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[JimHus]

So... with interest rates at there lowest in... decades, it was time to refinance.

My current lender has a FastTrack or Quick-n-Easy or somesuch approach... if you only borrow what they are already lending (to lower you rate for example) - then it is a 0 hassle, no qualify event. They take your info, send you paper - and you pay less next mortgage payment.

Or so it was promised.

1st guy: Home Phone?
Me: Same as my file says. Every bit of information you have on us it up to date and correct. I just reviewed the statement I got in the mail yesterday and made sure.
1st Guy: Home phone?
Me: *sigh* 555.****
1st Guy: Work Phone?
Me: I work from Home.
1st Guy: Work Phone?
Me: *growl* 555-****

... continues thru application form...

1st Guy: Great, we're all done.
Me: Fine.
1st Guy: Just let me review the information you gave me.
Me: hmm?

1st guy: Home Phone?
Me: *shakes head* 555.****
1st Guy: Work Phone?
Me: Dude! I still work from home. That hasn't changed in the last 20 minutes.
1st Guy: Work Phone?
Me: *silent scream* 555-****

1st Guy: Please wait while I send the information I collected to the loan processor.
Me: Sure.
--10 minutes--

1st Guy: Ok, she has it, we'll transfer you to speak to her.

--20 min hold--

1st Gal: Hi, I'm your loan processor. I need to review the information 1st guy got from you.
Me: The information he has is the same as is in your files. We've been your customer since the last CENTURY!
1st Gal: Just a few items.
Me: He already went through and verified every item.
1st Gal: Home phone?
Me: *looks around for a cliff*

I was honestly asked for my home phone number 8 times. This was after punching it into the phone system "to expedite processing." It's also the same phone number I've had since 1967 and they'd used since 1988.

Some days I have less patience than others.

Hoping your day is better than mine so far.

[JimH]

> I was honestly asked for my home phone number 8 times.

This sounds like the kind of test a bank might give to prospective employees.  It's then logical that they would want to use it to check prospective borrowers.

Funny story.  Thanks.

[zevele1]

Not the same,but in the same spirit.
I called my healh center to get an appointement with my doctor.
first message:'there is a new procedure,call number 456....

Number 456....

-enter your ID number
-enter your phone number
-kind of doctor you want

Family doctor ,press one
child doctor,press two,ect,ect

-Name of the doctor
doctor JimH press one
doctor Zevele press two,ect,ect

-Days you want to see him
sunday press one
monday,press two,ect,ect

-when
morning,press one
afternoon,press two

enter the hour
you have to enter four numbers

.................................
The time you enter is not available,try another one.

I will go to the center next morning to see if there is another way to get appointement.If not ,i may register in another one

[Mirko]

@zevele:

Do you have to register to one specific health center? Very interesting. Where I life I can choose which doctor I want (well, mostly, some are not covered by the insurance and you have to pay yourself -> very few).

Could you tell more?

[zevele1]

Well,i will try to tell you.

You are from Germany,and you have more or less the same system than in France[i'am frech born ]

In England,you have to registered to an health center,according to the place you live.In 2 years in London,i saw a doctor only twice,so i do not really know how it works.
But i remember i had to registered to one of the health center in the part of London i had my flat.

Here ,in Israel,it is a different strange[?],messy[?] way.

You have National Insurance where you give money every month for health care-pension fund.

But National Insurance is only an office.

We have Heath funds. There is 4 or 5 or 6 of them ,i am not sure about the number-.

One is with a religious member,another one is link to Trade Union and socialist party,another one was created by the right[the Likoud party],i do not know about the others....

So,you start to understand why i said  strange[?],messy[?]

KEEP IN MIND WE ARE ONLY 6 MILLIONS PEOPLE,we may have a heath fund for each 750 000 habitants....

It is up to you to be a member of one or another health fund.And you can change health fund

You can use any center in all the country.Like to have the blood test in the center near your flat in early morning,but to have your doctor in another center near your work.Even if you house and your work are not in the same town.
But you can use only centers from the health fund you are member.

Services are good and cheap.You have to pay $1 the first time you see a doctor for a period of 2 months.If you see the doctor twice a week  for the next 2 months,you just pay once.You will have to pay again $1 at the start of the next 2 months.
If you see your doctor every 3 months,you will have to pay $1 each time.
If you need to see a special doctor[heart,eyes,...] with a letter from your doctor ,you pay $2 a visit.
You pay from 10% up to 40% of the price of the medecines

$1 is no money here-the price of a ticket bus.

Health funds get money from National Insurance according to members they have.

BUT[there is allways a BUT here..]

Health funds are private ,looking to make money.
They sell you extra health insurances[at nice price],travel insurances.
But not only.They make deals with other companys.
If you are member of health fund X,you can get special deal with wireless phone company Y.They send you catalogs with stuff 'certified heath fund X'.Bed,chair,armchair....computers-tv[!]Anything to make money.
In one super market i get 2% discount with my health fund card..even if i buy 10 bottles of alcool and 100 cigarettes!!

Since few years,my health fund try to be 'the smart for yuppies' health fund.

You can get alternative medecine at reduce cost,get special prices for health centers in Europe and so on.
In another hand,they cut more and more on humain forces,puting anything on computer.It is almost impossible to speak to someone now.

If you want to go to private doctor it cost a lot really

[Mirko]

@zevele: Thanks a lot.

Do you _have_ to be in a fund? Or is it free to have another insurance? If this is so, may you go to private doctors, that are covered by that insurance?
Or are you forced into one of them?

It does sound quite similar to the system in germany. Only that the funds are called "krankenkasse" and the health center "arztpraxis" (one doctor typical, it may be more, then this is called "gemeinschaftspraxis"). You are forced to be member of a Krankenkasse, if your loan? is not too high. If you earn more or are selfemployed, you might have a private insurance "private Krankenkasse".
You are, however, free to choose your doctor. Even specialists. That's why we have quite a problem with the health costs here...

And most people have to pay for medicine themselves (Krankenkasse). The members of the privat insurances usually don't have to pay themselves, but they do have to pay at the pharmacia and get the money back later.

But I do understand why you call this strange and messy. I wouldn't like being spammed :-) (Nor would I like my insurance to have special offers for me... are we in a supermarket or at the doctor?)

[zevele1]

The rule is:
you pay according to your income money to National Insurance.Anyone pays
Workers,unumployed,retired,even people not working,just living out of saving,drug-deal or i do not know what  have to pay.
You are member of a health fund or not ,you pay the same.
I know only one person who never bother to registered to one of the healf funds.He pays the same as if a member.From time to time he gets a letter from National Insurance,asking him for his healf fund name ,like it they will send the money.
But National Insurance pays a 'basket' to healf funds.As a self -employed,if you have months late for paying the National Insurance,your healf found cannot know it,you still get doctors and so on.
I have to say that i am not a good person concerning National Insurance.I pay once a year most of the time,when they call me.Most of the time i just forget...

Any private insurance comes on the top of the health fund.And,for a start,extra-healf insurances from the healt funds are kind of private insurances.

There is many doctors in each center.If you do not like the one you have,just change for another one.
Concerning specialist doctor ,you can choose one from the list of specialists having a deal with your health fund.
Some extra insurance gives you acces to private clinic ,but again,the ones who have a deal with your health fund

When i speak about a center from one health found,it is not 2 rooms with one doctor.It is a medical center with family doctors,doctor for child,dentist,dermathologiste,rehabilitation,radiography,labs for blood test and more.
Of cause there is also small ones with only family and child doctors and blood test.

There is very very little negative things to say about our health care system.Unlike in France,you do not have to pay first and get money back latter.
For english people,our health system is raison enought to want to leave here.......
All my women friends from Europe or US who had babys here say that they got twice as much care during pregnangy and first years of the baby than in they country of origine-free i mean ,the normal one include in each health fund

Where are you in Germany.

One of my uncle was few years in the "post-office for army".In Tubingen first and latter Fribourg in Breiseau[?]This is a beautifull part of Germany.
I have friends in Duseldorft-i do not like the town-
And in Hambourg.I really like Hambourg ,and around Hambourg.From my friends house you see a canal with swans and trees,nice panorama

JimH

Here we are:comparing health systems on Interact!!!!!

[Mirko]

Where are you in Germany.

Neuss. It's right over the Rhein from Düsseldorf. Not very beautifull but job-related optimal (the Ruhrgebiet and other industrial zones not far, but far enough for no signs of it in Neuss).

One of my uncle was few years in the "post-office for army".In Tubingen first and latter Fribourg in Breiseau[?]This is a beautifull part of Germany.

It's indeed a beautifull part. It's called "Freiburg im Breisgau". It's a very nice town, really. I were there last summer (not exactly in Freiburg, but in the black forrest).
Breisgau is a landscape-name.

I have friends in Duseldorft-i do not like the town-

It don't like it, either. But the Altstadt, it's a quite large part of town ("old town") full of bars and such, is... enjoyable. And it's the next biggest town to Neuss (so my girlfriend can do what every woman enjoys to do: spend my money *g*).

Here we are:comparing health systems on Interact!!!!!

I think it's time for a new board system ;-)


Thanks a lot for your explanation.

[Fastyves]

Hallo Mirko, wie gehts im Neuss ?
(Nur mahl sehen ob ich nog einzige erinnerungen habe von deutche
sprache - sprechen ist mir nicht so schwer, aber schreiben ist etwas
anders !)

I've been living in Germany from 1953 > 1972 : Aachen - Köln - Lüdenscheid (near Wüppertahl) - Dûren).

My father was officer in the Belgian Forces, tlii he died in 1972, and I've been officer too from 1978 > 1983 and I asked to go back to Germany because I love your country, and I really felt home.

But since 1983, I'm in Brussels and I don't have that many occasions to practice Deutch - and it's terrific how fast you get it lost !

Viele grüßen,

Yves.

[Mirko]

Hallo Mirko, wie gehts im Neuss ?
(Nur mahl sehen ob ich nog einzige erinnerungen habe von deutche
sprache - sprechen ist mir nicht so schwer, aber schreiben ist etwas
anders !)

Actually, this is very good. Mir geht es gut, danke.

I've been living in Germany from 1953 > 1972 : Aachen - Köln - Lüdenscheid (near Wüppertahl) - Dûren).

I work in Aachen ;-)

My father was officer in the Belgian Forces, tlii he died in 1972, and I've been officer too from 1978 > 1983 and I asked to go back to Germany because I love your country, and I really felt home.

Well... now that I know you live in belgium I think I know what you mean. In comparison to belgian taxes, the germans are quote low (but, for americans, _very_ high I think). As far as I know.
Düren, Aachen and so on are quite nice landscapes. If you go about 100km east, you will find less nice landscapes. If you go 80km north-east, it is getting depressing (Ruhrgebiet, very much industry). So I guess I live in an optimal place between many not so nice places.

But since 1983, I'm in Brussels and I don't have that many occasions to practice Deutch - and it's terrific how fast you get it lost !

Is the language in brussels "flämisch" or french? I heard that you may use both languages in belgium...

Viele Grüße,
Mirko

[zevele1]

Concerning music,do you know;

Malaria
Xmal Deutschland
D.A.F.
NEU
Can
Faust

[Mirko]

@zevele: No. I don't know anyone of these. Which style is it? I would think they're quite... well... "political uncorrect" ("xmal Deutschland" means xtimes Germany).

[zevele1]

Well,
Faust,NEU! and Can are very old bands from end of the 60's ,begining of the 70'

But they sound still great today.The first Can-Movie Monster,Sountracks and Tago Mago- are total masterpieces.
NEW! as well.
Records from both bands are reedited all the time.
Not easy listening the first time.Can Monster Movie is on 'my 10 greatest albums ever'

Xmall,Malaria and D.A.F are bands from the 80's.
I know Xmal D= Xtime Ger.But nothing to do with neo...I do not remember from where they take they name.
D.A.F. is for Deutsh Amerikanische Freundscholf
Like Xmal D.. a derision .
Malaria is from Berlin.Win Winders used some of they songs in one movie.I really like them.

You may find it on some programs p2p.Do not know where the germans are now.They been hardcore users of audiogalaxy.

[Fastyves]

Is the language in brussels "flämisch" or french? I heard that you may use both languages in belgium

Well, for such a little country as Belgium, we managed to make it easier by having 3 national languages : German in the east of the country (Eupen), French in the South-East and Flamish in the North-West - both in Brussels - and, of course, English as business language.

Nice, isn't it ?

Yves.