Feb. 1=Walmart said they were having trouble with their computers. Had to wait several minutes and show driver licence after writing a check. (As a regular Wally World shopper, I am never asked for ID)

Feb. 2=Needed perscription filled. Went to Wal mart. After giving the perscription to the pharmacy I went shopping. Was called over the loud speaker to return to the pharmacy. They needed to scan my insurance card. Got my perscription, paid my co payment.

Feb. 12=Needed perscription refilled. Sent my daughter to pick up perscritption. She called from the store. Walmart said their records showed I did not have insurance and had paid for my Feb. 2 perscription in full.

I have a friend that had cancer and had to have surgery. She is now better. The surgeries were done in 1997 1998. She is in the middle of insurance choas. All her records of co pay for those years have disappeared and she is having to prove that she paid her part of the bill. She said it is a circle of no one knowing anything. All bills for 1999 are ok. Her carrier is Blue Cross. She was told they are having computer problems. She spends several hours a week working on this insurance problem.

-- Linda A. (adahi@muhlon.com), February 16, 1999

Answers

Linda,

I've been hearing and reading certain things about Blue Cross since early January...

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 16, 1999.

Hi Linda. I think Blue Cross is a state thing. Not to pry, but if you would tell us what state you're in, maybe we can find some more info. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), February 16, 1999.

I went to Sam's Club in Greenwood, Indiana today to pick up a few things. I could not beleive my eyes. I have been going in that store for over 10 years and I have never seen the place so under stocked. Generally they have every isle stacked 3 skids high. Today there was food on ground level only. There was a total of five skids of soups and stews in the entire warehouse isles. In the past you could find 50 skids of these products. I walked up and asked a lady giving out samples why the place was so empty that I had never seen it that way before. She said she had never seen it that way before also. And then she said.."don't say it" I replied "What? y2k?" She kind of smiled and said she did not know why the place was so empty, and that management never tell them anything. End of conversation.

May GODS Will be done

Mike

-- flierdude (mkessler0101@sprynet.com), February 16, 1999.

" All her records of co pay for those years have disappeared and she is having to prove that she paid her part of the bill. "

What a wonderful method to steal money. We'll see a lot more of this.

-- fly .:. (.@...), February 16, 1999.

Mike, flier dude.... Greenwood In??? Am close by! Wow, someone in my area.

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), February 16, 1999.

Four and a half months since I moved to a new home, still no electric bill. When I called back in December they said "the computers were messed up, and I would get a bill within a couple of weeks". I have been meter reading since the end of December. We'll see what happens.

-- Bill (y2khippo@yahoo.com), February 16, 1999.

went to Costco yesterday, everything was pretty much the same, but then that's what I'd expect here in wonderland on the potomac...I just wish they'd get in some real chain saws instead of those yuppie branch clearing things that they have now...

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), February 17, 1999.

People losing records and then trying to pressure you into paying again is nothing new. That's why I always keep receipts! With Y2K coming up, this becomes even more important than it used to be. Whatever you're doing, keep the paperwork (and if you are computerized, print out and keep records until Y2K is past, whether or not you do normally). Photocopying the cheques that you send as payment may also become wise in months to come.

-- Nigel Arnot (nra@maxwell.ph.kcl.ac.uk), February 17, 1999.

I don't see the problem - if they've provided you a service (i.e. cancer treatmen) and you made all the co-pays a couple of years ago the onus is on them to prove you DIDN'T pay. After all, they are at fault and should acknowledge that. I wouldn't sweat it too much. The downside is they may refuse to treat you NOW because the previous "problem" hasn't been cleared up. In this case sue immediately - this will get their sorry ass off your back - quick.

It's like the old adage about Banking, the more you've borrowed, the more potentially the Bank should be worried.

But I do agree that it's happening in dribs and drabs, slowly and surely throughout the year we'll hear more and more, especially when embedded system failures start kicking in towards the end of the year.

Cheers, Andy

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), February 17, 1999.

My wife has been a teacher in Maine since 1978. Three months ago she asked for a statement of service from the state retirement system. First one showed she had only three years of payments into the retirement fund. Service rep said "computer problem," all her records before 1995 had disappeared, and sent her forms to be filled out by ALL her previous employers. Next statement said she had 12 years service. Service rep: "more computer problems; the programmers been messing with the system for eight months now because of this y2k thing and we can't get accurate data. We're digging out the old paper files for some people." Now she has more forms to fill out.

She started asking around, and it seems that she's not the only person having problems. A coworker planned to retire this coming June, but has been having such a hassle with the retirement fund she is thinking of staying on another year just to make sure she has an income during her fight with the system. Other teachers have been requesting statements lately and getting the same results. Meanwhile the local paper just ran an article about how state government beat the y2k bug.

-- Cash (cash@andcarry.com), February 17, 1999.

Why don't we just blame every bad thing that every happened to anyone on Y2K?

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), February 17, 1999.

Linda,

Respectfully suggest that your friend fire off letters of complaint to your State's Insurance Commissioner, local Better Business Bureau, local paper and televsion consumer help department, and her attorney - around here it is amazing how many unresolved problems suddenly get resolved when local TV consumer advocate show up with a camera crew or when legal involvement. May want to copy her State and Federal congressmen (particularly if it involves some sort of HMO). You can bet if it is happening to her, others who don't (can't) stand up for their rights are getting the shaft - frequently it is the elderly who not longer have the stamina to do it. If she lets them know loud and clear that she won't roll over and play dead they are less likely to walk all over her, not to mention if it gets TV investigation she has performed a community service.

Maria, You got it isn't Y2K the perfect scapegoat! Life is good - Y2K did it.

-- john hebert (jt_hebert@hotmail.com), February 17, 1999.

Like Chinese water torture, isn't it?

The steady drips will either become gushers, in some cases. Or else indicators of a big problem that will both galvanize and mobilize the fix-it forces.

Not all problems showing up now are bad. Just a major hassle. They illustrate what needs attention.

Question is, can they be fixed in time?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 17, 1999.

"Why don't we just blame every bad thing that every happened to anyone on Y2K?"

What else can we blame everything on, El Nino is gone ;-)

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), February 17, 1999.

I had phone bill that was the same two months in a row. Same calls, same everything. A note said they were having "technical problems" and I should only pay if it was not the same as the previous month.

TCI cable said they were also having problems and if my next payment was not credited, not to worry.

What??? Me worry???

-- Dave (dave22@concentric.net), February 17, 1999.

I know a woman, a former DGI, who used to make fun of her brother's friend who was preparing for Y2K. During the first 10 days of January, she had to pay for the entire cost of diabetic medicine for her husband at the drugstore. According to computer records, she and her husband simply did not have insurance...but they did of course.

This woman is now planning to buy a generator.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 17, 1999.

Indirectly it has. Just got a bill from the dentist for a 1/4/1999 visit. Since have dental ins should not have gotten this bill. Took 5 days before could get through to straighten it out. (Lots of problems.)

At the time of visit there were new problems with the new software they were running (just cut over). So while talking to the billing department, I asked. Yep. New software is compliant. Installed because the old one wasn't.

The problem is only indirectly Y2K because it is actually the result of either the new software being buggy, or from what the billing clerk was saying about what she was seeing on my account, more likely due to sloppy data conversion.

Now if I can only get the same admission from the bank for the screwed up mortgage payment for Feb. Actually since there wasn't a line of people trying to correct mortgage payment errors - I'll guess it was just a 'normal' processing error. Darn, can't blame that one on Y2K.

Good Luck jh

-- john hebert (jt_hebert@hotmail.com), February 23, 1999.

I have been having billing problems with Sprint since 9-98, It is Still not completely straightened out. They have told me that they are fixing/updating their systems on an hourly basis. I spoke with 3 different service folks, all said the same. They have given me credit after credit. I still am confused. As for my electric bill, I have CEI and last month I sent payment via check, it still has not cleared my bank, now I dont know if it is y2k related or not, but I did call the company and was told there was a problem with payment processing because of the mail. They noted my account that I had sent payment and told me not to worry. Me, worry, not I. I guess saving all this paper is worth it. I have receipts for almost 10 years...........Almost out of credit debt now, and GLAD of it.

-- tisI (private@aol.com), February 23, 1999.