I can’t believe that I’m actually admitting this, it’s so embarrassing. I’d rather have practical than pretty.
It’s like saying I want orthotics rather than Manolos. But, there’s this thing that I want. I want it so badly I almost asked for it for Hanukkah. It’s not at all romantic and while completely practical, the price is more than we were spending on gifts for each other this year.
The mystery gift? A Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500M. I know, I know. My mother did teach me that anything with a cord is not an acceptable gift. Which in any other given year would be great advice (flawless, 2-carat diamond studs in 4-prong, platinum martini settings have been at the top of the list for many years leading up to this one), but this year for Hanukkah what I really want is to stop drowning in the sea of insurance EOB’s (Explanation of Benefits) and doctors bills and pharmacy receipts. And, I think that this scanner might just help with that.
I got a bill from the hospital the other day saying I owed almost $900. But, I actually understand insurance stuff, and I know that there was no way that I truly owed that. So, I called the insurance company to see how much they paid, and how much I owed on that particular bill. Turns out I owed $35. So, I called the hospital finance number to be told that their offices were closed for the day, and to call back on their next business day. Which I did, but was told that their computers were currently being updated and I’d have to call back later that day. Which I did. When all was said and done, I didn’t owe them anything because we had overpaid on another bill, so I had a credit at the hospital.
This is why I want a scanner. I want a scanner to help me save and sort through all this paper. On this particular scanncer, the OCR software is supposed to be fantastic, and I’d be able to scan everything and then sort through it all on the fly. It’s not that it would have saved me the phone calls and the aggravation, but it would have made the entire process more efficient. All the information that I needed to provide both the insurance company and hospital would have been in an easy to access format and I wouldn’t have been searching through the endless stacks piled on my desk.
I hate that thoughts of sorting, saving and searching are what make me giddy this year. I look forward to the day when style trumps substance.
Right now though, I’ll take those Hush Puppies over stilettos.
