Stupid, Stupid, Stupid People! (long)

Hate to tell you, but it's plain and simple poor record keeping on your
vet's part. After five years, records should have been purged from the
system, or at very least a code that showed pet was deceased. I would
suggest calling them and politely asking them to purge you from their
system, before you become impolite!

And the human - had happen to me. A few months after my mom died, got a
bill from hospital $180 to pronounce her dead - I hit the roof. Can I get a
job to do that, sounds like it pays good money, how hard is it to take a
listen to see if heart is still beating? Anyway, said insurance company
wouldn't pay - turns out hospital coded it wrong, insurance company didn't
know what it was for.

The next is kind of ironic. My mother remarried when I was under a year -
her married name became "Joan Crawford" - yes like the movie star (no I did
not get beat for using wire hangers!). Turns out there was ANOTHER Joan
Crawford, also in Pittsburgh w/the same health insurance my mother had had.
We got a bill for a mastectomy and something else - pretty good considering
my mother had been cremated so there was nothing left to remove. This woman
also went to the same doctor as my mother. The doctor's office fixed that
in a jiffy. But it's always the insurance companies that royally ticked me
off for one reason or another. If it were up to them they'd let us all die
painful deaths from something that could be so simply cured. (sorry, my own
rant now)

The downside, my mother never did get any "royalty" checks from the "real"
late Joan Crawford!

(Please forgive me if I offended anyone - I have a very sarcastic sense of
humor, which can be taken the wrong way!).

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
It's a RANT. Pardon me if I've told this before, but I got something in
the
mail yesterday which I didn't look at until today and it's set me off
again.
(sigh)

For the most part vets and their tech's are really nice people (like our
recently 'outed' tech, Mischief here!). But I swear, the animal hospital
where I used to take my dog Sampson, can they be any more obtuse?

Sampson went to the RB in November, 1999. He was nearly 18 years old.
They
had been treating him for years with daily medication for congestive heart
failure. He was on special low sodium prescription canned food the last 5
years of his life. They were small 'half cans' of food at about $25/case
for (IIRC) 10 cans. There was another pill he had to take daily as well,
I
can't recall now what it was for. He was also being treated for "doggie
dementia" with a medication called Anipryl which cost about $80 a month.
I
couldn't afford any of this but somehow I did it anyway. On November 3,
1999, I took him for his final visit.

Two weeks later I got something in the mail from the company that mfg's
Anipryl. It was a certificate for a Free First Trial of this drug for
"senior" dogs who exhibit symptoms of doggie altzheimers. I was about to
write it off as coincidence until I noticed they had my vet's return
address
stamped inside the correspondence, suggesting I redeem it there. I was
FURIOUS! They'd given my name and address to this drug company!

I like to think I'm a fairly competent writer. I can be clear, concise
and
to the point. I can also most definitely let the reader know, in scathing
terms, just how angry I am. I wrote to the drug company rep and did just
that. I informed her my dog had died two weeks earlier. I let her know
in
no uncertain terms, no one offered a "freebie" of this expensive drug the
entire two years he was on it even though I couldn't afford it. I
demanded
to be taken off their list immediately. I cc'd and mailed a copy to his
vet.

A week or so later I got a hand-written note of apology, not from the vet
who had treated Sampson all those years, but from the owner of the clinic.
He said yes, they did make my info available along with info on other
"senior" pets who might benefit from this medication. He indicated they
had
no idea Sampson was so ill. Excuse ME? Ever think to pull his chart and
see what you guys were treating him for, not to mention his extreme age?
And that he was already ON this medication, so the certificate for a Free
First Trial wouldn't have done me a damned bit of good anyway?

(deep breath) I went through my mail from yesterday this morning. I got
a
letter from this same clinic about a new heartworm injectible for my dog.
Hello. You put him to sleep in 1999. Why the hell am I on a mailing list
for this in 2004?! Stuff like this just chaps my ass. But unless I get
another stupid correspondence from them, I won't act on it. If, however,
for some reason going forward they think I still need reminding about
caring
for my dog they'll be hearing from me.

Jill

jmcquown wrote in message
...

(deep breath) I went through my mail from yesterday this morning. I got
a
letter from this same clinic about a new heartworm injectible for my dog.
Hello. You put him to sleep in 1999. Why the hell am I on a mailing list
for this in 2004?! Stuff like this just chaps my ass. But unless I get
another stupid correspondence from them, I won't act on it. If, however,
for some reason going forward they think I still need reminding about
caring
for my dog they'll be hearing from me.

Jill


That sort of thing is inexcusable, especially given the time frame involved.

Jeanette

jmcquown wrote in message
...

(deep breath) I went through my mail from yesterday this morning. I got
a
letter from this same clinic about a new heartworm injectible for my dog.
Hello. You put him to sleep in 1999. Why the hell am I on a mailing list
for this in 2004?! Stuff like this just chaps my ass. But unless I get
another stupid correspondence from them, I won't act on it. If, however,
for some reason going forward they think I still need reminding about
caring
for my dog they'll be hearing from me.

Jill


That sort of thing is inexcusable, especially given the time frame involved.

Jeanette

jmcquown wrote in message
...

(deep breath) I went through my mail from yesterday this morning. I got
a
letter from this same clinic about a new heartworm injectible for my dog.
Hello. You put him to sleep in 1999. Why the hell am I on a mailing list
for this in 2004?! Stuff like this just chaps my ass. But unless I get
another stupid correspondence from them, I won't act on it. If, however,
for some reason going forward they think I still need reminding about
caring
for my dog they'll be hearing from me.

Jill


That sort of thing is inexcusable, especially given the time frame involved.

Jeanette

Magic Mood Jeep© wrote:
after about a few weeks of this going on, Mom got a call at home -
dad had passed away during the night, in his sleep - all efforts at
resuscitation failed.

Not even six months later, Mom gets a phone call from the EXACT same
VA Hospital, the VERY same department/wing where he was when he
passed on, to remind my father to set up his bi-annual heart checkup.

Mom let them have a piece of her mind (it wasn't the pretty
piece either)

As others have pointed out, it's poor record keeping/mailing list
maintenance, pure and simple. It's still enough to drive you up a tree.
I'm sorry your mom had to deal with that.

Jill


"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
It's a RANT. Pardon me if I've told this before, but I got
something in the mail yesterday which I didn't look at until today
and it's set me off again. (sigh)

For the most part vets and their tech's are really nice people (like
our recently 'outed' tech, Mischief here!). But I swear, the animal
hospital where I used to take my dog Sampson, can they be any more
obtuse?

Sampson went to the RB in November, 1999. He was nearly 18 years
old. They had been treating him for years with daily medication for
congestive heart failure. He was on special low sodium prescription
canned food the last 5 years of his life. They were small 'half
cans' of food at about $25/case for (IIRC) 10 cans. There was
another pill he had to take daily as well, I can't recall now what
it was for. He was also being treated for "doggie dementia" with a
medication called Anipryl which cost about $80 a month. I couldn't
afford any of this but somehow I did it anyway. On November 3,
1999, I took him for his final visit.

Two weeks later I got something in the mail from the company that
mfg's Anipryl. It was a certificate for a Free First Trial of this
drug for "senior" dogs who exhibit symptoms of doggie altzheimers.
I was about to write it off as coincidence until I noticed they had
my vet's return address stamped inside the correspondence,
suggesting I redeem it there. I was FURIOUS! They'd given my name
and address to this drug company!

I like to think I'm a fairly competent writer. I can be clear,
concise and to the point. I can also most definitely let the reader
know, in scathing terms, just how angry I am. I wrote to the drug
company rep and did just that. I informed her my dog had died two
weeks earlier. I let her know in no uncertain terms, no one offered
a "freebie" of this expensive drug the entire two years he was on it
even though I couldn't afford it. I demanded to be taken off their
list immediately. I cc'd and mailed a copy to his vet.

A week or so later I got a hand-written note of apology, not from
the vet who had treated Sampson all those years, but from the owner
of the clinic. He said yes, they did make my info available along
with info on other "senior" pets who might benefit from this
medication. He indicated they had no idea Sampson was so ill.
Excuse ME? Ever think to pull his chart and see what you guys were
treating him for, not to mention his extreme age? And that he was
already ON this medication, so the certificate for a Free First
Trial wouldn't have done me a damned bit of good anyway?

(deep breath) I went through my mail from yesterday this morning.
I got a letter from this same clinic about a new heartworm
injectible for my dog. Hello. You put him to sleep in 1999. Why
the hell am I on a mailing list for this in 2004?! Stuff like this
just chaps my ass. But unless I get another stupid correspondence
from them, I won't act on it. If, however, for some reason going
forward they think I still need reminding about caring for my dog
they'll be hearing from me.

Jill

Magic Mood Jeep© wrote:
after about a few weeks of this going on, Mom got a call at home -
dad had passed away during the night, in his sleep - all efforts at
resuscitation failed.

Not even six months later, Mom gets a phone call from the EXACT same
VA Hospital, the VERY same department/wing where he was when he
passed on, to remind my father to set up his bi-annual heart checkup.

Mom let them have a piece of her mind (it wasn't the pretty
piece either)

As others have pointed out, it's poor record keeping/mailing list
maintenance, pure and simple. It's still enough to drive you up a tree.
I'm sorry your mom had to deal with that.

Jill


"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
It's a RANT. Pardon me if I've told this before, but I got
something in the mail yesterday which I didn't look at until today
and it's set me off again. (sigh)

For the most part vets and their tech's are really nice people (like
our recently 'outed' tech, Mischief here!). But I swear, the animal
hospital where I used to take my dog Sampson, can they be any more
obtuse?

Sampson went to the RB in November, 1999. He was nearly 18 years
old. They had been treating him for years with daily medication for
congestive heart failure. He was on special low sodium prescription
canned food the last 5 years of his life. They were small 'half
cans' of food at about $25/case for (IIRC) 10 cans. There was
another pill he had to take daily as well, I can't recall now what
it was for. He was also being treated for "doggie dementia" with a
medication called Anipryl which cost about $80 a month. I couldn't
afford any of this but somehow I did it anyway. On November 3,
1999, I took him for his final visit.

Two weeks later I got something in the mail from the company that
mfg's Anipryl. It was a certificate for a Free First Trial of this
drug for "senior" dogs who exhibit symptoms of doggie altzheimers.
I was about to write it off as coincidence until I noticed they had
my vet's return address stamped inside the correspondence,
suggesting I redeem it there. I was FURIOUS! They'd given my name
and address to this drug company!

I like to think I'm a fairly competent writer. I can be clear,
concise and to the point. I can also most definitely let the reader
know, in scathing terms, just how angry I am. I wrote to the drug
company rep and did just that. I informed her my dog had died two
weeks earlier. I let her know in no uncertain terms, no one offered
a "freebie" of this expensive drug the entire two years he was on it
even though I couldn't afford it. I demanded to be taken off their
list immediately. I cc'd and mailed a copy to his vet.

A week or so later I got a hand-written note of apology, not from
the vet who had treated Sampson all those years, but from the owner
of the clinic. He said yes, they did make my info available along
with info on other "senior" pets who might benefit from this
medication. He indicated they had no idea Sampson was so ill.
Excuse ME? Ever think to pull his chart and see what you guys were
treating him for, not to mention his extreme age? And that he was
already ON this medication, so the certificate for a Free First
Trial wouldn't have done me a damned bit of good anyway?

(deep breath) I went through my mail from yesterday this morning.
I got a letter from this same clinic about a new heartworm
injectible for my dog. Hello. You put him to sleep in 1999. Why
the hell am I on a mailing list for this in 2004?! Stuff like this
just chaps my ass. But unless I get another stupid correspondence
from them, I won't act on it. If, however, for some reason going
forward they think I still need reminding about caring for my dog
they'll be hearing from me.

Jill

Magic Mood Jeep© wrote:
after about a few weeks of this going on, Mom got a call at home -
dad had passed away during the night, in his sleep - all efforts at
resuscitation failed.

Not even six months later, Mom gets a phone call from the EXACT same
VA Hospital, the VERY same department/wing where he was when he
passed on, to remind my father to set up his bi-annual heart checkup.

Mom let them have a piece of her mind (it wasn't the pretty
piece either)

As others have pointed out, it's poor record keeping/mailing list
maintenance, pure and simple. It's still enough to drive you up a tree.
I'm sorry your mom had to deal with that.

Jill


"jmcquown" wrote in message
...
It's a RANT. Pardon me if I've told this before, but I got
something in the mail yesterday which I didn't look at until today
and it's set me off again. (sigh)

For the most part vets and their tech's are really nice people (like
our recently 'outed' tech, Mischief here!). But I swear, the animal
hospital where I used to take my dog Sampson, can they be any more
obtuse?

Sampson went to the RB in November, 1999. He was nearly 18 years
old. They had been treating him for years with daily medication for
congestive heart failure. He was on special low sodium prescription
canned food the last 5 years of his life. They were small 'half
cans' of food at about $25/case for (IIRC) 10 cans. There was
another pill he had to take daily as well, I can't recall now what
it was for. He was also being treated for "doggie dementia" with a
medication called Anipryl which cost about $80 a month. I couldn't
afford any of this but somehow I did it anyway. On November 3,
1999, I took him for his final visit.

Two weeks later I got something in the mail from the company that
mfg's Anipryl. It was a certificate for a Free First Trial of this
drug for "senior" dogs who exhibit symptoms of doggie altzheimers.
I was about to write it off as coincidence until I noticed they had
my vet's return address stamped inside the correspondence,
suggesting I redeem it there. I was FURIOUS! They'd given my name
and address to this drug company!

I like to think I'm a fairly competent writer. I can be clear,
concise and to the point. I can also most definitely let the reader
know, in scathing terms, just how angry I am. I wrote to the drug
company rep and did just that. I informed her my dog had died two
weeks earlier. I let her know in no uncertain terms, no one offered
a "freebie" of this expensive drug the entire two years he was on it
even though I couldn't afford it. I demanded to be taken off their
list immediately. I cc'd and mailed a copy to his vet.

A week or so later I got a hand-written note of apology, not from
the vet who had treated Sampson all those years, but from the owner
of the clinic. He said yes, they did make my info available along
with info on other "senior" pets who might benefit from this
medication. He indicated they had no idea Sampson was so ill.
Excuse ME? Ever think to pull his chart and see what you guys were
treating him for, not to mention his extreme age? And that he was
already ON this medication, so the certificate for a Free First
Trial wouldn't have done me a damned bit of good anyway?

(deep breath) I went through my mail from yesterday this morning.
I got a letter from this same clinic about a new heartworm
injectible for my dog. Hello. You put him to sleep in 1999. Why
the hell am I on a mailing list for this in 2004?! Stuff like this
just chaps my ass. But unless I get another stupid correspondence
from them, I won't act on it. If, however, for some reason going
forward they think I still need reminding about caring for my dog
they'll be hearing from me.

Jill

Ouch, ouch, and double ouch. That really sucks! As far as I know my
clinic does no such thing, but it totally blows that people do that.

Money is the reason why I quit my job working at a vaccination clinic.
All the big people up top cared about was money money money.

I'm really sorry for both of you that you've had to deal with stoopid
people. Purrs to both of you.

Kristi

Ouch, ouch, and double ouch. That really sucks! As far as I know my
clinic does no such thing, but it totally blows that people do that.

Money is the reason why I quit my job working at a vaccination clinic.
All the big people up top cared about was money money money.

I'm really sorry for both of you that you've had to deal with stoopid
people. Purrs to both of you.

Kristi

Ouch, ouch, and double ouch. That really sucks! As far as I know my
clinic does no such thing, but it totally blows that people do that.

Money is the reason why I quit my job working at a vaccination clinic.
All the big people up top cared about was money money money.

I'm really sorry for both of you that you've had to deal with stoopid
people. Purrs to both of you.

Kristi