TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO FILE:
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT:
CLIENT: Blue Cross was making fun of you.
THERAPIST: (chuckles) How was Blue Cross making fun of me this time?
CLIENT: They sent me an envelope and I go, "Oooh." it was one of the things the check comes in. I open it up and it has a couple of appointments with an "A" and a "B" and long paragraphs, basically saying you screwed up entering the numbers and that you're going to have to re-enter them and then they'll send me checks. They also told me I could check the bottom of the page for a check, but it just had my name on it; there was no check.
THERAPIST: I will take a quick look.
CLIENT: They also said that they'd been in discussions with you. You need a billing service. [00:01:10]
THERAPIST: I'll take a quick look now.
CLIENT: You could probably train your daughters to do it.
THERAPIST: It's not obvious what's going on. I will look further into it. (pause) These are claims from this calendar year? [00:02:00]
CLIENT: I guess. I probably should have looked at the dates. I think there were three of them.
THERAPIST: There are some denials from the end of last year relating to authorizations, which I've probably gotten since.
CLIENT: They said that you entered the first three letters incorrectly.
THERAPIST: Of your insurance prefix?
CLIENT: Yeah, so you may have my old card and don't have my new card.
THERAPIST: When did you get a new card?
CLIENT: June.
THERAPIST: Hmm. Let me check. Do you have it on you?
CLIENT: When you're in the system as deep as I am, you always have it on you. Just watch, I won't have it on me.
THERAPIST: I have "[inaudible]." Is it... [00:03:05]
CLIENT: "[inaudible]."
THERAPIST: Oh, how about that?
CLIENT: Oh, wait – that's my dental. Never mind. (both chuckle) Oh, Lord. "[inaudible]" for PPO. Preferred Blue.
THERAPIST: And then the numbers?
CLIENT: Yes.
THERAPIST: Okay. I will have them resubmit those. If you could send me the dates, that would help.
CLIENT: I've already thrown it in my recycle pile. Aren't they supposed to notify you of this stuff? They said they would.
THERAPIST: They may have. I'll look. Maybe that's what the denials were. Let me check. I had assumed they were for something else.
CLIENT: Something tells me they were January. [00:04:03]
THERAPIST: I've not gotten any denials for January.
CLIENT: I just got them yesterday.
THERAPIST: Oh, okay. Whereas I did get some denials for...
CLIENT: You have a harder time getting paid than I do. (pause)
THERAPIST: "Patient cannot be identified." These are from last year. All right. I'll just have those resubmitted. [00:05:00]
CLIENT: They knew it was me, but...
THERAPIST: They know enough to know it was you to send it back, but they still refuse to bill it. It looks like this started November 20th. Then I know I have it. Okay. That's an easy fix. (pause) Thanks. [00:05:55]
CLIENT: Did I tell you our E&G chapter is moving?
THERAPIST: Yes, to The County?
CLIENT: Yes. It's official.
THERAPIST: Oh, it is? Yeah.
CLIENT: The fourteenth is going to be our first meeting there. The atrium, which I suggested, is right off the highway so it's someone convenient. You don't have to drive into The County, which can add 10 or 15 minutes. It's a nice facility. It's an assisted-living home that's $6,000 a month to live in. We're going to have a big kick-off in late April or May. There's already a morning group in The County and there are some people who are pissed that we're coming to town. Number one, they're a large group, so there are people in The County and the surrounding towns who can't get into that chapter because their seat is taken; and there are people who can't make morning when we're here. The places we're drawing from all have chapters that are doing well and it's hurt us. The VFW is not a very professional-looking facility so this will be much better. We also can draw on the southern portion of the state. [00:07:12] It adds a little bit to my commute. I tried a while ago to break into The County with zero success. This will, hopefully, help me get a little more connected in The County. Maybe one day have a spare office there or something; just a conference room or something, a name on the door or something. I was worried. I was worried that the chapter was going to fold. Not as worried as I was a while ago, but I worried about it and then forgot about it, so I think this will be a successful endeavor.
THERAPIST: Good.
CLIENT: I'm clenching my teeth, which is causing me a sore jaw. I don't want to tell my dentist because they're going to want to put some $1,000 piece of plastic in my mouth. Even though I have insurance, there are caps on it. That wasn't intended to be a pun. I don't know if I just have to live with the clenching teeth because I like the medication. It's really made a huge difference. I'm driving faster, which worries me a little bit. [00:09:07] For the most part, I've been productive. I went back to the office yesterday and really didn't do any work. I was really just going back to see if there was any money for me. There was not; I'm broke. (sighs) Doctor Grace, the counselor, is supposed to have a party tonight and, of course, when she responded to my message I said, "Sure, I'm going." I had first said I wasn't going. I brought it up at the meeting yesterday. I'm like, "Does anybody know what's going on with her party?" and everybody is like, "I think it's postponed." I've got it in my calendar. Then Doctor Grace sends out an email asking if anyone is going, as only one person has RSVP'd and, if that's the case, she'll still have it and she and that person will go for dinner and drinks. And I'm broke. I have zero money. [00:10:16]
I totally screwed up my business checking account. I didn't put a substantial transfer in Quickbooks so I thought I had more money than I had. Typically what happens there is I pay bills that probably could have waited a little bit, but I thought I had the money so I'm kind of screwed there. Next Thursday is going to be crazy. I've got a summary process in the morning in district court. Who knows when that's going to get out. I've got E&G and I've got one closing where I'm closing attorney and another one where I'm the buyer rep. [00:11:18] On the buyer rep one, she works and wants it after hours. That works for me. I think I can get it all. Probably the only thing that might get screwed up is going to E&G. But it was a referral from the president, so it's her fault. I don't want to get a sub if I can make it to the meeting. First of all, I wasn't thinking when I agreed to continue it to the last day of the month. That was stupid on my part, but I'm thinking that we're going to be put at the bottom of the list because of the last day; so I don't know. If they do it by docket number, we probably have the lowest docket number which would, of course, mean we would go first or be one of the first. I don't know. [00:12:24] I don't seem to be having anxiety over that, where normally I would just be churning all over it. I'm down to taking a half Klonopin in the morning. I really just don't see a need for it. I'm not taking it in the afternoon. Occasionally I take it at night if I feel like the Adderall...
THERAPIST: [...] (inaudible at 00:12:51)
CLIENT: So if I feel like the Adderall is still keeping me awake, I'll take more. Last night I stayed up until after 1:00, but I was up before my alarm. My phone has this problem where the sound doesn't work. It works on the headphones and it works on the Bluetooth, but not on the phone. So yesterday when my alarm went off I didn't hear it. I just happened to turn over and see it, so I hit snooze. Of course, I missed the second alarm as well. [00:13:48] There was an update for the operating system and that didn't seem to help it because it still went out this morning. After I played it in the car, it started working; but it didn't after I got out of the car, so I don't know. Tomorrow is Ian's birthday party. The storm is coming. I hope that doesn't freak people out. It's like 1:00 or something like that, so people will come before the storm. We'll probably have a better idea of when it's coming, too. February birthdays and stuff get snowed out. [00:14:47] Lucille won't eat cake or cupcakes. She doesn't like sweets so, for her birthday, she brought those little cheese wheels. Jess was complaining to me. I don't know if these are made-up conflicts. I always feel like she's reading things into situations just to create a conflict with someone, but she wants Lucille to go to preschool in the fall and she thought she had made that clear to the day care that that's what's going to happen. The contract is ending soon and the woman who runs the place said, "We'll give you the same price because the prices have gone up." [00:15:43]
THERAPIST: day care or the preschool?
CLIENT: The preschool, because she still needs to go through the summer, or maybe she doesn't go until the summer. Jess is saying that she's been cold to her and that she thinks that the lower end of keeping the same price may have meant that she was going to stay. That kind of stuff I just want to hang up the phone. She just goes on and on about it. It never happens when she's dealing with a man. It's one of these "women can't get along" things. I think a lot of it is manufactured. She's been complaining to me a lot about stuff, dumping on me. I thought I was free of that. I'm hoping someone else shows up to this thing tonight. [00:17:05]
THERAPIST: Not just you and Dr. Grace?
CLIENT: Yes. I don't know. I think if most people were having a party and only one person was coming, they'd cancel it. (pause)
THERAPIST: Why wouldn't you want it to be just you and Dr. Grace?
CLIENT: I don't know. Lack of confidence. She might take advantage of me. I have to stay relatively sober so I can drive back from The County. I don't know. (pause) [00:18:14] The reality is we have widely different views on certain topics. Like she thinks – I don't want to use the word "cure" – but "improve" autism with counselors, [ADHD, and she eats healthy and it doesn't cure her.] (ph?) (pause) [00:18:59] What's that smirk about? I want to take a Klonopin, but I'm going to be drinking. I'd prefer not to puke all over her. (pause) She'd probably prefer it.
THERAPIST: I think there is a way it can feel in here like you imagine it would feel if it was just you and she, in that you get anxious and feel like you sort of don't have enough to really manage the interaction. [00:20:29]
CLIENT: Yes. You're smirking again.
THERAPIST: I'm stunned. I don't know if you've agreed with anything I've said before. (both chuckle) That's better.
CLIENT: I was going to suggest it's kind of annoying how you speak in one word at a time. You...
THERAPIST: (laughs)
CLIENT: Do any of your other patients make fun of you?
THERAPIST: It never happens, really, because there's so little to actually make fun of, nobody ever does.
CLIENT: You keep on thinking that. (therapist laughs) See I'm just making fun of you to cover up for my own inadequacies. [00:21:41]
THERAPIST: I think it's also fun, (laughs) but I think it's some of that, too.
CLIENT: I don't make fun of Micah.
THERAPIST: No?
CLIENT: She's too serious. I don't know what to do about the clenching thing. I'm afraid if I tell her she might try and put me on something else. (pause) That's become my natural mouth-closed position, clenched. My jaw hasn't been as sore so it's sort of gotten used to it, but it can't be good for my teeth. (pause) [00:23:24] I feel like I don't know how to act. I don't know what she's thinking. Is it just dinner with a business associate or is there something else? I'll make some stupid joke about something at some point. That will most likely come across creepy. [00:24:17]
THERAPIST: I think at the moment – I'm trying to string a few words together here – you...
CLIENT: You're not self-conscious now, are you? I'll just speak during the pauses.
THERAPIST: You feel (laughing)... It's funny; I do that. I don't always see that. Actually I think that I talk very quickly. I think you feel kind of ashamed and like I'm going to see you critically if you let on the intensity of your feelings about, let's say, having dinner alone with Dr. Grace and the way you get anxious about them. I think you could really get stirred up about it. I mean, she's attractive, she's intelligent. Yes, you differ on some things, but it could be really exiting; and I think you're sort of ashamed of how much you would really want it to go well or get excited about it and could be anxious about that. [00:25:51]
CLIENT: Knowing full well it's going to be another disappointment.
THERAPIST: Yeah, and you feel like I'm going to think critically of you or less of you.
CLIENT: I don't care what you think of me. I don't think you could think any less of me. (pause) I just hope someone else shows up. Part of me that is saying that maybe someone else RSVP'd and she forgot I RSVP'd. (pause) [00:26:45]
THERAPIST: Yeah, I think the anxiety you indicate you feel with her is kind of similar to what you can feel here – that she would see that you're excited and a bit off-balance, maybe kind of unsure how to handle yourself. I think that's the same thing you're worried about with me.
CLIENT: If you say so. That wasn't necessarily an agreement. I don't know what I worry about with you – mostly whether my meter is going to run out or not.
THERAPIST: I think you're trying to pull me into a kind of argument that will move our attention away from the issue here. You know you're pretty worried here. You deflect things by being funny and giving me a hard time all the time. [00:27:59]
CLIENT: Is it worry though? Is that the appropriate emotion; and is worry an actual emotion or is it some sub-class of another emotion or a combination of emotions? You're the doctor.
THERAPIST: Uh-huh.
CLIENT: (sighs) (pause) [00:30:18] I've got all my taxes in.
THERAPIST: That's great.
CLIENT: We need them next Thursday for the preschool. This is the earliest I've ever had them in. Usually it's like April when I turn them in. (pause) [00:31:12] I did a closing for some of it and then fantasy football and we've gone to the Pats for three years and I re-fi'd him many times. I used to cut him a deal, like $250 off my fee, and now I kind of have this Company that has lowered my fee by $100 and I really just didn't give them the deal; but it still looks like it comes in at $500 and it's $150. They were thankful that I've given them deals over the years and have come out to the house and blah, blah, blah, so they gave me a $60 bottle of Patrone. I didn't have any good alcohol in my house, and now I do. It's not the kind of tequila that you drink with salt and a lime, though it's still fun to. (pause) [00:32:42] I'm wondering what the CPA and the financial planner are going to do about the move. The CPA misses a lot of meetings and is late a lot. The thing is, she could benefit from all the wealthy folks in The County. She's a big asset for the group. The financial planner hasn't been in there long enough really to make any back, but those are coveted seats. We could fill that seat – no problem. The same thing with the CPA, but the question is if we would get as good a CPA as we have now; and I don't think they get much better. [00:33:47] There's really no one else I'm worried about. The contractor kind of thinks he's not going to be able to; it doesn't make sense for him. I don't think he realizes it's a few more exits up the highway. It's not that much longer, recognizing that it's good for the group. Our ambassador is from the The County morning group and I challenged his chapter to softball. It's funny, though, that they see us as competition, and there might be members who might switch to lunch; but a lot of it is that people who come by who can't join, or people who have business associates – like I think Dr. Grace's partner is the president of the The County chapter. There's a huge opportunity for us and, when you have chapters that are so close to each other, there is a lot of reciprocation. [00:35:05] They still have a big advantage because, when there is someone that they have an open seat for, they're going to want to join the chapter with 47 members, as opposed to one with 12 or 13. We're going to have a big kick-off party; do it right. We'll get a lot of visitors in there. The new space is going to make a huge difference and the location is going to make a huge difference. We used to have a lot of The County members and then, once Dr. Grace left, we had none. Actually, the president and realtor have an office in The County, and she really focuses on that area. My concern is The County is somewhat parochial and I've just got to not focus on the old The County and focus on the young in the County. [00:36:16] It's a big enough city with commerce to have two groups. This other place has three groups and they all meet in the morning. There is a lot [inaudible]. It's got a good location. (pause) [00:37:59]
THERAPIST: I would imagine part of your hope is that in helping to pick up your business, it will help to shore up your confidence; which, I would imagine, is part of why you mention it in the context of what we're talking about or what I said.
CLIENT: (pause) [00:39:07] I got a call from a lender that there's a $1.06 balance on taxes that I paid to the February court, and I paid the amount that was on the bill; and they were actually the previous lender as well, so I said to them, "You guys were paying the tax bills before I was paying the tax bills. Something went wrong. Why are we spending all of this time on the phone over a dollar? You guys really can't just take a dollar out of your escrow account and pay it?" Yesterday I was like, "Screw it. I'll just send the check in. I'm just going to blow it off." People are asking for stuff all the time. Like I'll do a closing and it will be a prior mortgage that hasn't been discharged and they usually tell the bar where it's clear it's been paid off and it's a re-fi. If they want me to clear it, I'll clear it and I'll charge them. Other firms who are doing re-fi's want me to get the discharge or indemnify them. I say, "I'm only responsible for the mortgage I paid off." The statute is very clear on that, but I've got to make sure that's paid off. On a purchase it's different. You're certifying title in addition to the owner's policy. [00:40:54] One of those just came back to bite me. I did a closing back in '04 and I have indemnification and proof of pay-off. The title company that gave me indemnification never followed-up and got the discharge, so I got a call from my old title company looking for what happened. I sent them everything – the indemnification, the proof of pay-off, all of that – good luck. You guys shit-canned me. I'm not going to waste my time. My current title company won't even bother you about a discharge. They just go ahead and get it. This one, maybe they wanted to talk to me because they may not have known who was paid off, which was not the original mortgage company. They're is out of business. Ultimately it was another that was paid off and is now part of HSBC. It is one of those dirty lenders. They're in the middle of all the towns. People would go in there and they'd get a high interest rate and all kinds of little loans and mortgages. The original sub-prime, a dirty loan.
THERAPIST: We should stop for now.
CLIENT: That flew by. Well, remember to lift with your legs.
THERAPIST: You, too.
CLIENT: I like the snow, but...
END TRANSCRIPT
