That was actually the Post, April 15, 1983:

Oh, damn! But it was from the Murdoch Era.

Ah, the National Enquirer. Haven't ever read it, but have - very occasionally - seen it on sale in supermarkets. I am surprised the supermarkets and their distributors would import it.

The New York Times is the gold standard in newspapers to me along with The Washington Post. The New York Post and The Washington Times? Er, not so much.

Garbage like the Enquirer should've died decades ago from a lack of anyone willing to part any amount of good money for it. I am always and in all ways baffled by it's continuing existence... must be aliens, only explanation. A one joke idea that stopped being funny somewhere after Elvis died.

I also remember leaving messages saying if there is anything sooner, if there are any cancellations, if tests can be moved up at all, please think of us, we are suffering waiting. It actually worked a couple of times. I had to 'fight' for myself on some things as well and it definitely takes a toll, it really isn't fun to have to do, and it is intensely personal feeling where you really do get up some anger in with the fear. You do what you can and hope to attract some kind of help and then just exist sometimes. Not fun making a system work that you get to see the limitations and plain dumbness of.

My mother is still with me, the first cancer scare seems like such a distant nightmare now, but there was an emergency gall bladder situation more recently where I had to say Mom, I'm calling the ambulance now, you have twenty minutes to get ready. Crisis mode.

Late night bear thoughts (now back to the den).

The doctor could only tell us their fees, but there are hospital fees billed separately and the anesthesiologist who also bills separately. Doc says call insurance. Insurance says call the doc. Everyone tries to call the hospital and can't get a response or a call back. Insurance confirms the doc fees, but can't tell us hospital fees. Can't even ballpark the anesthesiologist bc "it depends." I tried hard to make sure the CS rep knew this wasn't directed at them, but how the hell am I supposed to work with this? How can I possibly get an idea of my costs and whether I can afford it if no one knows shit?

We didn't get the hospital's estimate until we were there checking in where we could do f**k-all about it. The standard cost was in the middle five figures before insurance discount, which while something like 90% less was still multiple thousands of dollars.  That was just the hospital, too., The procedure is done and we're home, and I still have no idea what the anesthesiologist is going to charge.

There is so much bloat and administrative waste in our healthcare system, and so many extra needless layers extracting profit. Maybe the fact it's called the healthcare industry instead of healthcare service tells you everything you need to know.

I don't know what the correct answer is to fix it, but boy, the current system today is one of the wrong ones.