<p>First, to the forum member who pm’d with the awesome suggestion to consider Burke, or other alternatives . . . thanks, we will definitely do so. My son thought the Honors Housing was fine, but I don’t think it matters much to him, so Burke might be a great choice. I have a feeling he will be checking out the roommate finder and the Facebook page if Tuscaloosa is the final choice.</p>
<p>And to Bigdaddy88, well, all I can say is that there are just some people around here who are compelled to try to take digs, and, unnecessarily so. If it makes you feel big to do so, then be my guest. Whatevah. (How’s that for bringing it all back to junior high?)</p>
<p>I am very aware of how doctors work, and, no offense to any doctors in this forum, but the failure of doctors’ offices to handle billing in a logical, reasonable way is one factor that gave life to the atrocity known as the ACA. What other product or service does one contract to pay for without knowing the upfront cost? None. Admittedly, I only shop at stores with price tags on the items, so for some segment of the population, having no clue about the cost of medical services is to be expected, I guess. Thanks to the ACA, a lot more people are going to become a lot more knowledgeable about deductibles, EOBs, etc. The only bright light in that mass of medical darkness.</p>
<p>Now for those who actually deal with doctors and doctors’ bills, as I have had to do, then one would know that the experience is aggravating, because, despite signing up with insurers, these doctors, amazingly, just never know how much they charge, or how much they are contracted to receive by the insurer, or how much the final bill will be. Ok, I’ll forgive the doctors for not having a clue since they are preoccupied with saving lives, so ask their office managers, and those folks are often totally clueless. Even after years of dealing with the same insurance companies, and even with the increasing automation, and they still want to tell me an estimated price, and want me to pay upfront some arbitrary figure they come up with, and when the insurance company, with whom they contract, pays the entire bill (and, in my case, since I have both an HRA and an FSA, the money is paid out automatically based on the EOB), then I get to hound the office manager - and getting those refunds takes weeks, if not months - a period of time, in any case, that the same doctor’s office would never allow me to pay the bill. So my comment was based on reality, and is a valid complaint.</p>
<p>My family’s doctors get any money I may owe them before they even get around to sending out a bill, so I actually save them money, and I have never stiffed a medical professional. I have fired them (by switching doctors), or rejected their recommended courses of treatment, but they always get paid. I make sure my insurance pays its portion and that I pay my portion. I check for new EOBs weekly, and send out payments for my portion immediately upon being presented with that filed claim and associated EOB. But no, I am never pleased with having to pay some arbitrary amount before the office has even filed a claim, and given that 99% of the time that this occurs, I am always the one owed money, I am perfectly justified in being annoyed.</p>
<p>Ok, enough of that. Someone will solve the medical billing fiasco, or not. Right now, I am counting down the days until we have a final decision in our home (the last week of this month, I hope, after that final college visit.) And if Alabama is the choice, then I will start sending out the money … enrollment deposit, housing app, Bama Bound, Honors Action, maybe Camp 1831, anything else? Oh, yeah, whatever is left after the Presidential Scholarship (thank you Alabama!) Just in case, I have our hotel reservations for Parents Weekend 
Roll Tide Roll!</p>