Sunday, December 27, 2009

CALVIN & HOBBES QUOTES

CALVIN & HOBBES QUOTES
I like maxims that don't encourage behavior modification.
Reality continues to ruin my life.
Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless.
A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day.
It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw.
I understand my tests are popular reading in the teachers' lounge.
Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words.
Where do we keep all our chainsaws, Mom?
# CALVIN
That's the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!
In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks.
You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help.
Its no use! Everybody gets good enemies except me.
What's the point of wearing your favorite rocketship underpants if nobody ever asks to see 'em?
As a math atheist, I should be excused from this.
This one's tricky. You have to use imaginary numbers, like eleventeen ...
I'm learning real skills that I can apply throughout the rest of my life ... Procrastinating and rationalizing.
I have a hammer! I can put things together! I can knock things apart! I can alter my environment at will and make an incredible din all the while! Ah, it's great to be male!
I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information
~
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" "I'm not sure that man needs the help."
~
Calvin: I'm a genius, but I'm a misunderstood genius. Hobbes: What's misunderstood about you? Calvin: Nobody thinks I'm a genius.
~
Calvin : You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. Hobbes : What mood is that? Calvin : Last-minute panic.
~
"Why isn't my life like a situation comedy? Why don't I have a bunch of friends with nothing better to do but drop by and instigate wacky adventures? Why aren't my conversations peppered with spontaneous witticisms? Why don't my friends demonstrate heartfelt concern for my well being when I have problems? ...I gotta get my life some writers."
~
"I'm a simple man, Hobbes." "You?? Yesterday you wanted a nuclear powered car that could turn into a jet with laser-guided heat-seeking missiles!" "I'm a simple man with complex tastes."
~
"See Any UFOs?" "Not yet." "Well, keep your eyes open, they're bound to land here sometime." "What will we do when they come?" "See if we can sell mom and dad into slavery for a star cruiser"
~
"My powerful brain has come up with a topic for my paper" "Great" "I'll write about the debate over Tyrannosaurs. Were they fearsome predators or disgusting scavengers?" "Which side will you defend?" "Oh, I believe they weer fearsome predators, definitely." "How come?" "They're *so* much cooler that way"
~
"I'm not going to so my maths homework. Look at these unsolved problems. Here's a number in mortal combat with another. One of them is going to get subtracted. But why? What will be left of him? If I answered these, it would kill the suspense. It would resolve the conflict and turn intriguing possibilities into boring old facts." "I never really thought about the literary possibilities of maths." "I prefer to savour the mystery."
~
Susie: You'd get a good grade without doing any work. Calvin: So? Susie: It's wrong to get rewards you haven't earned. Calvin: I've never heard of anyone who couldn't live with that.
~
"Bad news Dad. Your polls are way down." "My polls?" "You rate especialy low among tigers and six year old white males."
~
"Mom's not feeling well. So I'm making her a get well card." "That's thoughtful of you." "See, on the front it says, 'Get Well Soon' ... and on the inside it says,'Because me bed isn't made, my clothes need to be put away and I'm hungry. Love Calvin.' Want to sign it?" "Sure, I'm hungry too"
~
H : "What do you think is the secret to happiness? Is it money, power or fame?" C : "I'd choose money. If you have enough money, you can buy fame and power. That way you'r have it all and be really happy. Happiness is being famous for your financial ability to indulge in every kind of excess." H : "I suppose thats *one* way to define it." C : "The part I think I'd like best is crushing people who get in my way."
~
Dear Santa. Why is your operation located at the North Pole? I'm guessing cheap elf labour, lower environmental standards, and tax breaks. Is this really the example you want to set for us impressionable kids? ...My plan is to put him on the defensive before he considers how good I've been.
~
"MOM, CAN I SET FIRE TO MY BED MATTRESS?" "No, Calvin." "CAN I RIDE MY TRICYCLE ON THE ROOF?" "No, Calvin." "Then can I have a cookie?" "No, Calvin." "She's on to me."
~
"What state do you live in?" "Denial."
- Miss Wormwood & Calvin"Dad, I'd like to have a little talk." "Um...ok." "As the wage earner here, its your responsibility to show some consumer confidence and start buying things that will get the economy going and create profits and employment. Here's a list of some big-ticket items I'd like for Christmas. I hope I can trust you to do whats right for our country." "I've got to stop leaving the Wall Street Journal around."
#
INNOCENCE
============
I go to school, but I never learn what I want to know.
Hobbes : "Do you think there's a God? Calvin : "Well somebody's out to get me!"
Calvin : "Do you really think Bogeymen exist?" Hobbes : "I'm not sure, but if they do, I think this is where they live…"
"The world isn't fair, Calvin." "I know Dad, but why isn't it ever unfair in my favour?"
"Too bad the world will be ending soon." "Beg your pardon?" "Halley's Comet. Comets are harbingers of doom." "No they arent, thats just superstition." "Really? Guess I'd better write that book report."
"Since September it's just gotten colder and colder. There's less daylight now, I've noticed too. This can only mean one thing - the sun is going out. In a few more months the Earth will be a dark and lifeless ball of ice. Dad says the sun isnt going out. He says its colder because the earth's orbit is taking us farther from the sun. He says winter will be here soon. Isn't it sad how some people's grip on their lives is so precarious that they'll embrace any preposterous delusion rather than face an occasional bleak truth?"
- Calvin, about to become aware of the concept of winter..."This article says that many people find christmas the most stressful time of year." "I believe it. This season sure fills *me* with stress." "Really? How come?" " I *hate* being good..."
~
"Any monsters under my bed tonight?"
"Nope." "No." "Uh-Uh."
"Well there *better* not be, I'd hate to have to torch one with my flamethrower!"
"You have a flamethrower?"
"They lie. I lie."
- Calvin, The Monsters Under His Bed & Hobbes"I wonder where we go when we die?" "...Pittsburgh?" "You mean if we're good or if we're bad?"
#
SOCIETY
========
I think life should be more like tv. I think all of life's problems ought to be solved in 30 minutes with simple homilies, don't you? I think weight and oral hygiene ought to be our biggest concerns. I think we should all have powerful, high-paying jobs, and everyone should drive fancy sports cars. All our desires should be instantly gratified. Women should always wear tight clothes, and men should carry powerful handguns. Life overall should be more glamorous, thrill-packed, and filled with applause, don't you think?
So basically, this maverick is urging everyone to express his individuality through conformity in brand-name selection.
In my opinion, television validates existence.
~
"Here's a movie we should watch." "Who's in it?" "It says 'Japanese Cast'...two big rubbery monsters slug it out over major metropolitan centres in a battle for world supremacy...doesn't that sound great?" "And people say that foreign film is inaccessible."
~
Hobbes : "It says here that by the age of 6, most children have seen a million muders on television." Calvin : "I find that very disturbing...it means I've been watching all the wrong channels."
~
H : "What are you doing?" C : "Being cool." H : "You look more like you're bored." C : "The world bores you when you're cool."
~
"I just read this great science-fiction story. It's about how machines take control of humans and turn them into zombie slaves." "So instead of us controlling machines, they control us? Pretty scary idea." "I''ll say...*HEY* What time is it? My TV show is on."
#
DEEP
====
To make a bad day worse, spend it wishing for the impossible.
So the secret to good self-esteem is to lower your expectations to the point where they're already met?
It's only work if somebody makes you do it
#
GURLS
=======
My only regret is blowing the best day of my life while I'm so young
- Calvin prepares a water-balloon ambush for SusieCalvin: Our top-secret club, G.R.O.S.S.-- Get Rid Of Slimy girlS! Susie: Slimy girls?! Calvin: I know that's redundant, but otherwise it doesn't spell anything.
I'm looking for something that can deliver a 50-pound payload of snow on a small feminine target. Can you suggest something? Hello...?
Girls are like slugs - they probably serve some purpose, but it's hard to imagine what.
~
We are a fierce and dirty band of cut-throat pirates! Keep a sharp lookout matey, we dont want any sissy girls on our ship!" "We *dont* like girls???" "Of course not dummy, we're a murderous bunch of pirates, remember?" "Who do we smooch then?"
~
"There's a new girl in our class." "Well, whats her name?" "WHO KNOWS?" "Is she nice?" "WHO CARES? Not me!" "Do you LIKE her?" "NO!"
~
"Here comes that new girl. HEY SUSIE DERKINS, IS THAT YOUR FACE OR IS A POSSUM STUCK IN YOUR COLLAR? I HOPE YOU SUFFER A DEBILITATING BRAIN ANEURISM, YOU FREAK!" "She *cute*, isnt she?" "GO AWAY!"
~
"Hello Susie, this is Calvin. I lost our homework assignment. Can you tell me what we were supposed to read for tomorrow?" "Are you sure you're not calling for some other reason?" "Why else would I call you?" "Maybe you missed the melodious sound of my voice?" "WHAT? Are you crazy? All I want is the STUPID assignment!" "First say you missed the melodious sound of my voice." "THIS IS BLACKMAIL!"
~
"This meeting of the Get Rid Of Slimy Girls club will now come to order. First Tiger Hobbes will read the minutes of our last meeting."
"Thank you. (9:30) Meeting called to order. Dictator For Life Calvin proposed resoultion condemning the existence of girls. (9:35) First Tiger Hobbes abstains from vote. Motion fails. (9:36) Patriotism of First Tiger called into question. (9:37) Philosophical discussion. (10:15) Bandages administered. Dictator For Life rebuked for biting."
"Is this a great club or what?"
"(10:16) Forgot what debate was about. Medals of bravery awarded to all parties."
~
"I'm never gonna get married. Are you?" "Hmm...I suppose if the right person came along, I might. Someone with green eyes and a nice laugh, who I could call 'Pooty Pie'." "POOTY PIE?" "Or bitsy pookums." "I think that would affect my stomach a lot more than my heart." "Bitsy pookums I'd say. Yes snoogy woogy, she'd reply..."
~
"Do you like being a girl?" "Its gotta be better than the alternative." "Whats it like? Is it like being a bug?" "Like a WHAT?" "I imagine bugs and girls have a dim perception that nature played a crual trick on them, but they lack the intelligence to really comprehend the magnitude of it."
#
Calvin & Hobbes Sites: The Official Calvin & Hobbes site The Cool Calvin & Hobbes Collection
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Petition for Judicial review

This is an altered copy of a petition that was successfully used to obtain BAHA implantation services from Idaho medicaid. We wrote it ourselves, with some advice from an advocacy attorney, and with LOTS of web research, learning how to do it.


 


I found that what was most helpful was finding these documents that had been published online by others, so I have meant for some time to publish this online. In our case, after the petition below had been filed, the Department wanted to settle. Unsurprising, as they had no case!


 


PLEASE NOTE: Although it is fine to write these things for yourself, thus representing yourself, IT IS NOT OK, at least in Idaho, to do so for a family member. Or at least, there is no law supporting it. It was made clear to me that I was 'treading on thin ice' by helping my mom write this. I strongly recommend getting an attorney of some kind. Even if you do all the work yourself, and simply get the attorney to co-sign it, or something like that. Talk to the Legal Aide attorneys at the courthouse for any clarification of this issue.


 


 


 


 


 


 


***************


***************


***************


****************






IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF


THE STATE OF IDAHO, IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF ADA








*****************, ) Case No. **********************


)


Petitioner, ) PETITION FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW


)


v. ) I.C. § 67-5270


) Fee Category: R-2, $78.00


IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH )


AND WELFARE, )


)


Respondent. )


__ )






INTRODUCTION



1. Petitioner, _______________, Medicaid recipient assisted by her son-in-law, _____________, brings this action to petition this Court for judicial review of the Final Order in a contested case pursuant to the Idaho Administrative Procedure Act, Idaho Code §§ 67-5270. Petitioner is a Medicaid recipient who sought Auditory Osseointegrated Device (hereinafter “BAHA”) implantation services from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (hereinafter “Respondent”). The request was denied. An evidentiary hearing was held before __________________, a designated hearing officer for the Respondent. The hearing was conducted in person and was recorded. This recording is in the possession of the Administrative Procedures Section of the Respondent at 450 West State Street, 10th Floor, Boise, Idaho. Mr. _____________ issued a Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Preliminary Decision on September 26, 2006 that overruled the Respondent’s denial. This was appealed by the Respondent on October 10, 2006 and a Final Order in Appeal No. ________________was issued on December 20, 2006 by the Director overturning the Hearing Officer’s Preliminary Order.


JURISDICTION AND VENUE


2. This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to I.C. § 67-5270(3), granting review in district court by a person aggrieved by a state agency’s final order in a contested case. ____________(hereinafter “Petitioner”) is a party aggrieved by the Final Decision and Order issued by the Director and Administrator of the Respondent.


3. Venue is proper in this Court pursuant to I.C. § 67-5272(1)(b), because the final agency action was taken by the Director of the Respondent located at 450 West State Street, in Boise, Ada County, State of Idaho and Petitioner resides at __________________________________, State of Idaho.




PARTIES



4. Petitioner, ________________, is a 61 year-old woman who resides at __________________________, State of Idaho. At all times relevant, Petitioner has been eligible for Medical Assistance from the Respondent. She is diagnosed with Asymmetric Sensorineural Hearing Loss with Deafness in the left ear. This disability has resulted in profound impairment in her ability to recognize sounds, especially to discriminate speech, in conditions of ambient noise. This impairment limits the Petitioner’s ability to participate normally in society, and live a fully engaged, meaningful life, thus limiting her independence. This disability also has resulted in the inability to determine the directionality of auditory signals, such as warnings, thus compromising her safety.


5. Respondent, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, is a government agency of the State of Idaho and is charged with administering Idaho’s Medicaid program by I.C. § 56-201 and under the provisions of 42 U.S.C. §§ 1396 et seq.




STATEMENT OF FACTS


6. Petitioner applied for BAHA implantation (Service code 69714) on or about 13 June, 2006.


7. She was denied BAHA implantation 10 July, 2006 for the stated reason: IDAPA 16.03.0940 DOES NOT MEET MEDICAL NECESSITY. [Later note: this set of code numbers is nonsense, does not correspond to Idaho code. This is a denial of due process on several levels]


8. She appealed 2 August, 2006.


9. A hearing was held on 21 September, 2006.


10. At the hearing, medical evidence submitted showed that the Petitioner’s Single Sided Deafness profoundly affects her ability to discriminate speech in noise and determine directionality of sounds, thus adversely affecting her ability to effectively communicate, localize safety sounds, and causing tremendous stress and fear, progressive isolation and dependency.


11. At the hearing, written and oral testimony was presented from family members and from professionals showing that the Petitioner’s Single Sided Deafness affects virtually every aspect of her life and severely limits her ability to live a fully engaged and meaningful life.


12. At the hearing, Respondent testified that the Petitioner would not get the BAHA because the Respondent does not view Single Sided Deafness as meeting the medical necessity requirement. Before the hearing began, attorney for the Respondent stated that it was the Respondent's position that there is no need for bilateral hearing, and that therefore these proceedings were something of an unnecessary formality. This statement was not recorded, but was made in the presence of all the individuals present at the hearing. [Later note: Actually the previous sentence is false. Upon obtaining the transcript we were delighted to find that the statement in question was very clearly recorded!] Thereafter, during the course of the hearing each of the Respondent's representatives mentioned this position with familiarity and answered questions about it. None of them were able, under examination, to cite the existence of any written rules or documents outlining this policy. They did state, however, that they had basically 'deduced' the policy by extrapolating from the 'one hearing aid' rule. When asked if this meant that the 'one hearing aid rule' came about because the Respondent considered one-sided hearing to be sufficient, the representative for the Respondent testified he actually had no idea how that rule had come about or for what reasons.


13. Medicaid rules state, “a service is medically necessary if it is reasonably calculated to . . . treat conditions in the individual that . . . cause functionally significant . . . malfunction,” so long as it meets quality standards and is the least costly appropriate alternative.


14. Petitioner met this standard by showing, as the Hearing Officer found, "her left ear deafness must be considered a 'functionally significant . . . malfunction.'"


15. The Petitioner met this standard by providing documentation that the BAHA has been approved by the FDA to treat Single Sided Deafness.


16. The Petitioner met this standard by showing third party health care plans (one provided by Respondent) which provide coverage for the BAHA for conditions met by the Petitioner.


17. The Hearing Officer found that "There was no evidence presented by either party that there exists a significantly less expensive or more conservative option for treatment of her left-side deafness."


18. Petitioner had the following difficulties participating in the hearing: She finds that even in environments with minimal to moderate background noise, which most hearing people wouldn’t even notice, she must use all of her mental concentration to understand what is being said and is therefore unable to fully process it until later. She therefore relied on her son-in-law to question and cross-examine witnesses about their testimony.


19. The BAHA® system is an implanted treatment for hearing loss that works through direct bone conduction. It consists of three parts: a titanium implant, an external abutment, and a sound processor. It uses bone as a pathway for sound to travel to the functioning inner ear. The BAHA system requires a short, minimally invasive surgical procedure lasting 30-60 minutes, performed under general or local anesthesia, typically on an outpatient basis. The BAHA system has been innovatively treating patients since 1977 and is a leading solution for patients who have a mixed or conductive hearing loss affecting the outer and/or middle ear, as well as unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, also known as Single-Sided Deafness (SSD). In 1996, the BAHA system was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States to treat mixed and conductive hearing loss. In 1999, the BAHA system was cleared by the FDA for pediatric use in children age five and older. In 2001, the BAHA system was cleared by the FDA for bilateral fittings. In 2002, the BAHA system was cleared by the FDA for use in patients with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, commonly known as Single-Sided Deafness (SSD). (See Exhibit B from the evidentiary hearing).


20. The BAHA device does not restore hearing by amplification of sound, as in a hearing aid. The outer ear is bypassed completely. The BAHA use bone transmission to stimulate the cochlea directly, resulting in far superior results, without occluding the ear canal of the one ear which does hear natural sound as is required with hearing aids. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services changed the definition of hearing aids effective 10 November, 2005 to specifically exclude the BAHA device, and redefined the BAHA as a prosthetic device. Also, the FDA classifies the BAHA as a Class II medical device, whereas hearing aids are Class I. It is therefore clear that the BAHA device must be treated as a prosthetic device in any coverage determinations.


21. At the evidentiary hearing Petitioner proved that a regular hearing aid would not work. She testified she had previously attempted the use of a hearing aid but was forced to stop due to a skin sensitivity reaction, and the fact it did not improve her hearing, anyway. The fact that she had unsuccessfully attempted use of a hearing aid years ago is documented in the following document from the hearing: Exhibit F, page 1, dated 28 September, 2005. See also Exhibit D. Additionally, representatives of Respondent stated at the hearing that they did not object to the addition of new evidence at that time, therefore testimony presented at the hearing should be considered as evidence in these determinations.


22. The Hearing Officer determined that the BAHA was medically necessary.



23. The Hearing Officer overturned Respondent’s decision.


24. Respondent filed a request for review by the Director on 10 October, 2006.


25. According to the Hearing Officer’s Preliminary Order, the Director had 56 days, or until 5 December, 2006 to issue a decision. (See Preliminary Order).


26. On or about 7 December, 2006, Petitioner called Respondent to determine when a decision would be issued.


27. Petitioner was informed at that time by the Administrative Procedures Coordinator for the Respondent that the appeal had not yet been forwarded to the Director.


28. The Director issued a final decision on 20 December, 2006 reversing the Hearing Officer’s preliminary order.


29. The Director’s decision was issued 15 days after the deadline.


30. The Director’s Final Decision and Order contains numerous factual errors, as outlined below.


31. The Decision directly quotes the pertinent portion of the Medical Necessity statute three times, but two of these citations are incorrect. According to the Decision, the Petitioner must show that either her life is endangered, or she is in pain, or suffers from deformity or malformation. It is freely admitted that none of these is true. However, the word “malfunction,” which is included in the statute, is misquoted as “malformation”, which does not appear in the cited statute. The distinction between these two words is crucially important in understanding the Medical Necessity statute and its ramifications. This misrepresentation of the law, whether intentional or unintentional, reflects a disdain for the letter and spirit of the Medicaid Statute and its intended beneficiaries.


32. The Decision mentions that the Petitioner‘s “hearing loss did not prevent her from participating in the hearing.” In fact this is another misrepresentation. The Petitioner asked the Hearing Officer to allow her son-in-law to ask questions and in some cases testify on her behalf during the hearing, because she finds that in similar circumstances, she must use all of her concentration and focus to listen and understand what is being said, which doesn’t allow her sufficient time to process the information while people are speaking, as most of us take for granted. The Petitioner was at the hearing, and she did understand most of what was said, but she was unable to fully participate. Furthermore, the hearing was conducted in a quiet, closed room with minimal background noise. Only adults were present, and only one person ever spoke at one time. It was never argued that she cannot hear in these conditions. Clearly the Respondent either did not review the evidence, did not understand it, or chose to dismiss it.


33. The Decision states that “there is little evidence” that the Petitioner cannot use a “traditional hearing aid”. The evidence is on the record, so it is unclear what further evidence the Respondent desires (See Exhibit F, page 1, dated 28 September, 2005). This very issue was discussed at the hearing, at which time the Respondent’s representatives stated emphatically that they would not recommend such an approach, and that the Petitioner would not benefit from it. Most medical plans that mention the BAHA device, including the two plans entered into evidence by the Respondent, list this hypersensitivity reaction to hearing aid molds as an indication for the BAHA device. Furthermore, a traditional hearing aid, as that term is typically understood, would be useless for the Petitioner’s condition. There is a Contralateral Routing Of Sound (CROS) hearing aid system which was discussed at the hearing which can be used to treat some sufferers of Single Sided Deafness. It has proven, however, to be far inferior to the BAHA device in both performance and tolerability by its users. Regardless, __________ is not a candidate for the CROS device due to her known skin reaction to hearing aid molds. These facts were also vetted at the Hearing, and the Respondent’s representatives clearly stated they did not recommend this treatment modality in this case. Because the Petitioner’s attempt to use more traditional modalities took place decades ago in another state, it is unlikely that the original physician’s chart notation could be located describing the skin reaction the Petitioner experienced to the hearing aid mold. Nor is it clear what purpose this would serve.


34. The Petitioner has exhausted her administrative remedies as required by Idaho Code § 67-5271.




STATEMENT OF ISSUES AND CLAIMS FOR RELIEF





35. Pursuant to Idaho Code § 67-5279(3)(e), Respondent’s Final Order was arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion because the Director ruled on a different basis, least costly means, than the Hearing Officer who heard the testimony at the hearing. The Order was also capricious because it states that the Petitioner's hearing loss is not functionally significant, in spite of much evidence to the contrary, and in agreement with the self-contradictory statement from the Respondent's Brief on Director Review: "even though she may have difficulty distinguishing speech . . . it is undisputed that [Petitioner] can functionally hear." The Order also states that the Petitioner's "Hearing loss did not prevent her from participating in the hearing," when in fact she was unable to fully participate in the hearing; and furthermore, it was never argued that the Petitioner cannot functionally hear in a quiet, controlled environment with only one person speaking at a time. It seems clear, therefore, that the Order was not based on a full review of the evidence and is therefore arbitrary and capricious. The Order contains two critical misquotations of the Medical Necessity Statute: therefore it is not based upon a thorough understanding of the law and is therefore arbitrary and capricious. The Order was based upon the Respondent's policy of not treating Single-Sided Deafness, which policy the Respondent has admitted on record is based upon an incomplete understanding of the 'one hearing aid' rule. (See page 4, paragraph 12). As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services define the BAHA as a prosthetic and not a hearing aid, and as this Decision is based upon a policy rather than a properly promulgated Rule (and is in fact in violation of the Medical Necessity Statute), the Order clearly represents an abuse of discretion. The Order further represents an abuse of discretion because it is clear that the Director has substituted his judgment of medical necessity for that of the treating physicians. Here is an excerpt from A.M.L. v. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, DIVISION OF HEALTH CARE FINANCING 863 P.2d 44 (Utah Ct. App. 1993):


Further, we note that several courts require state Medicaid agencies to recognize a presumption "in favor of the medical judgment of the attending physician in determining the medical necessity of treatment." Weaver v. Reagen, 886 F.2d 194, 200 (8th Cir.1989); see also Pinneke v. Preisser, 623 F.2d 546, 550 (8th Cir.1980) ("The decision of whether or not certain treatment or a particular type of surgery is 'medically necessary' rests with the individual recipient's physician and not with clerical personnel or government officials."). The basis for this presumption is found in part in the legislative history of the Medicaid statute: "The Committee's bill provides that the physician is to be the key figure in determining utilization of health services--and provides that it is a physician who is to decide upon admission to a hospital, order tests, drugs and treatments, and determining the length of stay." S.Rep. No. 404, 89 Cong., 1st Sess. reprinted in 1965 U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 1943, 1986. In addition, "[t]he Medicaid statute and regulatory scheme create a presumption in favor of the medical judgment of the tending physician in determining the medical necessity of treatment." Weaver, 886 F.2d at 200; see also Frey v. Bowen, 816 F.2d 508, 513 (10th Cir.1987) (stating that in social security disability proceeding, reports of treating or consulting physicians are entitled to greater weight than those of physicians hired by agency resisting claim); Worthington v. Idaho Dep't of Health and Welfare, No. 69458, slip op. at 5 (2d Dist. Idaho Feb. 20, 1992) (holding that "the legislative history, Medicaid case law, and the mechanics of the Medicaid program itself require that an attending physician's opinion as to what constitutes medical necessity in a given case be given deference").


36. Pursuant to Idaho Code § 67-5279(3)(a), Respondent’s Final Order was made in violation of Petitioner’s right to due process guaranteed by the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution and federal Medicaid statutes. U.S. Const. Amend. XIV; 42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(3) and 42 C.F.R. § 431.210. Respondent failed to issue a timely Final Order and the Hearing Officer’s Preliminary Order dated 26 September, 2006 should be reinstated.


37. Pursuant to Idaho Code § 67-5279(3)(d), Respondent’s Final Order was not supported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole because the record contained ample evidence to support the Hearing Officer’s conclusion that “her left ear deafness must be considered a ‘functionally . . . significant . . . malfunction.”” Petitioner produced substantial evidence that the BAHA was medically necessary, i.e. reasonably calculated to . . . ., no other equally effective course of treatment . . . least costly, and meets the professional recognized standards of health care, whereas the Respondent has produced no evidence to the contrary. The Director’s Final Order is not supported by substantial evidence in the record because it states that although the Petitioner testified at the hearing to having had a hypersensitivity skin reaction to the hearing aid mold, "there is no other evidence, medical or otherwise, to support why a traditional hearing aid is not effective." In fact, Exhibits D and F both mention the Petitioner's prior attempts to use a hearing aid. Furthermore, the Respondents representative at the hearing stated unequivocally they would not recommend CROS hearing aids because they would serve no benefit. And of course a "traditional" hearing aid would be completely useless for treating Single Sided Deafness. The Order is not supported by substantial evidence on the record because although the Hearing Officer found, "There is, and can be, no dispute that [Petitioner]'s hearing loss limits her participation in society, reduces her independence and her ability to live a fully engaged and meaningful life. . . . [and her] safety may be compromised," and there has been no evidence to the contrary, the Order states that there is "insufficient evidence" of "functionally significant" impairment.


38. Pursuant to Idaho Code § 67-5279(3)(d), the Respondent’s findings, inferences, conclusions, or decisions are in violation of constitutional or statutory provisions since the decision is based not on a properly promulgated rule, but a mere policy. The Respondent denied the BAHA based on the policy that assistance will only be provided to those with bi-lateral hearing loss. This is not in the rules. Furthermore, denying medical coverage based on diagnosis rather than individual need would appear to be a violation of case law, such as Jasset v. Rhode Island.


39. Petitioner seeks review of the Final Order within the statutory timeline for judicial review provided in Idaho Code §67-5273. Substantial rights of the Petitioner have been prejudiced by the Final Order issued by Respondent. Petitioner has been denied access to medically necessary hearing or prosthetic services, which are essential to prevent continued profound hearing impairment and unnecessary disability of Petitioner.




REQUEST FOR RELIEF




WHEREFORE, Petitioner respectfully requests that this Court:


1. Take jurisdiction in this case pursuant to Idaho Code § 67-5272.


2. Order Respondent to submit to the Court and all parties a copy of the entire record of the Fair Hearing and Review by Agency Head held in this matter pursuant to Idaho Code § 67-5275.


3. Vacate the Final Order in this matter.


4. Remand this matter to Respondent and order that Respondent find that the BAHA is medically necessary for the Petitioner.


5. Find that Petitioner is the prevailing party and that Respondent acted without a reasonable basis in law or fact.



6. Award to the Petitioner costs pursuant to Idaho Code § 12-101, witness fees and other reasonable expenses pursuant to Idaho Code § 12-117.


7. Award such other relief as the court deems proper and just.




Respectfully submitted this 17th day of January, 2007.




.


BY:


_____________


Petitioner








_______________________________


 






CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE AND PAYMENT OF FEES




I, _________________________________, HEREBY CERTIFY that on the 17th day of January, 2007,






1. Arrangements for payment are being made with the Administrative Procedures Section of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare for the preparation of the record in this matter and for a certified transcript.




2. I caused to be served a correct copy of the foregoing PETITION FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW by the method indicated below, and addressed to the following:







___________________


Deputy Attorney General


Idaho Department of Health and Welfare


450 W. State Street, 10th Floor


P.O. Box 83720


Boise, ID 83720-0036




[ ] U.S. Mail


[ ] Fax


[ ] Electronic Mail


[X] Hand Delivery






______________, Hearing Officer


____________________________


_____________________________




[X] U.S. Mail


[ ] Fax


[ ] Electronic Mail


[ ] Hand Delivery




Signed:












___________________


 





PETITION FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW-1


Sunday, December 6, 2009

G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)

G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936) English author & mystery novelist [more author details]
Showing quotations 1 to 30 of 34 total
Next Page -> - Read the works of G. K. Chesterton online at The Literature Page
"My country, right or wrong," is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, "My mother, drunk or sober."
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Patriotism]
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Books]
An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.
G. K. Chesterton
Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Art]
By a curious confusion, many modern critics have passed from the proposition that a masterpiece may be unpopular to the other proposition that unless it is unpopular it cannot be a masterpiece.
G. K. Chesterton
Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.
G. K. Chesterton
Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.
G. K. Chesterton
I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.
G. K. Chesterton
I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Success] [Advice]
I say that a man must be certain of his morality for the simple reason that he has to suffer for it.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Morality]
If there were no God, there would be no Atheists.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Atheism]
It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.
G. K. Chesterton
Journalism largely consists of saying 'Lord Jones is Dead' to people who never knew that Lord Jones was alive.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Journalism]
Man seems to be capable of great virtues but not of small virtues; capable of defying his torturer but not of keeping his temper.
G. K. Chesterton
Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Music] [Food]
Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Poetry]
The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.
G. K. Chesterton
The most astonishing thing about miracles is that they happen.
G. K. Chesterton
The people who are the most bigoted are the people who have no convictions at all.
G. K. Chesterton
The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a discussion.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Argument]
There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.
G. K. Chesterton
- More quotations on: [Books]
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.
G. K. Chesterton
You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it.
G. K. Chesterton
There are no wise few. Every aristocracy that has ever existed has behaved, in all essential points, exactly like a small mob.
G. K. Chesterton, "Heretics", 1905
All slang is a metaphor, and all metaphor is poetry.
G. K. Chesterton, Defendant (1901)
- More quotations on: [Poetry]
Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.
G. K. Chesterton, Defendant (1901)
The rich are the scum of the earth in every country.
G. K. Chesterton, Flying Inn (1914)
- More quotations on: [Money]
There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person.
G. K. Chesterton, Heretics (1905)
The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits.
G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.
G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Courage

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says: "I will try again tomorrow." -- Mary Ann Radmacher

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Wacky proverbs

1. A day without sunshine is like night. 2. On the other hand, you have different fingers. 3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. 4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name. 5. Remember, half the people you know are below average. 6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest. 7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. 8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap. 9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have. 10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. 11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines. 12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments. 13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand. 14. OK, so what's the speed of dark? 15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane. 16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now. 17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges? 18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. 19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice? 20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name? 21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, "What the heck happened?" 22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off. 23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. 24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.

Freud Quotations

"Devout believers are safeguarded in a high degree against the risk of certain neurotic illnesses; their acceptance of the universal neurosis spares them the task of constructing a personal one."

"The only bodily organ which is really regarded as inferior is the atrophied penis, a girl's clitoris."

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

More Shakespeare

Temptation is the fire that brings up the scum of the heart.

Absence from those we love is self from self - a deadly banishment

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

`Tis one thing to be tempted, another thing to fall.

The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed- It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.

The miserable hath no other medicine but only hope

Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall

Now, good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both!

If all the year were playing holidays, to sport would be as tedious as to work.

Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.

The silence often of pure innocence persuades when speaking fails.

By medicine life may be prolonged, yet death will seize the doctor too.

Confusion now hath made his masterpiece!

Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt

Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

Frailty, thy name is woman!

Sweet mercy is nobility`s true badge.

Things won are done; joy`s soul lies in the doing.

How poor are they who have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees.

Shakespeare

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Hamlet


Action is eloquence.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Coriolanus

You take my life when you take the means whereby I live.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, The Merchant of Venice


Come, civil night,
Thou sober-suited matron, all in black.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Romeo and Juliet


Oftentimes excusing of a fault
Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, King John

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Troilus and Cressida


We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, The Tempest

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Nietzsche Quotations

Sleeping is no mean art: for its sake one must stay awake all day.

The doer alone learneth.

The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything.

Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called 'Ego'.

You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Winnie the Pooh quotations

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?"”

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count.”

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry; you're probably just a little eleven o'clockish.”

“People who don't Think probably don't have Brains; rather, they have grey fluff that's blown into their heads by mistake.”

Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it.”

“"Pooh," said Rabbit kindly, "you haven't any brain." "I know," said Pooh humbly.”

Wizard of Oz quotations (The movie)

Wizard of Oz: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Wizard of Oz: As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.

Scarecrow: I haven't got a brain... only straw. Dorothy: How can you talk if you haven't got a brain? Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they? Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

Tin Woodsman: Now I know I have a heart, because it's breaking

Dorothy: Weren't you frightened? Wizard of Oz: Frightened? Child, you're talking to a man who's laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe... I was petrified.

(Munchkin 1)We thank you very sweetly for doing it so neatly(Munchkin 2)You've killed her so completely,That we thank you very sweetly

As Coroner, I thoroughly examined herAnd she's not only merely dead,She's really most sincerely dead

We're off to see the WizardThe Wonderful Wizard of OzWe hear he is a Whiz of a WizIf ever a Wiz there wasIf ever, oh ever, a Wiz there wasThe Wizard of Oz is one becauseBecause, because, because, because, becauseBecause of the wonderful things he doesWe're off to see the wizardThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

Ha, ha, haHo, ho, hoHa, ha, ha, ha, haThat's how we laugh the day awayIn the merry old land of Oz

Wicked Witch of the West: Just try and stay out of my way. Just try! I'll get you, my pretty and your little dog too!

Wizard of Oz: You, my friend, are a victim of disorganized thinking. You are under the unfortunate impression that just because you run away you have no courage; you're confusing courage with wisdom.

For twenty-three years I've been dying to tell you what I thought of you! And now... well, being a Christian woman, I can't say it!

Wizard of Oz: Why, anybody can have a brain. That's a very mediocre commodity. Every pusillanimous creature that crawls on the Earth or slinks through slimy seas has a brain. Back where I come from, we have universities, seats of great learning, where men go to become great thinkers. And when they come out, they think deep thoughts and with no more brains than you have. But they have one thing you haven't got: a diploma.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Richard Feynman quotations

I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there.

It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.

Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.

The easiest person to fool is yourself.

It does no harm to the mystery to know a little about it.

Nelson Mandela quotations

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other peoplepermission to do the same.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Carl Sagan Quotations

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan

We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.

Stephen Hawking quotations

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking
For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen. Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind's greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn't have to be like this. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Journaling

So, how about an update on my current activities? Still working weekend nights, of course. Becca and i both got on Facebook recently, and I've made contact with many old friends from the deep, deep past, or so it seems. Just did the new bamboo floor in Aubrey and Amanda's room last week, gotta work on making a closet organizer now. Also, I'm very disappointed with every clothes-dresser we've ever had . . . I better make some for our kids, and also for our own room. I think finally having enough room for everyone's clothes to easily fit might just make a big difference in our laundry routine, and therefore in our daily lives.
Perhaps I'll order some drawer slides from work tonight or tomorrow, and work out a design plan. I just finished 'fixing' Amanda's bed, with the two drawers under it, but it's' so cheaply constructed! And Aubrey's bed frame broke, and I hate ours! So maybe some platform beds are in our near future. But the garage is such a mess I can't work in it, and every time I get started, I very quickly get overwhelmed. Can't find anything in there. That's why the kitchen isn't done yet, and everything else. Gotta get myself motivated! Maybe if I get a couple smaller jobs done, it'll be easier to work up to the bigger ones. Anyway, I hope so!
Becca's working on her thesis, it's coming along, but she's frustrated with her progress. She needs a rough draft by Aug 1st, I think.
Amanda broke her ankle Wednesday night. She was at Grandma's while Becca and I went with Karleen and Gene to see the new transformers movie. She took out the trash wearing heelies, and fell on the sidewalk. Looked like a sprain, or maybe a fibular avulsion at first, in the morning she couldn't walk on it. So we went to the Doctor's office about noon, then to the orthopod, Dr. Webb's. Then over to St Al's for a CT, but Aetna requires pre-approval. Couldn't get that till Fri Morning, so it was about noon Fri when we found out that Amanda doesn't have to go to surgery. Yay!
Xander is talking better all the time. It's fun when we can understand what he's saying. He really likes "puppies" and he'll say, "Awww! Cute puppy!" Potty training is still hit and miss. But Friday he went into the bathroom, got down the booster seat, put it on the toilet, climbed up and peed all by himself without telling anyone. So maybe there's hope???
The girls have been playing a lot of Kung Fu Panda on the xbox. Camille is supposed to be getting a stomach bypass surgery, Big Randy can't work due to health problems. Paige is living with Karleen and Gene now. Little Randy is living with Chris. I'm still waiting to hear from Boise police or the County prosecutor if I'm going to be charged, so I can defend myself, and finally get that stuff done and over with. What a PITA! I guess I better call them and see if there's any info. Maybe someone finally made a reasonable decision and dropped the case? Back home, mom is mired in the Stanley family reunion, I hope she's having fun!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

closet organizer

23x88x91 inches
(A&A's closet dimensions)