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Whenever you receive a medical bill that is either more than you expect (which often happens) or confusing (often too), you should ask for an individual bill or a “super bill”. A Super Invoice contains the intricacies you actually need to understand what you are actually being billed for, which in turn reveals errors that you can then have removed from the invoice.

What is a super bill?

Not all medical bills are created equal, and some give you almost no information about what you are being billed for. In this case, request a detailed invoice from your medical service provider, either in writing or via their billing portal (if available). Within a few weeks you should receive a new invoice with detailed items for each service provided.

Many of these articles have codes and abbreviated descriptions that are difficult to parse, but there are ways to verify that they are legitimate fees.

This is how you can spot errors in your super bill

Before disputing a bill with your doctor, try to understand each point as best you can by doing the following:

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• If you have health insurance, start with your EOB, or Explanation of the benefits. This will be sent to you by your insurance company after you have received the medical care and confirms which part of this medical care is covered by the insurance. It looks like a bill that you have to pay, but it isn’t.
• At some point after the treatment, your health insurance company will pay its share of the bill, and then you will receive an actual bill from the doctor. At this point you can request an individual proof if the first invoice does not make sense. (It is possible that you will receive this invoice before your EOB, so you will have to wait for your EOB or a follow-up examination with your insurer to close the loop.)
• Next, compare your super bill and EOB and look for discrepancies, as well as errors or obvious mark-ups for services that you haven’t used or needed. Your individual invoice contains universal HCPCS and ICD-10 codes that describe a service / product or diagnosis. If the description of the line item doesn’t make sense besides this code, Google the code for a simple description.

Common types of errors in medical bills

Typos are common. Codes are often misused or can differ by a single digit, so flag a service or diagnosis that doesn’t make sense based on the treatment you received. Double billing is also common.

Plus, you can successfully drive back exorbitant mark-ups as medical providers sometimes sneak in dubious fees for things like $ 100 aspirin or $ 10 bottles of water (you can also check databases like Fair health or Bluebook for healthcare to see what the normal fees for the service provided could be).

How to dispute a charge on a medical bill

Just call the provider, or write a letter denying the allegations. You might want to contact your insurance provider first and make sure a discrepancy isn’t on their end. Otherwise, if the provider doesn’t give in to a clear billing error, this is something you should consider legal action. If you can’t afford to pay the bill, consider your payment options, there described in this Lifehacker post.

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The postponement has already happened, but after a year and a half working remotely during the pandemic Slack has become the de facto business messaging app. But just like you would think twice about calling your coworkers on their days off or after work, you should probably do the same on Slack too.

So far, the best way to avoid bothering your coworkers with messages after business hours has been to ask Slackbot to schedule a reminder (either for you or for your coworker) so that you can think of it at a better time return to the conversation. You don’t need to find creative workarounds to stop annoying your co-workers, however, as Slack finally lets you schedule message delivery – although the feature only works on desktop so far (although hopefully mobile features will follow soon).

How to schedule message delivery on Slack

Before you get too excited about this useful new feature, make sure you actually get to use it – it’s rolling out gradually so you may be able to schedule Slack messages for some teams you are on, but not all. .

To schedule messages on Slack, open the app and type a message, be it in a DM, private group, or public channel – all support scheduled messages. Instead of clicking Submit, click Down arrow Button next to the Send Button. Slack will show you a few preset times to send the message, and if none works for you, you can click Custom time.

Screenshot: Pranay Parab

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Select the date and time, then click Schedule message.

Screenshot: Pranay Parab

Once a message is scheduled, you can post it at. Show Scheduled news; this section is displayed in the left pane at the bottom subjects.

Screenshot: Pranay Parab

To edit a scheduled message, move the mouse pointer over the message, click the Pencil icon, and when you’re done making changes, click green check mark Button.

To change the sending time of your message, hover your mouse over the message and click Move message.

You can also send a previously scheduled message immediately by tapping the Planned Page, hover over the message and click Send Message.

Finally, you can hover your mouse over a scheduled message and click the icon Three point symbol to uncover a few more options—Extinguish and Cancel the schedule and save it in drafts.

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With the kids going back to full-time school in the next few weeks while the Delta variant of COVID-19 surges, many parents wonder whether their children will have to wear a mask.

In that sense, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have published new guidelines for K-12 schools, which recommends universal internal masking for all students (from 2 years of age) regardless of vaccination status. However, despite CDC guidance, some states do not require school masks. Therefore, here is a list of the individual states that summarize the rules of your place of residence.

Please note: Mask policies are constantly changing, and policies vary by district where there is no statewide mandate. Contact your local school district for the most accurate mask guidelines.

Alabama

Although there is no statewide mandate, according to AL.com, at least 58 of Alabama’s 149 public school districts now require masks for students.

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Alaska

Despite the lack of a statewide mandate, seven of the state’s ten largest school districts, including Anchorage and Juneau, require universal masking.

Arizona

At least 10 school districts, including Phoenix Elementary and Phoenix Union High School District, are opposing Arizona Governor Doug Ducey’s ban on mask mandates by requiring their students to wear masks (leading to an ongoing lawsuit).

Arkansas

Although Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a law in April banning schools from requiring masks, he is now working to lift that ban and is saying that Associated press, “Now everything has changed. And yes, in retrospect I wish it hadn’t become law. ”

California

California requires all public school students to wear masks.

Colorado

Centennial State does not have mask requirements for school children, but the Denver and Jeffco school districts will require it.

Connecticut

Governor Ned Lamont has put a nationwide mask policy in place. While local health and education departments will publish updated guidelines before the start of the school year, schools are expected to follow statewide guidelines by then.

Delaware

Delaware requires all students to wear masks.

Florida

Although Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the Biden Administration’s recommendations for school-age children as “unscientific and inconsistent” and signed an executive order to protect parental freedom in choosing whether their children wear masks, some counties have announced that masks will be required for the 2021-2022 school year.

Georgia

Although Georgia doesn’t have a statewide mask mandate, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms requires face masks in the city, including her 100+ schools.

Hawaii

All students in Aloha state are required to wear masks.

Idaho

Although Idaho does not have a statewide mandate, the Boise School District requires masks.

Illinois

At the beginning of August, Governor JB Pritzker announced, citing “our current history of hospital stays and intensive care stays”, that masks would be required for all students.

Indiana

Indiana doesn’t have a statewide mask mandate, but an increasing number of school districts in central Indiana are demanding it after the increased number of cases of COVID-19 since schools opened.

Iowa

The state of Iowa has banned schools from requiring masks.

Kansas

Kansas schools have the option to prescribe masks. The state’s largest county, Wichita Public Schools, will encourage, but not mandate, the wearing of masks indoors.

Kentucky

All students in Kentucky are required to wear masks. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced the mandate for all K-12 schools on August 10th.

Louisiana

In Louisiana, masks are required in all indoor locations, including schools, regardless of vaccination status.

Maine

The largest school district in Maine, Portland Public Schools, will require universal masking while many other school districts do not.

Maryland

Maryland does not have a statewide school mask mandate, but students in the Baltimore City, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George school districts are required to wear masks in school.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts school districts can decide on an individual basis whether or not to require masks for students. Districts in Boston, Springfield, and Amherst have already decided to hire them this year.

Michigan

Although the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services strongly encourages face-covering in schools, mask requirements are at the discretion of the local district.

Minnesota

The state of Minnesota does not require masks in schools, but its top health and education officials have recommended universal indoor masking for everyone (over 2 years old) in school settings.

Mississippi

Call for the updated guidelines of the CDC on wearing masks “foolish“Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has not issued a statewide mandate for face covering in schools (despite a request from the Mississippi Association of Educators).

Missouri

Although Kansas City Public Schools require their staff to either get vaccinated against COVID-19 or take weekly tests, local education authorities will decide whether their students should wear them.

Montana

Although Montana has recommended indoor masking for students, there is no statewide requirement.

Nebraska

Schools in Nebraska have the option to prescribe masks. Several counties, including the state’s largest, Omaha Public Schools, require masks to be worn indoors.

Nevada

Masks are required in the largest counties in the states of Clark and Washoe. In the other 15 counties, the districts decide.

New Hampshire

Schools in New Hampshire have the option, but are not required to, prescribe masks.

New Jersey

All Garden State students will return to school wearing masks.

New Mexico

While vaccinated middle and high school students in New Mexico are not required to wear face covering, elementary school students and staff across the state require masks regardless of vaccination status.

new York

Schools have the ability to mandate masks in New York state (and new governor Kathy Hochul has said she supports masking requirements for children at school). Schools in New York City will require them regardless of vaccination status.

North Carolina

Schools in North Carolina have the option to prescribe masks. According to the Citizen Times, 55 of the state’s 115 counties have made face covering mandatory, while 54 have made it optional.

North Dakota

School districts will decide whether their students in North Dakota must wear masks.

Ohio

There is no statewide mask mandate for schools in Ohio; However, Columbus, Cleveland, and Akron schools will make it a requirement.

Oklahoma

Masks are not required at schools in Oklahoma. In a press conference in July, Governor Kevin Stitt ruled out the requirement for school masks, saying, “This is about personal responsibility. This is about freedom. ”

Oregon

Masks are required at all schools in Oregon.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the wearing of masks was left to the individual school districts.

Rhode Island

Although Governor Dan McKee has not mandated face-covering in schools, he is now facing pressure from dozens of Rhode Island lawmakers to enact a statewide mask mandate.

South carolina

Schools in South Carolina are not allowed to prescribe masks.

South Dakota

At the end of July, Governor Kristi Noem tweeted: “I will not issue a nationwide policy that requires or prohibits masks in our schools.” However, some counties, including Sioux Falls and Rapid City, require it.

Tennessee

Current state law allows school districts to mandate masks if they so choose. There are already mandates in Memphis and Nashville.

Texas

Although state law prohibits schools from requiring masks, the Dallas, Austin, and Houston counties oppose the law that requires them in schools. However, the debate between state and local governments continues to rage as the Texas Supreme Court temporarily suspended mask orders in Dallas and Bexar counties.

Utah

Schools in Utah are not allowed to prescribe masks.

Vermont

While the Vermont Education Board recommends that schools require masks for the unvaccinated, individual schools have the power to decide whether masks are mandatory.

Virginia

Mask requirements are mandatory in all K-12 Virginia schools.

Washington

All students must wear masks in Washington state schools.

Washington, DC

Anyone attending a public school in the District of Columbia must wear a mask this year.

West Virginia

While the decision to prescribe masks has been left to West Virginia schools for the time being, Governor Jim Justice has said that if COVID-19 trends in the state worsen, he may grant a mask mandate.

Wisconsin

While Wisconsin doesn’t have a law requiring students to wear masks, the state’s largest counties – Madison and Milwaukee – have mandated masks.

Wyoming

Whether students wear masks is up to each school district in Wyoming.