Defending From and Fighting Against Corrupt Medical Service Provider Contracts

Latest update: August 6, 2022
Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

If you have a personal situation going on, these government websites can help you: List and Information.

Never Blindly Sign a Medical Contract Without Reading It First. Learn to Say "NO"!

Medical Service Provider Corruption - Patients Forced to Sign SWAG Medical Contracts Under Duress

[This page was originally entitled "Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Centers Saying Medicare Part B Reneges on Paying for Preventative Services" and was about a local incident. The page has since been expanded to include other local incidents and as they relate to the national issue. Bottom of the page has a list of government bookmarks for helping patients deal with unethical medical conduct. There is also a phrase I add whenever signing a medical contract.


First Incident

Per doctor's written instructions, I went to an imaging/diagnostic center (name temporarily redacted) for chest/lung X-rays. I had been to this place before a couple years ago and there hadn't been any problems.

As with most medical service providers, I was first directed to the Hallowed Contract Signing Room. And there is where everything fell apart...

They placed a second contract in front of me that basically said (paraphrasing):
  • We will take the X-rays.
  • We will bill Medicare.
  • Medicare will note the bureaucratic coding error and deny payment (this part was buried in legalese).
  • When Medicare recognizes the bureaucratic coding error and refuses to pay, then you must pay instead (this part was buried in legalese).
  • If you refuse to sign this contract, we will refuse to do the X-rays your doctor ordered.
I refused to sign.

The reason they did this was because they immediately realized the doctor had filled out the requisition incorrectly regarding Medicare reimbursement procedures (this was a clerical error, not a medical error). Instead of informing me of this so that the clerical error could be corrected, and thus having a loyal patient for life, they instead tried to con me into being financially responsible for the easily fixable bureaucratic, clerical mistake.

As a side note, I asked for a copy of the contract to show the doctor as to why I didn't get the X-rays and the imaging/diagnostic center flatly refused. I can't help but wonder how many other patients this CT diagnostic center attempts to victimize and does victimize each month

Second Incident

Per doctor's written instructions, I went to a local blood lab (name temporarily redacted). While in the back room, they came in with a contract saying certain medical codes were missing and I would have to agree to pay for what Medicare wouldn't pay because of the missing codes. I declined, at which point they said they would contact the referring doctor's office and get the codes.

They then came back and said they had got the codes and proceeded to take my blood. I never had to sign anything and all appeared well.

When I got home, it occurred to me to call the doc's office to see if the blood lab really did call them and get the codes.The  doc's office said they never received any such call. They further said they would look into and deal with it, and that I would not be responsible for any bills.

I waited to see how this would sort out before acting further. Fortunately, I never signed or otherwise consented to being billed. And no bill was ever received. I can't emphasize this strongly enough, don't automatically sign whatever piece of paper a medical provider puts in front of you; read the thing and don't be afraid to say no when you perceive something is not right.

When I first reported about this second incident, I received input from others stating such things as...
  • They have been nothing but trouble for people with Medicare or PPO health insurance.
  • Credit card numbers demanded in advance before agreeing to do blood work.
  • Collection agencies being used on unwarranted/disputed bills.
This incident is considerably worse than the first incident, in fact it makes the first incident pale by comparison.

Third Incident

Per doc's referral, I went to an eye doctor place (name temporarily redacted) and made an appointment. After making the appointment, I then perused their frames selection. The prices were literally double to triple the prices that can be found elsewhere, presumably the lens prices would be equally exorbitant.

The place was packed with patients/customers, noticing this caused me conflicted emotions...
  • On the one hand, I am pro capitalism. If a business entity discovers an unending supply of customers who voluntarily pay double to triple the going rate for a product or service, then you really can't fault the business entity for taking advantage of that.
  • On the other hand, pretty much all the patients/customers there were extremely old people who just plain no longer apparently had the mental faculties to know any better or the ability to realize what was going on. I'm not an attorney, but this could easily be perceived as a case for elder abuse. Most insurance does not pay for frames and lenses, only for the exams. Then again, maybe all the patients there were rich and just didn't care.
At any rate, I mulled things over and cancelled my appointment. I may or may not work up the energy to look into that particular situation further.

The National Problem

[This page started out being about the actions of a single medical service provider. However it has now become about the national issue of medical service providers denying patients medical care unless the patient agrees to sign what are known as SWAG CONTRACTS.]

Continuation and Update

I called the doctor's office. Yep, apparently most imaging/diagnostics centers are now pulling this stunt.

A patient being held responsible for a bill, because they falsely claimed they were insured, is indeed as it should be. However, a service provider attempting to force a patient to be held responsible for an insurer's breach of contract, bureaucracy, bad faith conduct, mistakes, or even just a misunderstanding is not.

The contract is between the service provider and the insurer, it is their responsibilities to understand and agree to the terms. Any attempt by a medical service provider to make a patient responsible for an insurer's actions is, to me, an essentially bad faith action on the part of the provider. Basically, the medical service provider is extorting the patient to insure the provider against the actions of the insurer, the threat being the withholding of needed medical care if the patient refuses to do so. In other words, patients are being forced to sign contracts under duress.

Proposed Solution


Is it any wonder most countries think America has the most corrupt Medical Establishment on the planet? Our government keeps trying to fight it. But the greed and corruption is so entrenched, ingrained, embedded, and widespread (there are media reports almost daily on the subject) that nationalization of the medical industry may indeed be the only answer.

There would still be private sector medical professionals, but the government would be the single insurer and the only legally responsible payer. And it would be illegal for any private sector medical entity to try to coerce a patient into signing any sort of contract. Proof and authentication of identity and coverage would be all that is required, pre-authorization for medical procedures implemented on an as needed basis. Premiums would be based on income. Service providers (including hospitals) would no longer have to worry about being paid. Patients would no longer have to worry about being thrown into financial hardship or outright bankruptcy.

You might try suggesting the service provider get pre-authorization from the insurer. However and for some unknown reason, there are apparently some medical service providers who refuse to make the 3-minute phone call, the initially mentioned imaging and diagnostic center being one such case.

On a personal note, I am aware versions of this situation have been going on for decades. I have always circumvented the problem by simply adding the following sentence directly above my signature in caps: "ONLY PROVIDE INSURANCE COVERED SERVICES ONLY". I am not an attorney, but it seems to work. The service provider then gets everything pre-authorized and there has never been a problem.

This Has to Stop

A Bookmarks Reference List of Patients Bill of Rights Resources

I figured while I was at it, I might as well compile a list of resources regarding the rights patients are legally supposed to have. All listed websites are government or other well-known, reputable resources. All links go directly to the website's patients rights and assistance pages. I might add to this list from time to time. The list is at Government Help for When Victimized by the Medical Profession, particularly relates to financial and billing misconduct.

A side note, you might want to select the MedFin (Medical Financial) label below. If you see a relevant article title, select the title.

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Daylight Savings Time Begins Sunday, March 10, 2024, 2:00 am; East and West Coast, Central, Mountain. More info.

Latest update: January 4, 2024. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change, and the updates continue.

USA Daylight Saving Time: its meaning; about it in general; when is it; where is it; more.

All about and dealing with the Daylight Savings Time (DST) changes in the US and around the world, plus some resource links. Technically, it's actually called "Daylight Saving Time", without the "s". But we all seem determined to add that extra letter and we all seem fine with it. This page briefly covers:
  • The what and why of daylight savings time and some time zone notes.
  • The current US schedule for when daylight savings time begins and ends.
  • Where is daylight savings time in the US and some time zone notes.
  • Dealing with changing all the clocks.
  • Daylight savings time around the world.

Daylight Saving Time Around the World


Why Have and What Is Daylight Savings Time?

This page is US-centric; but except for the start and end dates, it's pretty much all the same.

The purpose of Daylight Savings Time is to conserve energy. There is some dispute as to whether this objective is accomplished or not. The methodology used is to move one hour of sunlight from the morning to the evening by resetting the clocks.

The official abbreviation for Daylight Savings Time is DST (Standard Time being ST). So, for the east and west coast time zones for example, the designations alter from EST and PST to EDT and PDT and vice-versa.

When Does Daylight Savings Time Start and End in 2024?


Daylight Saving Time Begins: Sunday, March 10, 2024, 2:00 am (dates updated yearly)

To move one hour of sunlight from the morning to the evening, clocks are reset ahead one hour every spring. Currently this is done on the second Sunday of every March at 2:00 a.m. At the appointed time, the clocks are reset forward to 3:00 a.m. ("spring forward").

Daylight Saving Time Ends: Sunday, November 3, 2024, 2:00 am (dates updated yearly)

To make things as they were and move that extra sunlight hour back to the morning, clocks are reset back one hour every fall. Currently this is done the first Sunday of every November at 2:00 a.m. At the appointed time, the clocks are reset from 2:00 a.m. back to 1:00 a.m. ("fall back"). Generally, folks aren't amused when this happens; they have become used to not having to commute home in the dark every evening.

Where Is Daylight Savings Time? East and West Coast. More.

Not all of the US engages in this adventure. Both Hawaii and most of Arizona decided they wanted nothing to do with it. Most US territories also do not observe Daylight Savings Time. These entities remain on Standard Time year-round.

The Clock-Changing Reality...

 Be glad you don't have to mess with this one...
Yb (Ytterbium) Lattice Atomic Clock (NIST)

What one is "supposed" to do is reset all the clocks and watches before going to bed. However, more often than not, this usually does not happen. The clocks, watches, etc. generally get reset Sunday throughout the day, usually because there are so many of them. Personally, I start doing the resetting beginning mid Saturday morning. By the time I go to bed, I've pretty much already adjusted to the time change.

The various computer and computer-related clocks are invariably checked to see if they were indeed coordinated enough to do what they were supposed to do.

If you are looking to reset everything accurately right down to the precise second, you can do so at www.time.gov. Daylight Savings Time changes are also supposed to be the bi-annual reminder to check and/or change your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and batteries.

Daylight Saving Time Around the World

DST World Overview List

  • Canada is as the US; most provinces and territories take it, some leave it. Mexico is the same.
  • Central and South America mostly want nothing to do with Daylight Savings Time; however, Chile and parts of Brazil do indeed do DST.
  • Europe mostly does do Daylight Savings Time. Russia, China, and all of Asia want absolutely nothing to do with it.
  • Australia is as the US, Canada and Mexico; majority do, but some don't.
  • Africa is 90% don't do DST and 10% do DST.
Looks like our species can't even agree on what time it is. But that's OK, we somehow still manage to keep muddling along. In all seriousness, geography and cultural differences do sometimes necessitate adjustments.

Non-US daylight savings time start and end dates can usually be found at www.timeanddate.com.

World Time Zone Non Standard Abbreviations

There sure are a lot of them... Not only that, but many of the abbreviations are also not unique. The whole thing is a complete, non-standardized mess. The reason is each country makes up their own locally relevant designations. The timeanddate website appears to have the best compilation of the non-standardized world time zone abbreviations currently being used.

There is also a World Standardized Time Zone and a World Standardized Time Code

  • GMT (0/-/+) is the time zone abbreviation for Greenwich Mean Time. Many other time zones will refer to themselves as GMT, plus or minus the number of hours difference between their time zone and the GMT time zone.
  • UTC (0/-/+) is the time code abbreviation for Coordinated Universal Time or Universal Coordinated Time. This is the military and civilian standard mostly used these days.
Neither GMT nor UTC observes DST; instead, the -/+ offsets are adjusted at the local level. In other words, as Daylight Saving Time comes and goes, the GMT/UTC offsets change. As an example, for the US East Coast, the GMT/UTC offset changes from -5 to -4 during DST. For the US West Coast, the GMT/UTC offset changes from -8 to -7 during DST.

UTC / GMT Map

"-" means it's an hour earlier.  "+" means it's an hour later.
Note that each time zone also has its own letter designation.

Random List of UTC/GMT Offset Examples (during non-daylight-saving times):

  • 0 London; Paris
  • -5 New York; Quebec; US East Coast. (-4 during DST)
  • -6 Winnipeg; Dallas
  • -7 Denver; Edmonton
  • -8 Los Angeles; San Francisco; US West Coast (-7 during DST)
  • -10 Honolulu
  • +1 Berlin
  • +3 Moscow
  • +8 Shanghai; Perth
  • +9 Tokyo
  • +10 Sydney


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How to Make Your Own Bookmarks Manager Web Page

Latest update: August 29, 2022. Page URL indicates original publication date; meanwhile, times change and the updates continue.

An Update. The Mozilla Firefox browser now automatically puts bookmark icons of your most frequently visited websites on the opening page and new tabs. They call them shortcuts. In many cases, this obviates the need to create your own bookmarks page. As a side note and for many reasons, I avoid the Google browser like the plague.

Make the Browser's Clumsy, Old Bookmarks List into an Online Bookmarks Manager Document Page or Website.

A quick lesson on how to create your own bookmark manager app. Setting up a bookmarks web page or online document is easy. You will be so glad you did.

No Technical Skills Required
And Much More Fun

How to Make Your Own Bookmarks Manager App

If you can...
  1. Type text.
  2. Highlight text.
  3. Click a link icon.
  4. Copy/Paste an URL from the browser website address bar.
Then you can create your own personal template, bookmark webpage or online document.

Why Make Your Own, Homemade Bookmark Manager App?

Quite simply, because it is incredibly convenient. Laying out all your links exactly the way you want them is so much more efficient than any browser bookmark list or pre-made app can ever be or do for you.

Plus, the bookmark manager web page or online document will always be there for you across all devices. Convenience factors include:
  • Always available no matter which or whose computer or mobile device you are using.
  • The ability to organize your links in rows as well as columns.
  • Never losing all your bookmarks, due to accidental deletion or browser corruption.
  • Never losing all your bookmarks, due to desktop/laptop/smartphone problems.
  • The convenience of grouped-by-type links.
  • The convenience of grouped-by-subdomain links.
  • The convenience of grouped-by-frequency links.
  • The ability to set the background and your link text to whatever color, size, and font, that is easy and best for your eyes.
  • The ability of your bookmark lists to change as your needs and preferences evolve.

How to Organize Your Bookmarks. And Things to Include in Your Lists.

You will probably want to put your most frequently visited websites near the top. Only you can decide what those might be.

As for groups, some examples would be:
  • A row of the search engines you use.
  • A row of the news sites you regularly visit.
  • A row of your frequently visited social media sites.
  • A row of your blog websites.
  • A row of your email websites.
  • A row of your less frequently visited social media websites.
  • A row of utility websites, e.g., weather, calendar, etc.
  • A row of whatever doesn't fit somewhere else.
  • Subdomain rows of a website.
As for the last one, Facebook might be a good example. If you regularly go to certain accounts all the time, it would make sense to set up a convenient row of links to those accounts.

How to Make Your Bookmarks Manager Online Document Page

Here is a Demo Bookmark Template (opens in new tab).  Feel free to copy the template for use as a starting point on your own document. The links are set to open in new tabs, which is a necessary feature. If that attribute fails to transfer when you copy, you will need to reset them to that option.

If you are not already using an online document app that lets you publish to the web, then I recommend G-Drive for your first cloud experience. They are owned by Google, so they will be around for awhile; it is free. It is as easy to use as any other word processor. Once you are familiar with it, you will probably use it for other projects as well.

Side note. Sometimes, copying from one app or format to another results in an unusable mess. If that happens, try copying into your document using the web page version below. In addition to the template, the next section also has additional, worthwhile information.

How to Make Your Own Website Bookmark Manager Web Page - Website Building the Easy Way


Eliminating Constraints

Going the website/web page building route will give you considerably more design capability.

Here is a webpage version of the Demo Bookmark Template (new tab). Only highlight and copy the portion between the lines, the objective being to omit as much unnecessary HTML and unwanted  format and other attributes as possible.

If you are not already using a website design app or software, then Blogger/BlogSpot is free and easy to use; no degree in rocket surgery required. It is also run by Google and so will be around for awhile.

Since you are creating this template site for your own personal use, you will probably have only the one post. You will frequently re-edit it as desired.

Once you've created the blog and are ready to do the post, it's pretty straightforward. After copying over the template into your new post, just type in and arrange your additional destination titles as desired. You don't have to do all of them at once. Start with your most frequently visited websites. No problem leaving the post open in edit mode as you are visiting the other sites. Then, as you are visiting your sites, take a moment to copy/paste the URL into your titles.

Always set the link to open in a new tab. The planned routine, once you have everything set up, is for the bookmark page tab to always be open and available at the far left for desktop and laptop. For smartphone, you don't want your bookmarks page (located in its own folder) disappearing every time you select one of the links.

A Blogger/BlogSpot editor note. When attempting to space from an existing link to add text in preparation for the next link in the row, the editor extends the hyperlink attribute into the space. To circumvent, don't do the space; hit enter instead. Then enter your space and text on the new line. Then go back to the end of the previous line and hit delete to bring your new line up to the existing line. It will then be as it should be.

Last, but not least, organize everything so all your bookmarks will fit on a single screen. Your objective is convenience, having to scroll all the time would defeat that purpose.

Once published, set the page as your new browser home.

Privacy Options

You can restrict public access to your bookmarks page to whatever degree you wish. You will find the privacy options under Settings on the left-side menu when in design mode. Turning off the visibility to search engines is certainly a good start.

No matter what privacy settings you use, do keep in mind the internet is the internet. So it would be wise to not include bookmark links to such things as your bank, credit card, or utility accounts. For that matter, such links should not be on your browser bookmark list either. Those links can be accessible to any malware that might happen along.

Other Blogger/BlogSpot Options

For those who are not already familiar with Blogger/BlogSpot, the platform has all sorts of other capabilities. Some of those capabilities include:
  • Adding 3rd party HTML/JavaScript
  • Images
  • Videos
  • News feeds
  • Lots more
And if you know basic HTML, you can create templates and bookmarks pages like this webpage example or this webpage example. Personally, I don't bother with the table format; the format the templates use is more to my liking

Some Final Thoughts...

Once the bookmarks manager page was set up the way I wanted it, my overall efficiency had a marked increase. Somehow, it caused me to become a real tab management pro. Projects involving repeated, multiple website access were not only easy and quick to do; they were fun again.

And besides, any bookmark manager webpage or website you create and customize exactly the way you want can't help but be:
  • 10 times better than anything Mozilla Firefox could come up with.
  • 10 times better than anything Google Chrome could come up with.
  • 10 times better than anything Microsoft Explorer could come up with.
  • 10 times better than Safari or any other prefabricated, standardized, generic website could come up with.
  • 10 times better than anything a third-party vendor could come up with, simply because only you really know what you want.


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