Friends of the Minneapolis Library fund

Tom Whitmore (WINOLJ) has posted a report on the Capclave silent auction to a Making Light open thread. No exact numbers, but he says they raised a bit over $800. Tom was pleased that his "donation was one of the more actively bid on items: an atlas of Civil War maps printed in newspapers of the time. I'd found it the day before in a library book sale, and it screamed "Mike!" at me; leveraged a $5 purchase into at least $65 for the fund."

(I meant this for nemesis_draco but will leave it here as well.)

Friends of the Minneapolis Library fund

Tom Whitmore (WINOLJ) has posted a report on the Capclave silent auction to a Making Light open thread. No exact numbers, but he says they raised a bit over $800. Tom was pleased that his "donation was one of the more actively bid on items: an atlas of Civil War maps printed in newspapers of the time. I'd found it the day before in a library book sale, and it screamed "Mike!" at me; leveraged a $5 purchase into at least $65 for the fund."

(I meant this for nemesis_draco but will leave it here as well.)

Usually, they send me bills

I have just opened an envelope containing a check from my health insurance company. We're paying for my insurance, under HIPAA; the company is HIP, because they offered the best price when I was looking around in early 2003. It's an HMO, so copays and lots of mail telling me I saw thus-and-such doctor on this date, and HIP paid them so much.

Before I opened the envelope, I thought that it was going to be for seven cents or so: I tend to round the bill up to the nearest dollar, rather than write "and nn/100," for companies that bill me every month, like HIP and my phone bill.

No. It's for over a thousand dollars. Printed on the form, above the check (perforated as they generally are), it says [I'm transcribing mixed case, though it's in all caps]:

You are entitled to a refund of your HIP Direct Pay Health Insurance Plan premium from the New York State Department of Insurance. The refund is being paid from excess funds in pools that had been funded by various health plans including HIP. The New York State Departmnet of Insurance has determined that these funds should be released to benefit direct pay health plan subscribers.

Your refund is attached. At HIP, we are pleased that you are receiving this refund. And, as always, we appreciate that you have made HIP your choice in health care coverage.

Below that is the preprinted stuff about "For all inquiries, please call…"

Usually, they send me bills

I have just opened an envelope containing a check from my health insurance company. We're paying for my insurance, under HIPAA; the company is HIP, because they offered the best price when I was looking around in early 2003. It's an HMO, so copays and lots of mail telling me I saw thus-and-such doctor on this date, and HIP paid them so much.

Before I opened the envelope, I thought that it was going to be for seven cents or so: I tend to round the bill up to the nearest dollar, rather than write "and nn/100," for companies that bill me every month, like HIP and my phone bill.

No. It's for over a thousand dollars. Printed on the form, above the check (perforated as they generally are), it says [I'm transcribing mixed case, though it's in all caps]:

You are entitled to a refund of your HIP Direct Pay Health Insurance Plan premium from the New York State Department of Insurance. The refund is being paid from excess funds in pools that had been funded by various health plans including HIP. The New York State Departmnet of Insurance has determined that these funds should be released to benefit direct pay health plan subscribers.

Your refund is attached. At HIP, we are pleased that you are receiving this refund. And, as always, we appreciate that you have made HIP your choice in health care coverage.

Below that is the preprinted stuff about "For all inquiries, please call…"