What Does Emergency Gall Bladder Surgery Cost (aka health costs when unemployed or self insured or as an entrepreneur)

What Does Emergency Gall Bladder Surgery Cost (aka health costs when unemployed or self insured or as an entrepreneur) A month ago, at this very minute (note: I started this post on Friday but took a very rare sick day during the post), I was laying in a hospital bed trying to breathe through my nose.   I never disliked breathing more than that day. You can read the entire story here (I need to clean it up because I wrote it when I was on narcotics it doesnt read as well as it should). The purpose of this post is to talk honestly about what you can expect to pay if you have an emergency that requires you to go to the E.R. There were five or six vendors or service providers involved in this.  Below is what I was billed (approximations): Hospital, including emergency room, operating room, recovery room: About $18,000 Operating surgeon: about $1,600 ER doctor: Bill amount: $888 Pathologist: To do what, I have no idea. Bill amount: $49 Anesthesiologist: Bill amount: $1,275. Radiologist 1: Bill amount:  $119.86. Radiologist 2: Not sure if there was one, but was told there might be one. Each of those are independent from one another, and no one would tell us what the bill might be, or even who to contact.  It was either make calls and figure it out or wait for the bill to come. There is a reason to make the calls immediately.  Many medical vendors provide a discount for self-pay, which is the term you use if you dont have insurance. Why we dont have insurance is for another post.  Trust me, we tried to get it (more than once), but the insurance industry is so corrupt it is disgusting. Anyway, if you are self-pay there are two things that happen: 1. You get offered a discount up to 50% off.  You can see the discount amounts below. 2. No one believes you will pay.  The government and media has done a masterful job creating an image of uninsured people (aka, self-pay) that if you are self-pay people think you are going to not pay.  Not true, but thanks to the govt and media, thats a new stereotype to live under. Here are the discounts we got: Hospital, including emergency room, operating room, recovery room: About $18,000. They gave 50% off to self-pay if you pay within about 2 weeks.  That meant our bill would be about $9k.  We went in to talk about it, and when to pay, and the finance person lowered it another $1k (because much of the time billed was when I was in recovery, which didnt really take the same resources as a bunch of people doding on me every minute.  Total bill: a little shy of $8k (for about 55% discount). Operating surgeon: about $1,600. When I went in for the post-op checkup they said they would offer a 50% discount if paid THAT DAY or a 30% discount within (I dont remember how many weeks).  We paid that day. I wish they could have given a little flexibility perhaps 50% if paid in a week.  It wasnt fun to pay that day, considering the payment to the hospital was made in the same week. Total bill: I think it was almost $800. Are you blown away that the person who controls the operation gets only $800 (less whatever his company takes in overhead)?  Crazy. ER doctor: $888. I found their information and called them and learned they offer a 50% discount. I have to pay that by early March, which is about a 6 week timeframe.  Very thankful for this discount and the extra time. Total bill: $444. Nice savings Pathologist: To do what, I have no idea. Bill amount: $49. They offered a 30% discount, which we were thankful for.  Ended up paying $34. Anesthesiologist: Bill amount$1,275. I was highly disappointed in their discount, only 20%, to bring it down to about $1,000. Radiologist 1: $119.86. 20% off put it down to (total bill) $95.89.  Not liking the small discount but the amount was so small that it was sixes. Radiologist 2: Not sure if there was one, but was told there might be one. The total out of pocket for this emergency surgery was about $10,375. Are you ready for that capital outlay right now? I wasnt either. Aside from being on insurance, what can you do to get ready?  Im not talking about preventative because this could have been an ambulance ride from a car accident (and healthy eating usually doesnt prevent that). If you got a $10,000+ bill from the hospital, would you be in a world of (financial) pain? You can prepare for medical emergencies.  I recommend: 1. Regular insurance 2. Accident insurance 3. Robust and growing savings 4. Knowing who you can tap into to get help from (family, etc.) Its a scary time without this $10k bill, but being able to do it can come from planning and preparation.  Start NOW! What Does Emergency Gall Bladder Surgery Cost (aka health costs when unemployed or self insured or as an entrepreneur) A month ago, at this very minute (note: I started this post on Friday but took a very rare sick day during the post), I was laying in a hospital bed trying to breathe through my nose.   I never disliked breathing more than that day. You can read the entire story here (I need to clean it up because I wrote it when I was on narcotics it doesnt read as well as it should). The purpose of this post is to talk honestly about what you can expect to pay if you have an emergency that requires you to go to the E.R. There were five or six vendors or service providers involved in this.  Below is what I was billed (approximations): Hospital, including emergency room, operating room, recovery room: About $18,000 Operating surgeon: about $1,600 ER doctor: Bill amount: $888 Pathologist: To do what, I have no idea. Bill amount: $49 Anesthesiologist: Bill amount: $1,275. Radiologist 1: Bill amount:  $119.86. Radiologist 2: Not sure if there was one, but was told there might be one. Each of those are independent from one another, and no one would tell us what the bill might be, or even who to contact.  It was either make calls and figure it out or wait for the bill to come. There is a reason to make the calls immediately.  Many medical vendors provide a discount for self-pay, which is the term you use if you dont have insurance. Why we dont have insurance is for another post.  Trust me, we tried to get it (more than once), but the insurance industry is so corrupt it is disgusting. Anyway, if you are self-pay there are two things that happen: 1. You get offered a discount up to 50% off.  You can see the discount amounts below. 2. No one believes you will pay.  The government and media has done a masterful job creating an image of uninsured people (aka, self-pay) that if you are self-pay people think you are going to not pay.  Not true, but thanks to the govt and media, thats a new stereotype to live under. Here are the discounts we got: Hospital, including emergency room, operating room, recovery room: About $18,000. They gave 50% off to self-pay if you pay within about 2 weeks.  That meant our bill would be about $9k.  We went in to talk about it, and when to pay, and the finance person lowered it another $1k (because much of the time billed was when I was in recovery, which didnt really take the same resources as a bunch of people doding on me every minute.  Total bill: a little shy of $8k (for about 55% discount). Operating surgeon: about $1,600. When I went in for the post-op checkup they said they would offer a 50% discount if paid THAT DAY or a 30% discount within (I dont remember how many weeks).  We paid that day. I wish they could have given a little flexibility perhaps 50% if paid in a week.  It wasnt fun to pay that day, considering the payment to the hospital was made in the same week. Total bill: I think it was almost $800. Are you blown away that the person who controls the operation gets only $800 (less whatever his company takes in overhead)?  Crazy. ER doctor: $888. I found their information and called them and learned they offer a 50% discount. I have to pay that by early March, which is about a 6 week timeframe.  Very thankful for this discount and the extra time. Total bill: $444. Nice savings Pathologist: To do what, I have no idea. Bill amount: $49. They offered a 30% discount, which we were thankful for.  Ended up paying $34. Anesthesiologist: Bill amount$1,275. I was highly disappointed in their discount, only 20%, to bring it down to about $1,000. Radiologist 1: $119.86. 20% off put it down to (total bill) $95.89.  Not liking the small discount but the amount was so small that it was sixes. Radiologist 2: Not sure if there was one, but was told there might be one. The total out of pocket for this emergency surgery was about $10,375. Are you ready for that capital outlay right now? I wasnt either. Aside from being on insurance, what can you do to get ready?  Im not talking about preventative because this could have been an ambulance ride from a car accident (and healthy eating usually doesnt prevent that). If you got a $10,000+ bill from the hospital, would you be in a world of (financial) pain? You can prepare for medical emergencies.  I recommend: 1. Regular insurance 2. Accident insurance 3. Robust and growing savings 4. Knowing who you can tap into to get help from (family, etc.) Its a scary time without this $10k bill, but being able to do it can come from planning and preparation.  Start NOW!

Writing Good Sales Resume

Writing Good Sales ResumeThe writing good sales resume is essential for success in the sales industry. Nowadays, there are many sales job sites that are filled with people seeking the same jobs you are trying to get. So when the manager on the sales page calls you up to interview, you need to be able to easily answer questions. Also, you need to be able to properly sell the product or service that you are trying to sell.Here are some tips on writing a good sales resume. The first tip would be to be professional and choose the format that will allow you to present yourself in the best way possible. Of course, the company wants to know that you have already learned the basics and you are ready to put those skills to work.The second tip would be to be specific when writing a good sales resume. This means that you need to put down what you do and where you were trained. But, you also need to use phrases such as: 'Sales Manager, Toronto-Masters, Inc.'The third tip would be to make sure th at you get the proper use of space. If you have a lot of information to add, this is not the place to add it. It is best to stick to a few facts.The fourth tip would be to determine what type of information you would like to include. There are different types of sales resume formats such as one that consists of your title, name, contact details, education, work experience, career objectives, and work achievements. Use the format that would be most appropriate for you.Another example would be the chronological format in which you list five items on a line. Write this format at the bottom of the sales page so that it is easier to spot. Also, use the past tense when using phrases such as 'worked for, graduated from,' etc.On the sales page, make sure that you use the correct grammar and spelling. Avoid sloppy and abrupt use of words. You should also use the right spellings.Lastly, don't forget to pay attention to the font style of the sales page. The sales page should be written in a wa y that it appears clean and crisp. Make sure that you have enough margins on the sales page so that you can type easily.

Schawbel Report The Current State of Personal Branding [July 2008] - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Schawbel Report The Current State of Personal Branding [July 2008] - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A lot has happened since the last time I posted a Schawbel Report on the state of personal branding worldwide. The March edition shed some light into the spread of personal branding from the US to Australia to India. There is a lot of information here, but its all very important to your personal brand and that of your company. Economys impact on your brand 81,755 layoff in June, up 47% compared with June 2007 475,948 layoff from January till June Gas prices continue to rise to $5 per gallon (projected to be $7 by 20) In a survey of 539 U.S. workers, 44% of respondents said higher gas prices have affected their commutes. Commuting changes people are making as a result of higher gas prices include: looking for a new job closer to home (30%), working from office locations closer to home (29%), working fewer days of the week (26%), asking for increased compensation (25%), taking public transportation more frequently (23%), and walking or biking to work (18%). Education is evolving there is hope! The State of Connecticut is piloting new technology co-developed by IBM, startup firm SkillProof, and Pace University to analyze thousands of job postings on corporate Web sites. The insight is helping state colleges and universities develop curriculum that better meets the skill needs of employers. The four job sets identified so far include actuaries, accountants and auditors, financial analysts, and financial brokers. There is an emerging high demand for IT professionals with business analysis skills. The University of Minnesota polled its students recently about the internet. 94 percent used the Internet, 82 percent go online at home and 77 percent had a profile on a social networking site. When asked what they learn from using social networking sites, the students listed technology skills as the top lesson, followed by creativity, being open to new or diverse views and communication skills. Georgetown University has created an online community specifically for alumni. The Web site includes an alumni directory, class notes and the Career Network, a searchable network comprised of over 1,800 alumni worldwide to share career advice and expertise, according to the Hoyas Online web site. The University of Massachusetts has set up its own community as well for alumni. Recruitment gets a social media twist 77% of recruiters used specialist or niche job boards, while 38% had also moved to social networking sites and 5% had even set up a virtual office in Second Life office. Recent UK research found 62% of employers looked at social networking sites to check job applicants, and 1/4 admitted not hiring someone because of what they had posted online. The virtual global office Best Buy has a social network called Blueshirtnation.com, which has attracted 20,000 users. The overall turnover rate at the company is 60%, while turnover of people using the site is just 8%-12%. IBM Corp. marketing manager Shari Chiara gets updates on what her colleagues are doing via a networking site called Beehive, where she posts her own photos and news. At Procter Gamble Co., where employees link with one another on PeopleConnect, a vibrant online community has generated 385 blogs on topics from greening the Boston office to corporate humor. Starting this week at Nortel Networks Corp., a global group is using technology that offers a rich virtual world of 3-D settings in which colleagues can meet. Photo IDs pop up next to their avatars when someone moves close enough to talk. State of the conversation 3.5 billion WOM (word of mouth) conversations occur daily in the US. Offline WOM accounts for 92% of these (75% face to face; 17% by phone), and email, IM/text messaging and chatrooms/blogs account for a combined 7%. Companies are being called out on how they treat employees. Employees have two new places to talk about their experiences at work. Criticat and Glassdoor are trying to reveal the truth being working at companies, but how accurate are they? Reputation management 2.0 and beyond Identity theft: A study by Survey Sampling International (SSI) found that more than 50% of Britons, Germans, French and Spanish were worried about identity theft and misuse of personal data. Mobile broadcasting: Now any second of the day (24/7 ladies and gentleman) your brand can move from reality to the internet, to 0,000 different websites, all for everyone to see. Services like Qik, Flixwagon, Kyte and UStream will prove useful for those brave enough to be fully transparent. Who is watching you?: Mashables Steven Hodson wrote a great post about how national security agencies are working with telecoms like ATT to monitor all Internet traffic. Spam: In the past 12 months, more than 4/5 of social networking site users said they received unwanted (or spam) friend invitations, messages or postings on their social or professional network account. Social network regulations: 9/ people think there should be tighter regulation of information on social networking websites, according to new research. Fraudsters: According to Symantecs latest Internet Security Threat Report, for the second half of 2007, there were 87,963 phishing hosts. Brand U 3D Google has just launched Lively, a new social network built around the concept of each user creating an avatar and a personal virtual room that can be embedded anywhere on the Web. In my opinion, this service is much stronger than Second Life because it is accessible through your browser, instead of an application. This means, at least in terms of the workplace, you might be able to use it at work and it poses a great opportunity for companies. It is BRAND U, but in 3d, and in a virtual environment. Organizations are adopting personal branding A great example comes from the accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward. To gain a competitive edge in the marketplace, a manager took a course and started training staff. She offered personal sessions lasting around an hour and a half to senior members of staff. The sessions were so popular that workers returned to their departments enthusing about the training, and less senior staff demanded their own workshops, attending in groups of 25 at a time. 55% of consumers want ongoing conversations with brands. 89% of consumers would feel more loyal to the brand if they are asked to be in focus groups. Gen-Y makes decisions In the workplace: Nearly 73% of Gen-Yers surveyed said they are concerned about being able to balance a career with personal obligations. 51% of Millennials surveyed believe professionals entering the workforce should have to spend only one to two years proving themselves in entry-level positions. As entrepreneurs. Half of all new college graduates now believe that self-employment is more secure than a full-time job. Today, 80% of the colleges and universities in the U.S. now offer courses on entrepreneurship; 60% of Gen Y business owners consider themselves to be serial entrepreneurs, according to Inc. magazine. Tellingly, 18 to 24-year-olds are starting companies at a faster rate than 35 to 44-year-olds. And 70% of todays high schoolers intend to start their own companies, according to a Gallup poll. Blogs blogs blogs Average blogger age: A BIGresearch study found that the average age of adult bloggers is actually 37.6. 55% of millennials (ages 13 to 24) surveyed read a blog. Newspapers and blogs: A full 95% of the top 0 US newspapers now offer reporter blogs (up from 80% in 2006), while 58% of the top 0 magazines provide this service. Blogs for editorial staffs: A limited-scale Prospero Technologies study from late 2007 found that 78% of US businesses that use social media applications included blogs for their editorial staffs. Blogs to measure sentiment: A survey of US journalists by PR Week, PR Newswire and Millward Brown, 57.7% of respondents said they used blogs to measure sentiment, and 51% used them to gauge how their competitors were covering stories. Technorati blog trends

Personal Branding Interview Brad Feld - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Brad Feld - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Brad Feld, who has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur for over twenty years. He is the co-author of Do More Faster: TechStars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup, and the co-founder of the Foundry Group. In this interview, Brad talks about TechStars, his opinion on being born an entrepreneur, and more. How did you come up with the idea for TechStars? About once a month I have a day of random meetings basically, anyone that wants to meet with me can sign up (the current web site is http://bunkerofficehours.pbworks.com/Brad-Feld-Community-Hours). Around four years ago, David Cohen (TechStars founder / CEO) showed up on a random day for a 15 minute meeting with me. Id never met him before. He presented the idea of TechStars and I was immediately captivated within five minutes of the start of our meeting I said Im in lets do this. David talks more about this in our book Do More Faster: TechStars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup. So it was Davids idea, but I jumped in quickly with both feet. Are people born entrepreneurs or do they become them through education? This question is regularly debated and there are endless anecdotes around this along with some academic studies. I personally believe that its both every great entrepreneur I know is on a constant quest for knowledge about how to be a better, more effective entrepreneur. While I think its very difficult for someone who is not naturally inclined to be an entrepreneur to become one, its not impossible. How do you select which companies get in TechStars? What are the qualifications? We have a three month application process for each program (http://www.techstars.org/apply/). About half-way through anyone who has applied is invited to a day long event called TechStars for a Day where we explore TechStars as well as get to know them. We typically get 300 to 500 applications per program per year. Once they are all in, the managing director of the city and David Cohen go through them and narrow them down to about 75 candidates. We then have a larger group that picks the 25 finalists and stack ranks them by preference. The MD then goes and meets with each company and if appropriate extends them an offer. When did your entrepreneurial journey start and when did you decide to move into VC land? I started my first company (Feld Technologies) when I was 19 and in college at MIT. I sold it when I was 28 and started making angel investments with some of the money that I made. When I was 31, I co-founded a venture capital firm that became known as Mobius Venture Capital with several other partners. Today, Im almost 45 and am one of four partners in a venture capital firm called Foundry Group. Can you name a few notable entrepreneurs that have inspired you over the years? Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett. Brad Feld has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur for over twenty years. He is the co-author of Do More Faster: TechStars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures, a company that helped launch and operate software companies. Brad is also a co-founder of TechStars. Brad currently serves on the board of directors of BigDoor, Gist, Gnip, Oblong, Standing Cloud, and Zynga for Foundry Group. Previously, Brad served as chief technology officer of AmeriData Technologies. AmeriData acquired Feld Technologies, a firm he founded in 1987 that specialized in custom software applications. Brad is a nationally recognized speaker on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship and writes widely read and well respected blogs at www.feld.com and www.askthevc.com.

Computer Skills Resume Sample - How to Describe Your Computer Skills on a Resume Sample

Computer Skills Resume Sample - How to Describe Your Computer Skills on a Resume SampleA computer-based resume is a system that lets you describe your computer skills in a simple and concise way. The program allows you to use any keywords or phrases that you like. The resume will then be constructed for you by the system and are tailored to your strengths and weaknesses.Computer skills can cover a wide range of areas, such as designing programs, editing files, programming languages, technical writing and web browsing. You can also include your education details if you have studied a certain subject. Of course, there is more to the job than a simple typing. By using this resume, you will be able to write about other areas of expertise that you possess.The program provides a basic skills section, which you can use for free. The resume is very simple in design and can be used to generate a few hundred resumes. With just one click of a button, you can get to the rest of the information t hat the program will put together for you.You can also use the computer skills to include some other information that the program will provide for you. It can give you information about your work experience and qualifications. This information can be added with the basic information and can be tailored to include areas of specializations.The software assists you in ensuring that your job application is accurate and to ensure that it contains the correct information. It is not necessary for you to carry out the entire formatting yourself, as the program does all of the work for you. With the assistance of a simple click, your resume can be generated and will go out to hundreds of employers without you having to do anything else.There are many types of computer skills that you can choose from. Some of them include understanding and editing text files, images, or audio files. You can also pick the type of applications that you are familiar with such as Word, Excel, Access, or the Micro soft Office Suite.However, you must keep in mind that the skills that you describe may not always match the requirements. If you really want to make sure that your job application is a hit, you can simply get your information from the employer. It is not required but it will help your chances.Now that you know how to describe your computer skills on a resume sample, you should get to work on completing your own job application. This can ensure that you are giving the right impression to the company you are looking to work for. And while you are getting your computer skills filled out, you can complete the rest of the information that the company requires.

How Good Are Resume Writing Services

How Good Are Resume Writing ServicesMost of the hiring managers ask themselves the question, 'how good are resume writing services'. But how would they know? They may have a friend or colleague that has hired such a service.Well if you are also worried about your skills, especially if you are applying for a position that requires a significant amount of expertise, you may want to consider these points:- Do not include all such things that you think you should put in your resume. You want to put only the important things in it.- Write your resume properly. Try to use only the language that is commonly used by employers so that your resume will be read properly.- Include all those items that can help you get the attention of the employer and be considered as an applicant who can contribute something interesting to the company. If you are capable of doing so, then why should you bother hiring resume writing services?- How good are resume writing services in fact? The best way to find ou t is to ask the company about their track record. You may also consider contacting them yourself to get some information.In other words, it is clear that hiring a good resume writer is a great investment. It is better that you know how good they are before you spend money on them.Nowadays, you can easily find them by just doing a search in the internet. And there are many well-known companies that offers resume writing services. You can contact them by contacting them via e-mail, phone, or through the internet.

Gratitude - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Gratitude - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog 2003 has been a wonderful year for me. Heres a list of some of the things that Im really grateful for in 2003, in no particular order: * The company of the wonderful and innovative people at Arena. Thomas, Ole, David, Valdemar, Peter, Tine, Guan, Niels and many more. We rock! * Moving to an appartment on the 7th. floor. Great sunsets! * Meeting Traci, Justin, Christine, Mike and the other wonderful people at the World Dynamics CEO round table. * Seeing Seattle with Pam. * Seeing the happy at work project take off like it has, and being able to make people happy. * My super-nephew David. * Having time to both read and write. * Seeing my brother and my sister shine, working for the good of others. * Working with all the wonderful people who have joined the happy at work project. Liselotte, Patricia, Niels, Charlotte, Thomas, Mette, Mette, Finn, Carsten, Heidi, Lars, Karen, Marie and many more. You guys are a joy to work with and a source of deep learning and inspiration. * The company of my wonderful girlfriend Patricia. * Practicing, performing and partying with the SATS aerobics show team. * Talking about the happy at work project on national TV. * All the fascinating conversations Ive had. I have talked with so many interesting people, that mentioning even a few here would make no sense. I have learned so much, and Im deeply grateful to all the people who have shared their views with me. * Broadening my understanding and practice of Open Space Technology. * Seeing some street musicians give away money. A small random event that shows me just HOW weird and beautiful the world is. * Having the financial means to choose what I do, regardless of what I can make money on. * Becoming aware of the importance of concepts like storytelling, generosity, learning, peace, positivity, impro theatre, freedom and starting to work with them. * A wonderful motorcycle vacation through Germany in Holland. * Road graffiti. There is so much more that I could mention, and Ill probably think of it as soon as I submit this entry. 2003 has been a wonderful year that has offered me great challenges, great companionship, great results and great development. I couldnt wish for more except maybe for more of the same in 2004. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Potted Plants and Other Ideas to Make You Feel Better At Work -

Potted Plants and Other Ideas to Make You Feel Better At Work - Real Simple Magazine (October 2008) notes that, Researchers at Texas State University, in San Marcos found that people who had a plant in their offices rated themselves as more satisfied with life and work than did those without them. So, if you notice a lot of new plants at work this month, youll know why! Unsatisfied at work? Carly Chynoweth offered 10 tips to help make life at work better on the Work Bloom Work Satisfaction Blog: Keep things in perspective. Recognize the possibility of happiness. Change your focus. Surround yourself with happy people Accept reality. Do the best you can. Balance. Take a break. Take control. Be honest with yourself. What helps you keep sane at work? Social networking? Daydreaming? Focused goal setting? Going to lunch alone (or with a co-worker)? Please share your keeping sane strategies in the comments section. And, if you have a very unhappy co-worker, consider the gift of a nice potted plant! If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you via email! Prefer to subscribe in a reader? Click here for a link to receive Keppie Careers feed sent to the reader of your choice. We can help you with a successful job hunt. Need a great resume? Career search advice? Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com. photo by jark