decree extending the visa-free stay for Ukrainian citizens from two to three years. The extension is intended to enable Ukrainian citizens who have fled the war and are nearing the end of their two-year residency in Georgia.

CivilGe

The European Economic and Social Committee publishes a statement on the "Foreign Influence Bill".

The European Economic and Social Committee releases a statement on the "foreign influence bill. The law is in clear contradiction with the values and principles of the European Union. If approved, the proposed legislation will prevent independent media organizations that work to provide reliable and quality information.

EuroNewsGeorgia

Georgian PM to participate in Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze will attend Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary. Georgian delegation includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilia Darchiashvili and Levan Zhorzholiani.

GeorgiaToday

💵 Economy

LB Investment, with $1.2 Trillion worth of AUM, to Showcase Diverse Portfolio at 2024 AIM Congress in Abu Dhabi

LB Investment announces its participation in the prestigious 2024 AIM Congress, scheduled to be held from May 7th to May 9th in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. LB Investment will showcase a diverse portfolio of startups and companies representing cutting-edge innovation and disruptive solutions across various industries.

GeorgiaToday

Date: 04/23/2024

Reading time: 0 minutes, 0 words

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I've been slammed with the bills for my endoscopy. I found an article where a guy says that if I get an itemized bill and run each 5 digit cpt code (treatment code) through the Medicare fee schedule site (https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicare-fee-for-service-payment/physicianfeesched), then I can negotiate with the provider lowering the cost.
I went on that website and downloaded the price list and the average prices were much lower that what the doctor charged, and the insurance already paid. So, my 2 questions:

1. Does this price list only apply to Medicare or to any insurance as well?
2. Is there a website where I can look up average for my state (NJ)?

Any other ways to lower the bill cost? Thank you everyone for the tips.

I reneged on an offer with Capital One and got notified by the career center. I wasn't expecting this since I didn't get the offer through Georgia Tech's career services ( just applied online). It says I have to complete the resolution below:
**Resolution: (**Please complete the following within the next month)

1. A mandatory meeting with a Career Development Advisor explaining the reasons for your actions and steps you have taken to manage the situation.
2. Formal letter(s) (Email) of apology to the employers impacted by the renege to explain the reasons for your actions.

Potential consequences of future violations and/or failure to complete the above resolution may include the following:

1. Removal of your resume from all Career Center Resume Books.
2. Loss of access to all recruiting services for a specified period.
3. Registration for future co-op positions or internship positions (e.g., recommendation for CPT and Audit Course Permits) will not be approved until you have resolved any sanctions related to this process.
4. If dishonesty is involved, the behavior may be a violation of the Georgia Tech Honor Code and could be subject to additional penalties.

Has anyone ever been in this situation before? Will they be okay if I just explain that I got a better offer or do I need to give a different reason? I don't know what to do right now because I'm unsure of the gravity of the consequences.

Not sure how to ask this right and hence can't seem to find anything by searching, hoping someone can help me with the rights words to use.
I have a bill with 3 itemized procedures and their CPT codes that total $300. The out of network provider charged me $250 which is the price the told me it would cost. On the bill it shows up as $100+$100+$100 = $300 total charges minus $50 adjustment for a Total of $250.
When submitting the bill to my insurance provider, are they supposed to use $300 or $250 as "Billed by provider"? I submitted a few claims and about half say $300 and the other half say $250 in "Billed by provider". Seems they don't know what they are doing over there and depending on who processed my claim I get different results.
Should I reach out to them and ask them to use $300? I am trying to confirm if that is the right amount or not.
Could this depend on whether I reached my deductible or out of pocket max? i.e. on whether they are just counting towards the deductible or actually sending me money back.
P.S. Can they decide that the $300 was a mistake and fix that to be $250? I am worried that might happen if I call them so came here first.

I have a United Healthcare Choice Plus plan with a deductible for $3,200 and out of pocket limit of $5,200. Earlier in March, I did my due diligence and researched podiatrists in the area for a fracture ankle. I went to Find Care & Costs > Estimate Cost > View all estimates > typed in Podiatrist. I made an appointment for my current podiatrist because her estimated what I would owe would be $40 vs a orthopedic doctor which would be around $75.
At the appointment, I asked to pay and the receptionist advised she would send me the bill. I go home and I research additional podiatrists again (I wasn't satisfied with the service) and noticed the out of pocket cost has gone up to $233. I thought this was strange and thought nothing of it.
Come this week, I received the bill of $249, plan discount of $124.21 and I owe $124.79 and it was coded as New doctor visit, 45+ minutes. My appointment was 15 minutes.
I didn't think to take screenshots when I was researching. Was this overnight increase due to the security hack? I understand I am at fault because I didn't get the cost in writing prior to the appointment but the estimated cost tool has always been accurate for me before. It accurately told me the cost of my MRIs and XRays depending on the facility I selected that month so I didn't think the estimated cost tool would fail me.
Is there action I can take? I'll take this as a learning opportunity for the future to confirm the cost.
Sidenote: Injuries are expensive. Primary care doctor, X-Rays, MRIs, CAM boot, crutches, knee scooters, shower chairs, Podiatrist, second X-RAY to ensure bone has healed, physical therapy
I know there was new legislation passed in my state.
2023 Florida Statutes Title XXIX - Public Health Chapter 395 - Hospital Licensing and Regulation Part I - Hospitals and Other Licensed Facilities (Ss. 395.001-395.3041) 395.301 - Price transparency; itemized patient statement or bill; patient admission status notification.
(b)1. Upon request, and before providing any nonemergency medical services, each licensed facility shall provide in writing or by electronic means a good faith estimate of reasonably anticipated charges by the facility for the treatment of the patient’s or prospective patient’s specific condition. The facility must provide the estimate to the patient or prospective patient within 7 business days after the receipt of the request and is not required to adjust the estimate for any potential insurance coverage. The estimate may be based on the descriptive service bundles developed by the agency under s. 408.05(3)(c) unless the patient or prospective patient requests a more personalized and specific estimate that accounts for the specific condition and characteristics of the patient or prospective patient. The facility shall inform the patient or prospective patient that he or she may contact his or her health insurer or health maintenance organization for additional information concerning cost-sharing responsibilities.

Premera Blue Cross has a policy search engine, where you can search for your policy, and check what CPT codes are covered, before getting tests done.
It is here: https://www.premera.com/wa/providereference/medical-policies-search/?p=PBC-MedicalPolicy
The specific policy for preventive care (annual physical) is here: https://www.premera.com/medicalpolicies/10.01.523.pdf

Good news if you have UHC: as of February 2024, diagnosis code Z30.2 and CPT code 58661 are covered at 100% for a bilateral salpingectomy. If you're a UHC customer and being told that you have to pay out of pocket for a bisalp, please weigh in below; hopefully nobody will. That being said, if you have anything else removed in the surgery (such as cysts or polyps), be prepared to pay. I've provided a summary and cost breakdown, as well as the first Fake Numbers Awards for Creativity in Medical Estimates.
TL;DR: I owe $0 for my bisalp, but I owe the cost of my deductible + coinsurance ($1667) for the cost of several cysts and polyps that were also removed during surgery. In my post-op appointment the surgeon brightly told me I had "the largest cyst on the uterus she'd ever seen", which seems like something that should have made me eligible for a discount or at least a free T-shirt.
INSURANCE: United Healthcare Shared Services (UHSS), which is UHC coverage through a third party.
MY POLICY: I have a $1600 deductible but am reimbursed $1000 by my employer, so I only pay $600. After hitting the deductible, my copay/co-insurance is 5% of all allowed charges.
FUN FACT: I had to register for surgery twice because my first date was rescheduled when I got COVID. The first time happened over the phone; the second time I read the scheduler's instructions and realized I could just register online. The online registration form included a box to enter the diagnosis code, which I was NOT asked at any point during the phone registration. So I put in Z30.2. Did this affect my initial cost estimate, below? Who knows?
Now, here's the...
COST BREAKDOWN:
Initial consult EOB: $350, insurance allowed $333, I owe $0
Hospital EOB: $48407, insurance allowed $10207, I owe $1638
Anesthesiologist EOB: $2257, insurance allowed $524, I owe $26 (5% of the allowed cost)
Pathology, Level II EOB: $120, insurance allowed $29, I owe $2 (5% of the allowed cost)
Pathology, Level III EOB: $75, insurance allowed $23, I owe $1 (5% of the allowed cost)
Surgeon's Fees EOB: $3930, insurance allowed $2213, I owe $0
IUD Removal EOB: $252, insurance allowed $75, I owe $0
Throughout this process I was quoted a diverse variety of numbers, absolutely none of which were accurate. I don't blame any of the people involved: this is the reality of health care in America, full stop. I've chosen to commemorate them here to give hope and comfort to everyone on their journey of figuring out what the fuck they actually owe. Without further ado, here are...
THE FAKE NUMBERS AWARDS, presented in order of appearance
The YEAH I GUESS THAT'S A NUMBER award: The quote provided to me by the hospital when I first registered. The hospital ran my insurance, no-preauthorization required, and came back with an estimate of $4800. "That seems high," I said, but told them to go ahead with it anyway because I wanted the surgery so badly.
The YOU'RE NOT PAID ENOUGH TO KNOW THIS award: I called my third-party insurance to verify or get more information about the $4800 number. Specifically, I asked if that was really an accurate estimate, since the procedure is covered by the ACA. After a short hold the friendly insurance representative "ran the numbers" (read: asked a six-year-old to imagine the highest number they could think of) and came up with $3300.
The SOMEONE MADE AN ATTEMPT award: Fairhealthconsumer.org, which actually appears to be a helpful website for estimating costs of healthcare in your area. That said, the accuracy here is debatable. I was given an in-network cost of $1628, with the option to add on a number of other costs (such as the hospital facility fee, estimated at $10000 even in-network). If you added up most of these costs you got something around $15000.
The I WISH I COULD MAKE UP NUMBERS AND KEEP MY JOB, BUT I'M NOT IN SALES award: Healthcare Bluebook, provided by my insurer, is allegedly supposed to help customers estimate costs. I accessed it through my insurer's website and found the "fair price" of this procedure in my area, in-network, is $9873. (Compare to Fair Health Consumer, above, for a difference of approximately $5000.)
And lastly, the coveted lifetime achievement HOLY SHIT ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME AWARD: also for Healthcare Bluebook. Unlike Fair Health Consumer, the Healthcare Bluebook actually allows you to look up individual hospitals and providers and estimates the costs accordingly. That would be incredibly useful---if the information it provided was within spitting distance of accurate. Readers, it is not. This is as far from accurate as it could possibly be. This is as far from accurate as I am from being Salma Hayek. According to Healthcare Bluebook, the specific price of my procedure at the hospital where I went on to have it is $121996. That is not a typo. $121996. The hospital is also erroneously listed as out-of-network, which resulted in multiple calls to my insurance to confirm the hospital was indeed in-network, and also not about one-third of my remaining mortgage.*
To sum up, none of these numbers meant anything, the underlying data may be extremely wrong, and looking it up ultimately served no purpose except to stress me out even more before the procedure. My in-network hospital charged nearly $50k, my insurance allowed about $10k, and I only paid for my deductible and the coinsurance. I'm lucky to have this money set aside in my HSA to cover it, and also lucky that after reimbursement it'll come out to $667 out of pocket. I feel tremendously fortunate that it was just one month from my first consult to the planned surgery date, and the reschedule was just a month later.
Thank you to everyone sharing their wisdom here, especially those who've provided advice and details for fighting the bill. I had a group of, like, ten tabs about how to file appeals and all that jazz, and it turned out I didn't even need it.This is a great community and a fantastic resource.
* - I've spent a while trying to figure out how in the world they got an estimate of $121996 for this code. While "the system is dumb and fake" is obviously true, I wonder if the estimate accidentally includes other procedures that may be performed at the same time, such as C-sections or gender-affirming surgeries (for which bisalps are listed as standard). Or maybe the average person who has a bisalp at this hospital has it at the Logan Roy Suite for the Hideously Wealthy.

I've been doing restaurant work as a busser then bartender for 7 years, is there any chance I'd be able to get in as a billing specialist remote role? Totally willing to learn anything i need to, 30/hr and what looks like great benefits. Going to try to make a different version of my resume to try to appeal to the position.
Bachelors or 4-6 years experience in medical billing PREFERRED not required.
Required skills/abilities are
Knowledge of Medical billing processes Familiarity with TARS and HCPCS, CPT, ICD codes Familiarity with Healthcare common procedure coding system reporting.
If I researched these skills could I learn enough to be competent without related previous OTJ experience?

Hello- I went through one egg freezing cycle in February, hit my deductible, and would like to do another in May. However, I keep receiving contradicting info from my clinic vs Cigna:
Clinic states I do not have insurance coverage for a second cycle, and it would be self pay, due to a Cigna “no banking clause.”
I have called Cigna twice and spoken to two different reps at various times and they state they cannot find anything on this clause, and only show I have a lifetime max of $25k, with no cycle limit.
Clinic states they checked with their benefits specialist again, and reiterate the clause. However, they are “trying to speak with someone higher up at Cigna.” I have not seen any documentation…
Anybody aware of such clause or have encountered any similar contradictions? I’m unsure what to do to get this resolved.
The Cigna reps even checked all the CPT codes from my first retrieval, and said I have coverage.
Not sure which side to believe or who is wrong..
Any insight or shared experience is welcome, thanks!!

Hello- I went through one egg freezing cycle in February, hit my deductible, and would like to do another in May. However, I keep receiving contradicting info from my clinic vs Cigna:
Clinic states I do not have insurance coverage for a second cycle, and it would be self pay, due to a Cigna “no banking clause.”
I have called Cigna twice and spoken to two different reps at various times and they state they cannot find anything on this clause, and only show I have a lifetime max of $25k, with no cycle limit.
Clinic states they checked with their benefits specialist again, and reiterate the clause. However, they are “trying to speak with someone higher up at Cigna.” I have not seen any documentation…
Anybody aware of such clause or have encountered any similar contradictions? I’m unsure what to do to get this resolved.
The Cigna reps even checked all the CPT codes from my first retrieval, and said I have coverage.
Not sure which side to believe or who is wrong..
Any insight or shared experience is welcome, thanks!!

(SLP-A posting here to get more eyes on the issue! I've flagged this for my supervisor as well but wanted to get some more perspectives and guidance)
The clinic where I work can be a bit "therapy mill"-y as well as less-informed about the speech side of things specifically.
They recently started directing us to use the new CPT code 97550 to send an email to a parent with resources when there is a cancellation. I noticed ASHA states "face to face" - so, even though the *patient* does not have to be present, the caregiver does, right? I love the idea of having time to send parents more useful information, but I'm thinking my gut instinct of "an email isn't a training session" is correct here, yes?
Hopefully my supervisor and I will be on the same page on pushing back (and maybe we can even get the other therapists in the practice who work in different disciplines like OT and PT to join us in pushing back), but if we're not, I was wondering how to navigate the reporting process and compliance with the employer. If the practice is asking us to go ahead and write these emails and bill, I definitely would put in a complaint but I'm confused about what to do in the meantime e.g. hold my ground or follow the policy while the complaint is being processed. I'd prefer not to lose my job but I'm also assuming that even if I have a complaint on file, I'd still be responsible for what I do in the interim period in terms of it being a risk to my license?

https://preview.redd.it/gasfkwowtouc1.png?width=735&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae083dc38a059b31919e8baa655b29c80103a664
I just got a bill for my MRI prior to surgery - $4,272. I am in California, and I had this done at a rural hospital after I paid the entirety of my deductible ($1,450) because I could do it quickly, but this sure seems like price gouging to me.
The hospital in Reno I called gave me an estimate and it was $1,152, and the MRI center in Reno was $720. The horse is of course out of the barn, but I am astounded at this bill!
https://preview.redd.it/e2p5wivauouc1.png?width=1499&format=png&auto=webp&s=76804dae4570a7489655691e59b47b6ef8ff6ad2
Curious what others costs were for this service. The CPT code is #73721.

I have BCBS bronze epo basic and am looking for a bisalp.
When I called the insurance (twice) with an assortment of CPT codes for both bisalp and tubals, they said they were all covered AFTER I met the deductible. And half the time they said the codes didn’t exist (z30.2 specifically both times)
According to this blurb on my marketplace FAQ (I get my insurance through Pennie which is pennsylvanias health marketplace), it sounds like one of those SHOULD be covered : “All plans on Pennie cover women’s preventive services as required by the Affordable Care Act, which includes FDA-approved contraceptive methods and counseling. Preventive services are available without any out-of-pocket costs, even if you have not met your deductible, if the service meets the terms of your policy, such as when provided by an in-network provider. Also, not all drugs are covered, or covered with no out-of-pocket costs. Be sure to review your plan’s prescription drug formulary.”
And in my reading it sounds like at least 1 sterilization must be covered on ACA compliant plans (which I think mine is but I might try another call to verify).
I’ve been calling insurance with their line for existing members, but I was thinking about trying the sales line for perspective clients since the folks I usually talk with can never seem to offer any info beyond the CPT checks. I’ve tried asking if the plan is ACA compliant or about what specific sterilization is covered, but can never get a straight answer.
Does anyone else have ideas about how I might get a definitive answer before just randomly going to a doctor and just eating up one of my little doctor copay visits in the hopes they’ll send a test bill to insurance to see if they’ll cover it fully?
Thanks again! I’m lost in the more of insurance jargon lol.

18-minute read.

Nikolopolis (coming NOT soon)

Armenian officials and the German architect hired to design the Academic City gave a presentation in Matenadaran on Friday.
OFFICIAL: The AC is going to have a 24/7 life with various facilities for leisure and daily activities. It's going to have universities, science centers, and facilities that "turn ideas into products". Clusters: Classical, medical & life research, tech, pedagogy, arts, military.
The merger of universities and science centers into clusters is a global trend. It enables better use of the human mind, cooperation, and optimal use of resources. One example is the Munich Tech University. They moved all of their infrastructure out of the city.

The Campus Garching is a campus of the Technical University of Munich and a number of other research institutes, located around 10 km north of Munich in Garching. At the same time, it constitutes a district of the city. With more than 7,500 employees and around 17,000 students, it is one of the largest centers for science, research and teaching in Germany

Another example is the London Art University, which is a merger of about 6 universities. They moved it to a suburb and turned it into a modern and inclusive environment.
The Munich Tech University has 50,000 people. Armenia has a 75,000-strong university community, so these are comparable projects in terms of proportions.
The preliminary cost of building AC is ֏1.2T ($3B). It will be financed by the state budget; foreign organizations, we are already negotiating with some; foreign investors and loans; and private capital, many services can be operated by them.
The state's investments in existing science programs have grown 2.5x since 2018. So why is science infrastructure excluded from these investments? Because our facilities have physical limitations and cannot develop beyond a certain point. They are geographically limited. We need a new and modern space that brings everyone together. It will boost inter-personal and inter-departmental ties. This will help us address the issue of the aging science field; we need to prepare young scientists and involve students in science.
By the time we build the AC, the existing university and science facilities will be even more outdated and limiting. The existing facilities will be managed by an international partner; their use will generate revenue for AC. The transition to AC will begin when every infrastructure necessary for a cluster is ready.
Will there be universities outside AC, and will there be private or foreign universities? Parallel to AC we are developing a law on higher education that will require higher standards for universities. The state universities that move, and the private/foreign universities that decide to stay, will all have to abide by the new standards.
We will no longer authorize the construction of a new university building inside Yerevan. Private/foreign universities can keep what they have but can't expand within Yerevan. The AC will have enough space for private/foreign universities. We will encourage them to move by making the AC attractive.
What about provincial unis? We are still discussing this but their quality must meet the standards either way. We will monitor the compliance with standards. Today the provincial universities are more like college-level institutions. We will assess the professions needed in each province and decide what type of institution and programs they need.
Parallel to construction we are reforming the content of uni education. We are involving leading intentional unis to develop new clusters and educational programs.
The education reforms will expand the clusters "horizontally" and give more autonomy, including in financial policy decisions, to various divisions in the larger institution. They can apply for grants and decide how to manage them, etc.
Will we reduce the number of administrative or scientific staff during the mergers of universities with science centers? First, independent from AC, beginning in 2026 we will mandate the science field to undergo attestation. The standards were approved last year. The state policy is for every science field employee to work in their field and conduct research, and this research will have new minimum standards. Those who undergo attestation will be welcomed to AC.
We will launch a multi-year retraining process for professors as well.
As for the administrative staff of existing unis and science centers, the AC is going to be an entirely new model with new approaches and skills, so it'll depend on whether the administrator is qualified. Nothing prevents you from continuing your work in AC if you're qualified.
Last but not least, I don't know where this came from, but I assure you that we don't plan to sell the Matenadarn building. As soon as we announced that we'd hold this meeting at Matenadarn, someone claimed we planned to sell it. [to Grzo, plz sell it to Grzo I want to buy his cheburek from Matenadaran Inc.]
GERMAN ARCHITECT (the cameraman is struggling to fit his height into the viewfinder): We have completed stage 1, which began in November. It was about finding the vision for AC and understanding the AC. We had to learn about Yerevan, about Armenia, and where to start. We spent time at workshops in Armenia. Now we believe we have a very good vision for what AC should be and can be.
The task is to gather 26-28 universities into this new place. We need roads, a system for how to get there, and how to make it accessible based on each cluster's demand. We had to consider AC's social and economic impact on the region. It's a step towards a new economy and new education.
Armenia is a small country so most of the things within the region can be reached within 2-3 hours. The AC will be within 2-3 hours of reach of the main populated areas of Armenia. You have beautiful natural resources here, an airport within reach, you can bring international experts quickly, and it's an attractive location for foreign students and foreign researchers.
The density we see around Yerevan, we don't have that at the AC as of now, but we can see that AC is sitting in the triangle of Yerevan, Ashtarak and [can't pronounce the name]. It can be activated from all of these areas alike.
We nicknamed the site "The Moon" during our first trip. It seemed a bit like we were on a mission to land someone on the Moon and it didn't look very inviting [son of a bitch y u hurt our feel?]. But today, as the greening has started, it looks more lively area [you will be spared this time]. There are still a bunch of challenges. There is mining going on right now and we need to re-route power lines, but we have a railway and some roads and other positive things.
The railroad will connect to Yerevan and other regions. It will be quite convenient for travel. This will be one of the starting points for AC. We will introduce sub-centers so AC won't have a single downtown. They will be connected by a landscape on the side. You have a great view of mountains on the sides [Aragats or Ararat? Choose wisely or get deported].
We have spoken with others who have created a similar project. We've learned from them and modified the AC plan to ensure it is alive and attractive. You should be able to sit at a restaurant, hold informal exchanges, and enjoy the outdoors.
We have spoken with your students and professors. In your current universities, they have a feeling of disconnection. This might be due to location and different spaces but also there is no occasion option to meet in big auditoriums. The AC will be a city for all, not just an academic campus. It should be alive 24/7 and we must get there easily.
It cannot be an investment project where only the rich can live; we need student housing. It should offer employment opportunities and be an environmentally green city. Highly skilled academics could make this internationally known. We need an inter-disciplinary exchange by having these clusters together and having different clusters talk to each other. Someone from the Arts should talk to Physics and come up with new ideas.
The challenge is that the railway will divide the plot into two parts and you can't really walk across easily so it should be addressed. There is a steep topography with one side being a few hundred meters high. There is currently a mining on the site with a 20-meter pit which we think we can turn into something positive.
There are big opportunities. Yerevan is approaching this location fast so there is already a slight infrastructure of the city we can use. On one side we have a vast open area, landscapes, green, and area for future development nearby. We have this topography and a beautiful view of these beautiful mountains that you have, to Aragats [God bless this guy, you are officially an Armenian now].
We have not finished the plan. We still have more than a mile to go before we can call this a finished concept. We have integrated the HayFilm area as a potential hub of exchange.
See the bird-eye view of the Academic City here.
We took the train today. We estimate that from Yerevan's main station to AC, when the railway is improved, it'll take under 20 minutes.
We have these different points of attraction within the city. One is the big stadium with a sports park around it, and the other one is the culture quarter. Further down we have the living areas, there is a hotel, we have dormitories, and areas that would be dedicated to staff and teachers.
Then we have the HayFilm area that will be used for cinema and movie production with all the auxiliary production you need which then links to the universities again. There will be movie attractions, little stunt shows, and everything you'd expect in a movie park. You'll have the Armenian Film Museum, cinemas for premiers, and film festivals. On the back, you have the heavy-duty film production, away from the public areas. It's comparable to international movie production spaces, starting from Berlin to Bupadest to Rome. You'd be surprised that even Hollywood is now producing mainly in parks in Budapest because it's cheaper there; you don't have to rent in Hollywood. You can revive HayFilm and link it to the tech cluster's programming and art cluster's design students so they can work on movies' special effects.
The AC will be an attractive place for residents of Yerevan and Armenia to come and visit.
It needs vehicle access. The vision is a ring road with parking areas. The core itself is for slow mobilities like bikes, scooters, and lots of walking. It's not that big. Walking is already common in Yerevan because of problematic traffic. Inside you have a grid that can be used for vehicles in terms of delivery or emergency, but the very core area is limited to pedestrians.
We have landscape zones, water areas, pathways through landscapes, and very dense greening space to create a buffer, to create a good microclimate within AC, and to overall help the impression.
To look at functions itself, different clusters are allocated around the campus heart. They all link into a bigger system. This heart and center is the most important spine that connects to the railway and stadium. People will arrive at AC to watch a soccer game on the train and walk only a few meters. The same for symphony halls, libraries, etc.
Approximate order of construction: Transportation system and train, culture areas, residential areas for students, academic spaces, stadium. It will grow from the core to outward. It will be flexible to grow outside of the space.
Later we will build a tramway parallel to trains and/or extend the Yerevan metro line. We also propose a ring bus that circulates around and links to various stations.
Inside: pedestrians, bikes, small electric personal vehicles. It should be a walkable city. Walking a kilometer is nothing so from a train to a theater is under 1 km, the same for the stadium, and from the train to the very end it's under 2 km.
In between the clusters you always have landscape corridors for microclimate, retreat, and leisure. We have little green subcenters within clusters.
There is water management and how to collect it and make it flow into the central water reservoir, the big lake, and for using it for irrigation and nurturing.
continue,
The tech cluster will have a high school and different institutes including startup incubators where the ideas can be transferred to real economy.
The medical cluster is located further to the east, closer to residential areas, so it can more easily serve the people. There will be a little hospital.
The arts cluster will have a cultural heritage center and a little opera building that will be included in the conservatory. As they do today, they don't need to transport instruments very far because all the facilities are close.
International universities will be scattered in different areas, depending on their focus and demands. There is always a space for expansion for any of these universities in this modular system so it's highly attractive for foreign investors and universities to come.
Student and staff housing. We started a puzzle game to make them attractive. There is some reference to Yerevan's traditional systems and backyards. They climb up the hill. The student village will have shops, restaurants, and entertainment spaces scattered around.
Yerevan radiates too much heat from all the stone buildings during summer so we need a lot of green in AC. Landscape will integrate solar energy generation clusters, including on roofs.
REPORTER: When can we expect to move the first cluster and the last one?
ARCHITECT: We need 30-50 years to finish everything but the first universities will move within the next decade. The first steps will come quite soon but it'll take 5-7 years for the first universities to move. It will grow slowly and get denser. [WILL GRZO BE ALIVE IN 50 YEARS?]
QUESTION: Have you taken into consideration the fact that the occupants of the first clusters will have to endure the construction noise and dust from the expansion process? Can students and staff live there?
ARCHITECT: True. There will be dust and noise. The best way to approach this is to create this core and then grow outwards slowly. Once you reach the 2nd and 3rd bloc, the inside is going to be clean and quiet. It's like the rings of a tree where you keep adding outside.
QUESTION: Soccer stadium but no athletics center? We need a healthy generation.
ARCHITECT: Around the stadium there is a sports park open to the public. There are a number of fields and trails where you can jog. Within clusters, there are sports centers all over the place for activities.
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Pashinyan took a train to the future site of Academic City

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Council of Europe gave Armenia a generally favorable assessment after sending a team of export to investigate police brutality and treatment of inmates

The CPT report includes findings in several prisons and police stations. Most of the interviewed people said the police treated them correctly. There were some allegations of excessive use of force during arrest and during detention.

The delegation is pleased to report that it did not receive any allegations of physical ill-treatment by staff in the penitentiary establishments visited

They urge Armenia to close the Prison Hospital ASAP due to its poor conditions.
Concerning: One transgender inmate from South or Central America, who only spoke Spanish, has been held in solitary confinement in Armenia for 2.5 years.

the CPT delegation found no credible proof of allegations that staffers were mistreating residents of the Nork Residential Care Home for the elderly and/or persons with disabilities in Yerevan, and the Vardenis Neuropsychiatric Residential Care Home

A CoE delegation visited Armenia on Friday to discuss the CPT findings and other topics, and greater compliance with the Istanbul Convention.
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Freedom House report for 2023

The Democracy Score dropped down to 2021 levels, going from 3.11 to 3.07 out of 7. Armenia remains a "hybrid" state, ahead of Georgia.
Main negatives: The ruling party used municipal-level procedures to replace opposition mayors and there were accusations of straw donor funds being used during municipal elections.
Main positives: Major reforms in the judiciary, police, anti-corruption, fiscal policy, electoral code, education, and territorial administration.

... neighbors

Moldova 3.14
Armenia 3.07
Georgia 3.04
Azerbaijan 1.07

... Armenia

2023: 3.07
2022: 3.11
2021: 3.04
2020: 2.96
2019: 3.00
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Azerbaijan attempted to bribe an Italian wrestler to hand over the victory to the Azeri athlete

Franky, a two-time world champion, didn't accept the $300,000 offer. The match for the olympics qualification was held in Azerbaijan. The victory was eventually given to the Azeri athlete after what many describe as an unfair decision by referees; the Italian athlete scored two additional points but Azeris successfully appealed it and he lost. During an interview with La Repubblica, he said Azerbaijan has "bought everyone".
Italy's wrestling federation has filed a complaint with United World Wrestling. The latter has close ties with the Aliyev regime, with Aliyev family-owned Ata Holding being one of the biggest financial sponsors.
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collection of news-shmews

🗞️ On Friday the government discussed the agricultural insurance program. They will pay more attention to fraud because insurance claim statistics are "suspiciously high" and this has placed a strain on the system. Last year farmers paid ֏1.8B and filed ֏2.7B in claims. Armenian insurance firms were, in turn, insured by a (presumably) foreign insurance firm; this firm has left the system. The state will provide additional aid to farmers and Armenian insurance firms if necessary to maintain the continuity of the program; it was launched a few years ago as an experiment and has since expanded to include new areas.
🗞️ Last year's 90% spike in heavy and very heavy crime cases was a result of the implementation of a new counting methodology that automatically treats all "sudden deaths" as potential murder until the evidence shows it was an accident or natural. "The international practice shows this is the right approach," said Pashinyan.
🗞️ To address the issue of some reservists not showing up for 25-day retraining, the defense ministry is changing how reservists receive their summons and the evidence showing they were given the summons. Summons can be considered served if they are handed in person with a signature, HayPost with a delivery confirmation, official electronic post with confirmation that the letter was opened, and public announcement. More than one method of notification will be attempted if necessary. Pashinyan says this change is necessary because often only half of the summoned reservists show up, and with this change, it will be more difficult for reservists to claim the notice wasn't delivered.
🗞️ Pashinyan said the number of new conscripts being excluded from service for "medical reasons" is suspiciously and "illogically" high and did not rule out corruption, pointing to several criminal cases in recent times. He also believes certain types of conditions, like small "kista", that do not directly affect everyday life, should not exempt the draftee from service. He believes the rules are "too relaxed" and with modern technologies, certain conditions can be compatible with service.
🗞️ Pashinyan is a fan of Elon Musk's Starship and hopes the Armenian army will "take off" just as Starship will eventually fly despite the trial and error of recent years.
🗞️ Health ministry will create a ֏550 million medical education center with simulation rooms. (1) It will be the first project of this scale in Armenia with modern conditions for doctors to try real-life scenarios in practice, said the Minister. (2) Since the doctors will have to be licensed, this center will allow them to more accurately assess a doctor's skills. (3) Doctors or students can try the same surgery several times with different methods to see which one works best without endangering a human patient. Coming 2025, will be open for ordinators and residents, doctors and medical students in Armenia. source, source, source,
🗞️ New sports center is being built by the municipality in Yerevan's Erebuni district. video source,
🗞️ Fake news was circulated through a Russian-language Telegram channel, which was opened and closed the same day, about a planned terrorist attack at several schools in Yerevan. The account used photos taken from incidents in other countries to promote the fake. Families of many students went to pick up their kids as a precautionary measure before it was confirmed as a fake.
EDUCATION MINISTER: There is no credible information to warrant evacuation from schools. It's part of a hybrid war against Armenia. This is why today we are teaching media literacy to children. The law enforcement is investigating the Telegram post. Schools in other countries were recently targeted by a similar campaign.
REPORTER: Are the schools safe?
EDUCATION MINISTER: Armenian schools are considered quite safe by international observers. They have guards and some of them have already installed security cameras; we are equipping newly built schools with cameras. The recent reforms in the school administration structure have detached the education-related duties from other procedures (e.g. repairs) so we're looking for ways to use that to improve security. source, source,source, source,
🗞️ The EDB bank says Armenia's foreign trade deficit in January-February was $197M, down from $590M YoY. The reduction was thanks to the exports jumping 2.6x this February. That, in turn, was thanks to the export of precious stones and metals, "which together with supplies of machinery and equipment provided almost all the positive dynamics of exports." The foreign trade turnover in Jan-Feb was $5.3B; it doubled YoY. source,
🗞️ World Bank predicts Armenia's economy will +5.5% in 2024 (up from the earlier 4.7% estimate), +4.9% in 2025 (up from 4.5%), and +4.5% in 2026.
WB's 2024 forecast: Industrial sector +5 3%, agriculture +0.9%, services +6.3%, inflation +3%, debt-to-GDP at 49%.
In 2024 the budget deficit will deteriorate to 4.7%, owing to support to refugees amounting to about 2% of GDP.

Average inflation dropped from 8.6 percent in 2022 to 2 percent in 2023. Poverty and unemployment continued to decline. The economic outlook is subject to significant uncertainty due to ongoing border tensions with Azerbaijan, geopolitical turmoil, integration of refugees, and a possible slowdown in trading partner economies

source, source, source, source,
🗞️ Russia's foreign minister complained that the U.S. is attempting to steal Central Asia and South Caucasus from Russia. As reported earlier, Armenia's FM Mirzoyan did not attend the CIS summit in Belarus on Friday. Armenia was represented by a lower-ranking figure. Russian FM Lavrov was asked:
REPORTER: The U.S. and its allies are attempting to interfere with the integration processes in ex-USSR space [tell us more about this "integration"]. Was this topic discussed during today's CIS meeting?
FM LAVROV: Yes. Everyone understands everything very well. The U.S. and its satellites are attempting to intrude into every region of our common space, and attempting to break the agreements around the stability in the South Caucasus. They want to prevent the implementation of the Nov. 9 agreement. They are also actively attempting to intrude into Central Asia and they are creating formats that are openly anti-Russia. Publicly they say it's for making ex-USSR state more independent so they can leave the shadows of Russia. They are doing this in Moldova as well. Although under immense pressure, our allies and partners are remaining true to the principles of CIS, CSTO, EAEU, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The West is destined to fail. They might attempt to extort certain actions under a threat but these are isolated cases and they don't represent the general trend of expelling the Western hegemony. This is a historical process that's taking place globally. source,
🗞️ Armenia did not take part in yet another Russian-led CSTO meeting, this time about the joint "air defense" network. source,
🗞️ Indian defense firm cancels ties with Turkey against the backdrop of Ankara's anti-Indian position on Kashmir. Defense ministry's Hindustan Shipyard Limited has severed all ties with Turkish companies and won't hire them to help design and develop 5 Indian navy ships. The report says it will also help India become more self-sufficient.
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🗞️ Armenian authorities say an Armenian conscript violated the rules and crossed the border into Azerbaijan while attempting to bring back a shepherd's cattle during the Thursday shootout incident. The NSS expressed regret for the incident and said they would take measures to avoid such incidents in the future. One Azerbaijani border guard was wounded during the shootout. source,
🗞️ 4 Armenian soldiers died and 20 were wounded after an accident involving a truck. source,
🗞️ The French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the French Embassy have supported the deployment of two new mobile medical teams in remote areas near Kapan, Syunik. source,
🗞️ Council of Europe launches a €2.8M package to support Nagorno-Karabakh refugees. It's for protecting the human rights of refugees, the resilience of the local communities, social rights, children and women, and support to human rights institutions. The Armenian government thanked CoE for the support. source,
🗞 Interior ministry has launched a massive campaign to enforce the new "no-truck" rule in central Yerevan. Over 2,100 large trucks were either fined or warned. The city wants to alleviate the traffic congestion, so trucks are only allowed to enter small Kentron before 7 am and after 9 pm - the usual hours for loading and unloading. They are using cameras and foot patrol to enforce it. source,
🗞 Armenia continues to buy new shit for investigators and inspectors. The latest one is a device that will help them find traces of explosions from objects collected at a crime scene. Something that used to take 3 days will be done in 5 minutes. Another device will allow them to check whether a bullet is functional without shooting it. source,
🗞 Armenia will exempt cargoes from Kazakhstan from road and environmental payments. It will apply to transit cargo as well.

The government says this indicates the interest of the two states in deepening cooperation in the field of transport logistics and mutual use of their transit potential

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🗞️ The "pro-Soros" ruling party's pro-LGBT bill has passed despite opposition by the Church and pro-Russian opposition parties.
congrats to redditors
🗞️ Serj-era "anti-Soros" political activist Narek Malyan is given a 1-year sentence
Context: Malyan was acquitted as part of another case involving the performance titled "Ceausescu Execution or Death to Traitor". Prosecutors said Malyan was calling for violence against PM Pashinyan during the performance held in front of the government building. "Ceausescus will definitely be shot, I promise," doubled-down Malyan shortly after the incident, during the 2021 pre-election period.
He had other similar charges and today the court found him guilty on those. Prosecutors were asking for over 3 years. He has already served half of the 1-year term due to pretrial detention. He is also instructed to pay $270.
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