inflation and prescription drug prices in 2023/WALGREENS

There's been much talk by the government and in the media about inflation in 2023. Much of it has been about gas and food prices. I did an analysis (by quarter) of the price of my prescriptions from our local Walgreen's in 2023.

DATE NAME NUMBER WALGREEN PRICE DIFF DIFF CARD

3/23/23 HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE (HCZ), 12.5mg 322565 $8.53 - - SINGLECARE

3/23/23 LISINOPRIL, 20mg 342594 $15.39 - - GOODRX

3/23/23 ATORVASTATIN, 40mg 342594 $53.95 - - GOODRX

3/23/23 AMLODIPINE, 2.5mg 342593 $34.80 - - SINGLECARE

3/23/23 TOTAL $112.67 - -

6/25/23 AMLODIPINE, 2.5mg 342593 $43.16 $8.36 24% SINGLECARE

6/25/23 LISINOPRIL, 20mg 342594 $15.39 $0.00 0% GOODRX

6/25/23 HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE (HCZ), 12.5mg 322565 $11.67 $3.14 37% SINGLECARE

6/25/23 ATORVASTATIN, 40mg 342594 $53.95 $0.00 0% GOODRX

6/25/23 TOTAL $124.17 $11.50 10%

9/21/23 ATORVASTATIN, 40mg 342594 $33.31 -$9.85 -18% GOODRX

9/21/23 HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE (HCZ), 12.5mg 322565 $16.44 $4.77 41% SINGLECARE

9/21/23 LISINOPRIL, 20mg 342594 $25.39 $10.00 65% GOODRX

9/21/23 AMLODIPINE, 2.5mg 342593 $44.59 $1.43 3% SINGLECARE

9/21/23 TOTAL $119.73 -$4.44 -4%

12/18/23 AMLODIPINE, 2.5mg 342593 $43.37 -$1.22 -3% SINGLECARE

12/18/23 LISINOPRIL, 20mg 342594 $31.91 $6.52 26% GOODRX

12/18/23 HYDROCHLOROTHIAZIDE (HCZ), 12.5mg 322565 $15.13 -$1.31 -8% SINGLECARE

12/18/23 ATORVASTATIN, 40mg 342594 $54.25 $20.94 63% GOODRX

12/18/23 TOTAL $144.66 $24.93 21%

1st QUARTER $112.67

4th QUARTER $144.66

INCREASE $31.99 28%

The SAME 4 prescription medicines increased from $112.67 in March to $144.66 in December--+$31.99 (+28%)!!! In the last quarter alone, the price of Atorvastatin rose a whopping +$20.94 (63%) from $33.31 to $54.25--IN JUST 3 MONTHS!!!! 

Another area of double-digit inflation is taxes. But, you never hear the media or the government talking about double-digit increases in local taxes and assessments. They'd rather talk about the gas and food prices.

According to the Biden administration inflation is under control. 

YEAH, RIGHT!!!

Balneol/Amazon

Recently I received an order that I placed with Amazon for three 3-oz. containers of Balneol lotion. The containers were in a sealed envelope that was leaking inside a small sealed box. The sealed box also contained two large plastic bubbles, one of which was deflated. When I opened the leaking bag, a large amount of the product had leaked out of the containers. WHAT A MESS!!!

Balneol used to come in containers with leakproof caps. Besides being leakproof, the smaller hole for dispensing the product was easier with the old caps. 

There's an old saying: "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it."

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Later we got a threatening email from Amazon--an email that you can't reply to. The email threatened to charge our credit card for not returning the Balneol mess! RETURN IT?!? We told the Amazon representative that Balneol had leaked from all three containers and was unusable and nonreturnable!!!

Amazon made it impossible to talk with an Amazon employee about this problem. Why? Because it's a scam! Amazon doesn't want to hear about their and their suppliers screw-ups! They'd rather have the customer pay for them!!! as if Jeff Bezos doesn't have enough $$$$$!!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos

I was able to send the following message:

Amazon,

I received an email from you (11/28/23, 2:48 PM) threatening to charge our credit card for not returning an order that was damaged so severely as to make it unusable and nonreturnable.

When we opened the delivery box that contained the Balneol, it had leaked from all 3 containers and from the leaking plastic envelope that they were in. one of the two bubble packaging cells was punctured. One corner of the delivery box was crushed.

We told Amazon's representative that the mess was unusable and nonreturnable. We cleaned up the mess and disposed of it.

Now, Amazon is threatening to charge us for the mess??? This is outrageous! Amazon and/or your supplier, epharmastore, should give us a credit for having to clean up the mess.

So, who’s responsible for the mess? not us. We didn’t package the Balneol for delivery. We didn’t place the bottles in a plastic envelope without packaging around them to protect them. We didn’t cause the tops on the Balneol containers to leak. It was obvious when we opened the plastic envelope that the tops had become loose and leaked Balneol in and through the plastic envelope.

we're not the only ones. If you check the reviews for this item on your website under "bottles and they leaked" you'll see many. Unfortunately, we didn't see these reviews until AFTER we received the mess. Also, we have a photo of the mess on our phone but were unable to attach it. we're more than happy to send it to you if you can tell us how to do so.

Why is it so difficult to get this resolved? Why can’t Amazon’s customers speak to a live Amazon employee to resolve problems?

We resent your threat to charge our credit card for a product that was so severely damaged when it was delivered as to make it unusable and nonreturnable.

Sincerely,

 

On their form Amazon asked "How likely is it that you would recommend Amazon to a family member or a friend?"

Our answer: 0% 

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

Amazon charged our credit card. Lesson learned. We know now how amazon treats their customers. We won't be doing business with amazon anymore. 

We know now that amazon doesn't give a rip about its customers. That's why you can't discuss problems with a person at amazon. Robots make for poor customer service. 

Jeff Bezos has more money than dirt. He doesn't give a rip that amazon has lost us as customers. He doesn't give a rip that customers have no recourse with amazon's "my-way-or-the-highway" rules.

Adios amazon.

"chatting" with Amazon

For most of my 76 years I've lived in populated suburbs. That changed when we moved to Strasburg, VA. Strasburg is rural. Not as many people, stores, etc. We do a fair amount of on-line shopping. 

On June 28 we placed an order with Amazon for a king-sized bag of pistachios. On July 3 we found this:

Today, July 11, I "chatted" with "Jane" at Amazon. 

The word "chat" has a different meaning today than when I was a kid. Then, "chat" meant "TALK in a friendly and informal way". I didn't TALK with "Jane" at Amazon today and "Jane" didn't TALK with me. For all I know, I was messaging with a computer.

The outcome of my "chat" with "Jane" is that my "replacement" bag of pistachios (for the bag that we never received) is supposed to arrive sometime between July 15 and July 19. I'm not holding my breath.

If in fact we do get the bag of pistachios when "Jane" from Amazon says that we will, then it will be almost ONE MONTH since we placed the order.

Talk is cheap--it's easy to say that you're the best. Being the best requires doing what you promise your customers that you're going to do.

Amazon talks the talk. But, Amazon doesn't walk the walk.

Toyota RAV 4

I posted a review of our 2019 Toyota RAV 4 on Google maps on the site of the dealer, Malloy Toyota in Winchester VA. It reads:

"what good is a service department that can't/won't diagnose a problem with the liftgate on a NEW Rav 4, that was reported NUMEROUS times, that has to be forced manually to open and shut? What good is a sales department that doesn't return phone calls? what good is a car with too many gadgets, a dashboard with print so small that you can't read it and a useless, poorly written owners manual the size of a phone book? ... Mr. Lewis, you have my contact info. what do you have in mind? please respond in kind (email)." 

 

 Malloy responded:

"We are not pleased to hear of the incident you've described in this review. We want nothing more than to work with you to correct this situation as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you, Frank Lewis, Service Director"

 I received an email from Malloy:

"Good afternoon Mr. & Mrs. Koenig,

I'm writing in regards to the review you left in reference to your 2019 RAV4. My service director, Frank, and myself have tried to reach out via the phone number provided and haven't heard back, so I'd like to extend this email to assist you further.

It appears that the last time you were in for service was in 2021, and you still have ongoing concerns with your liftgate. We are more than willing to have a Master level Toyota-trained technician look at your liftgate again, as well as our service director, to ensure your concerns are addressed.

It also looks like there may be some questions regarding the features of your vehicle, and I've got members of my team ready to go over the features and functions with you whenever you are available to bring the vehicle back in. Please give me a call at 540-678-1791, or reply to this email with the best days and time for you, and I'll make sure you're taken care of!

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon." 

I responded:

"Good afternoon Kala, 

I can understand why you and Frank are concerned with my review.

 The facts are:

1. Shortly after we purchased the car, the liftgate didn't always lift and close properly.

2. We reported this problem each time that we brought the car in during the warranty period.

3. Each time we were told that the liftgate was working properly.

 4. Since the warranty expired, the problem has only gotten worse.

In writing my review, it wasn't my intention to bring my car to Malloy to have a master level toyota-trained technician diagnose and fix the liftgate problem. Why didn't your mechanics diagnose and fix the problem when we reported it multiple times during the warranty period? Did they think that I was lying? The fact is that I've had to force the liftgate open and shut for some time now. It's my intention to continue doing so until it breaks. At that time I'll take it to a mechanic of my choice to fix the problem.

After Mr. Lewis responded to my review, I felt compelled to reply. I emailed our contact information to Malloy. I did not lie in my review.

I'm familiar with Malloy's practice of doing business over the phone. I wouldn't entertain the thought of bringing my car back to Malloy unless we were assured, in writing, that we would not be held responsible for any costs associated with diagnosing or fixing the liftgate problem. It should have been fixed during the warranty period.

Sincerely,
Ray Koenig"

I received another email from Malloy:

"Mr. Koenig,

I appreciate you following back up with us. Kala and I have carefully reviewed your service history. We found a concern on 1/21/21 stating "Liftgate will not open or close correctly at times." The technician opened and closed the liftgate 12 times and found no issues. It was working properly at that time. The next time you had a concern with the liftgate was on 5/27/21 stating "Tailgate hatch will not open all of the way." The technician adjusted the liftgate height for you as it is adjustable. So we see a total of 1 visit stating the rear liftgate is inoperable.This does not mean that we thought you were “lying”, we take the safety of our guests and integrity of their vehicles very seriously. If we cannot duplicate or find a failed part it is impossible to fix something that is intermittently failing.

Your review was posted on 6/2/2023 and the last time we have seen the vehicle in question was 5/27/2021. I am always willing to help a loyal Toyota customer out with after-warranty assistance, but I think it's obvious I need to be aware of the issue other than receiving a review more than 2 years later.

I'm not sure what you meant by "Malloy's practice of doing business over the phone" and ask that you please elaborate if you care to.

While we do apologize about the small font on the dashboard and density of the owner's manual, these things are out of our control. As far as the liftgate concern goes, we are more than happy to look at this free-of-charge as well as offer assistance should any repair be needed.

Please let me know if you would allow us to assist you further with your concerns, and we will do all that we can to help."

Thank you, and we hope to assist you soon!"

I responded:

"Mr. Lewis, 

I recall another time when someone from Malloy went with us to the parking lot and opened and shut the liftgate once and declared that it was working properly and sent us on our way. That's not what I call diagnosing the problem. I wouldn't even call opening and shutting the lift gate 12 times as diagnosing the problem. I'm not a mechanic. Our car has 10,883 miles on it--in 4 years. Most of that mileage is for short trips. Driving to Winchester is a relatively long trip when compared to going to the grocery store, doctor, etc. in Strasburg. The other observation that I've made, for what it's worth, is that the liftgate problem is greater in cold weather than in warm weather.

As far as my comment about doing business over the phone is concerned, I said that "I wouldn't entertain the thought of bringing my car back to Malloy unless we were assured, in writing, that we would not be held responsible for any costs associated with diagnosing or fixing the liftgate problem." I am unsure that this is the case ("... other assistance ..."). Even with your assurance, I don't know if I will bring the car into Malloy for another go at diagnosing and fixing the problem. As you know by my review, this whole experience with the liftgate has left a very bad taste in my mouth. 

Sincerely,

Ray Koenig"

That's the last I heard from Malloy.

A brief search of the internet yielded problems associated with the liftgate, including those similar to what we've been experiencing.

"According to experts, it could be that your battery is not dispensing enough voltage to the liftgate. When the voltage to this part of the vehicle is low, it will not function or it will function below expectation."

"One thing you should know about liftgates is that they run on a pump/motor system. So when they malfunction, it is likely that the motor or pumps are having issues. It is also possible that the hydraulic reservoir oil is low. In this case, the liftgate will struggle, depending on the level of oil available."

"There are times when your liftgate malfunctions because of leaks. Check all these parts for damages. If you notice any leaks, first try to tighten the connections at those points."

autoshub.net/toyota-rav4-liftgate-not-working/

Diagnosing liftgate problems involves more than just opening and shutting the liftgate. Complete diagnosis requires checking of both electrical and hydraulic systems that operate the liftgate. Was this done? Based on copies of the service orders that we received and our discussions with Malloy personnel, our answer is no.

Now I know what RAV stands for: Really Awful Vehicle.

VISA vs. mastercard

For years we had a VISA credit card through our bank, Navy Federal Credit Union. About a year ago we switched to mastercard because of confusing and misleading bills. They were hard to follow AND VISA had an option on monthly bills where you could pay ahead. WHAT? why would anyone pay their credit card ahead for charges that they hadn't been billed for?

We've been happy with our switch to mastercard. Their monthly invoices are clear and straightforward. mastercard lists all the charges for the month with a total. There is no option to pay ahead. Again, why would anyone pay ahead on charges that they hadn't been billed for?

That we made the right decision to switch to mastercard became even more evident recently when we noticed charges from a vendor that we didn't know. The total was $160. when we called mastercard, they told us not to worry--that mastercard would credit the $160 to our account. They issued us new mastercards. They contacted the vendor and we received a letter from mastercard that the vendor would issue a $160 credit to our mastercard account and mastercard would remove their credit. Problem solved. Thank you, mastercard!

contrast that with a similar suspicious charge on our NFCU VISA card several years ago. We were told that we had to try to work it out with the vendor first. 

So, when we're asked "what card do you have in your wallet?", we answer "MASTERCARD!", with BIG smiles on our faces.

information overload

examples of information overload:

• IRS
• messages on our cell phones from vendors, doctors, etc.
• IRS
• TV 
• commercials ad nauseam 
• local news
• weather
• traffic reports
• IRS
• the owner's manual for our RAV 4
• HUNDREDS of poorly written and poorly organized pages
• We've NEVER got an answer to our questions from the owner's manual.
• IRS
• appliances' manuals
• IRS
• TONS of junk mail (email, snail mail, etc.)
• IRS
• etc.

why is the IRS listed six times?

answer: because the IRS is the KING of information overload.

• the INSTRUCTIONS for completing the 3-page form 1040 is 113 pages long!
• not to mention the HUNDREDS of other forms, instructions and documents.

questions:

1. how did our parents ever get us to doctors and dentists appointments?
2. how were they able to complete their income tax returns?
3. how did they know how to operate their cars and appliances?

answers: 

1. they wrote them down on a calendar. they didn't need multiple "reminders" (phone calls, messages, etc.).
2. income tax forms and instructions were relatively simple. 
3. they checked their owner's manuals. their owner's manuals weren't HUNDREDS of pages long. They were short, to the point, and clearly written.

do yourself a favor. don't get caught in information overload. get yourself a calendar that you can write on (like Mom and Dad's), pencils and paper, a calculator that adds, subtracts, multiplies and divides, and do business like your parents did--in the good old days.

Motivator - Information Overload | scorp_stanton | Flickr

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attribution: scorp_stanton

BTW, don't get me started on doctors and dentists. the media likes to talk about inflationary gas and food prices. Is there ANY greater example of inflation today than what doctors and dentists charge? Filling a small cavity used to cost less than $100. Today, you can spend THOUSANDS of dollars a year on dental care. It's the same with doctors. WHAT A RIPOFF!!!

blame???

we're approaching mid-March. the deadline for submitting our 2022 federal tax return is a little more than one month away. once again we find that we're unable to complete our tax return.

we're retired. we live on social security and IRAs from my 401K and the sale of our homes. we have a financial advisor. our financial advisor has a financial advisor. Fidelity handles the transactions.

the reason that we can't complete our 2022 tax return is that we don't know what our income for 2022 was. we don't have Fidelity's 1099. 

so, what else is new? this has become an annual problem. Fidelity's excuse is: "We're waiting for final tax information from DFA GLOBAL REAL ESTATE SEC PORTFOLIO (DFGEX)". 

GREAT!!! we're coming up on just one month left before the IRS's deadline! and we don't even know what our income for 2022 was!!! it's the FIRST STEP in a process that involves multiple forms, instructions, worksheets, calculations, checking, completing the forms for submittal, final check, and mailing. WTH!!!

so, who's to blame? Fidelity? our financial advisor? our financial advisor's financial advisor? the IRS (that doesn't enforce their rule that taxpayers must receive their 1099s by January 31)?

I don't know who's to blame. all I know is that I'm NOT to blame!!!

now I know how Dorothy felt: https://youtu.be/YWyCCJ6B2WE

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boost mobile

the voice mail on our smart phone was working until about 3 weeks ago when it stopped showing our voice mail messages? WTH

I called boost mobile's "care" line (611) THREE TIMES about the problem. "You have voice mail messages that can't be downloaded--error #6." Each time I asked "what's error #6?" THREE TIMES I failed to get an answer to my question. the experts' heavy accents made communication difficult. 

In baseball, 3 strikes and you're out. I gave up.

Later I discovered somewhat of a "workaround". I called voice mail and listened to my 3 week old phone messages. They don't show up on the phone, but at least every so often I can call voice mail to see if I have any phone messages.

We all realize that vendors reap benefits from cheap foreign labor. but, what about their customers? The answer is clear--there is NO benefit to the customer with a "care" line where it's difficult to understand the people on the other end of the line AND when the experts fail to solve the problem after THREE tries.

boost mobile is just one of many vendors who talk the talk but fail to walk the walk.

low tech

my new year's resolution is to go "low tech". why? there are several reasons:

• high tech is no longer my friend. 
• when high tech becomes more of a nuisance than a friend, then it's time to go low tech.
• software upgrades are a nuisance. 
• learning curves are a nuisance. 
• when the old version does everything that you want, then to whose advantage is the software upgrade? (hint: it isn't you.)
• Bezos has enough $$$. He doesn't need more of mine.
• same for Google, internet and cell phone providers, tv streamers, online security providers, device providers, etc.

so, it's back to paper and pencil and my trusty calculator for me. 

Free Images : studying, tool, workplace, education, notebook, accessories, school, work, pencil, college, object, calculator, book, drawing, hand, text, technology, finger, graphic design, illustration, office equipment, electronic device, icon, paper product, animation, diagram, art 3100x1966 - Mohamed Hassan - 1584095 - Free stock photos - PxHere 

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customer rating systems

most everyone is familiar with the five star customer rating system. it uses only stars. one star is the minimum and five stars is the maximum. 

When I was in school a star was good--a "reward" for a job well done. a grade of A was excellent, B was good, C was average, etc. I sure wish that my teachers had used the five stars grading system when I was in school! no F! no E! no D! with the five star customer rating system it's just C+ (one star--slightly above average), B (two stars--good), B+ (3 stars--better than good), A (4 stars--excellent) and A+ (5 stars--better than excellent--valedictorian territory). (for the record, I was mostly a C student.)

but then, we all know the reason for the 5 star rating system. as my momma used to say: "you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you!"

customer talk is the ONLY rating system that allows the customer a FULL range of rating options:

• 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = A+
• 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ = A
• 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐ = B+
• 2 stars ⭐⭐ = B
• 1 star ⭐ = C+ (average+)
• 1 thumb down 👎 = C- (average-)
• 2 thumbs down 👎👎 = D
• 3 thumbs down 👎👎👎 = E
• 4 thumbs down 👎👎👎👎 = F
• and 5 thumbs down= F-

let's hear it for customer talk! the ONLY customer rating system that gives the customer a FULL range of rating options from which to choose.

👏👍🎈🎊🎆🎇

 

youtube tv

my wife and I have been married for more than 56 years. The kids are grown. we're grandparents. it's just us now. 

we have two samsung tvs--one on one side of the house in the kitchen and the other on the opposite side of the house in the family room. we've been subscribers to youtube tv for more than five years. 

is there anything unusual about our situation? ... I imagine that there are homes all over the USA with just a husband and his wife who have two or more samsung tvs and youtube tv in their home. 

youtube tv has been an almost constant headache. this morning I couldn't get onto youtube tv. it went as far as their new customer ad and a screen that showed locks on all of their channels. 

Five thumbs down for youtube tv.

SNAFU | The Public Domain Review | Flickr

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I wouldn't wish youtube tv on my worst enemy.

dr. heater electric space heater (dr968, original heater)

we have a heat pump. it has its advantages (cheaper than gas heat) and its disadvantages (heats slowly and unevenly). another disadvantage to our system is that the builder put the heat pump thermostat in a hallway. the temperature in the hallway is always two or more degrees warmer than the rest of the house. fortunately, we found a workaround. 

we put a dr. heater electric space heater (dr968, original heater) in our cold room and set the temperature on the dr. heater space heater to the same temperature as the hallway heat pump thermostat temperature. on the economy setting, the dr. heater electric space heater will eventually raise the temperature in the cold room to the heat pump thermostat setting and keep it there. for example, if I set my heat pump temperature at 70 degrees, and it's 68 degrees or less in the room that I'm occupying, then with the dr. heater space heater in the economy mode, it will raise the temperature to 70 degrees in the room that I'm occupying while it is 68 degrees or less in the rest of the (unoccupied) house. problem solved.

the dr. heater electric space heater (dr968, original heater) is an excellent product at a very reasonable price.

dr. heater electric space heater (dr968, original heater) is sold online and in stores. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

how safe is strasburg's (VA) drinking water?

it's a well known fact that one of the signs of contaminated drinking water is intestinal disorders.

"Drinking Water Quality

Surface waters and aquifers can be contaminated by various chemicals, microbes, and radionuclides. Disinfection of drinking water has dramatically reduced the prevalence of waterborne diseases (such as typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis) in the United States. Other processes may also be used to treat drinking water depending on the characteristics of and contaminants in the source water.

Common sources of drinking water contaminants include: 

• Industry and agriculture. Organic solvents, petroleum products, and heavy metals from disposal sites or storage facilities can migrate into aquifers. Pesticides and fertilizers can be carried into lakes and streams by rainfall runoff or snowmelt, or can percolate into aquifers.
• Human and animal waste. Human wastes from sewage and septic systems can carry harmful microbes into drinking water sources, as can wastes from animal feedlots and wildlife. Major contaminants include Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli.
• Treatment and distribution. While treatment can remove many contaminants, it can also leave behind byproducts (such as trihalomethanes) that may themselves be harmful. Water can also become contaminated after it enters the distribution system, from a breach in the piping system or from corrosion of plumbing materials made from lead or copper.
• Natural sources. Some ground water is unsuitable for drinking because the local underground conditions include high levels of certain contaminants. For example, as ground water travels through rock and soil, it can pick up naturally occurring arsenic, other heavy metals, or radionuclides.

Effects on Human Health

If drinking water contains unsafe levels of contaminants, it can cause health effects, such as gastrointestinal illnesses, nervous system or reproductive effects, and chronic diseases such as cancer. Factors that can influence whether a contaminant will lead to health effects include the type of contaminant, its concentration in the water, individual susceptibility, the amount of water consumed, and the duration of exposure.

• Health effects of chemical exposure. Chemical exposure through drinking water can lead to a variety of short- and long-term health effects. Exposure to high doses of chemicals can lead to skin discoloration or more severe problems such as nervous system or organ damage and developmental or reproductive effects. Exposure to lower doses over long periods of time can lead to chronic, longer-term conditions such as cancer. The effects of some drinking water contaminants are not yet well understood.
• Health effects of consuming water with disease-causing microbes. Most life-threatening waterborne diseases caused by microbes (such as typhoid fever or cholera) are rare in the United States today. The more common illnesses caused by viruses, bacteria, and parasites can result in stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, and kidney failure. Infectious diseases such as hepatitis can also occur. Hepatitis may be severe in people with weakened immune systems (e.g., infants and the elderly) and sometimes fatal in people with severely compromised immune systems (e.g., cancer and AIDS patients)." 

source: Drinking Water | US EPA

it's a well known fact that the Virginia Department of Health has alerted the public multiple times over the past several years for harmful algae blooms in strasburg. 

source: Harmful Algae Bloom Advisory Issued for North Fork of the Shenandoah River – in Shenandoah County - Public Advised to Avoid Water Contact within Locations of the River - Virginia Department of Health

North Fork Shenandoah River at Strasburg Park public boat landing in Shenandoah County VA. E. coli levels on Wednesday June 22 versus Thursday June 23, 2022.

source:  FSSP NF Shenandoah River E. coli levels on Wednesday June 22 versus Thursday Jun 23 - FOSR - FOSR  816.4 CFUs per 100 ml !!!--one would expect E. coli levels like this in an open sewer!!!

how safe is our drinking water? It's also a well known fact that the town of strasburg has been searching for water treatment plant operators for a year or more. 

If strasburg residents were experiencing widespread intestinal disorders recently (we have) then how would you know? It's a well known fact that the town of strasburg's communication with its citizens is poor. 

perhaps the newly elected members of the town council can look into this as part of their obligation to look out for the health, safety and welfare of strasburg's citizens--including communicating their findings to strasburg's citizens. 

valley health

how is it that an organization the size of VH doesn't have an email address on their website ("Contact Us") where a patient can ask a general question? specifically, how does a patient find out how to add or change a PCP on their MyChart? one would think that asking a simple question would result in a simple answer. NOT WITH VH! It's not complicated. VH and MyChart has made it complicated.

VH advertises that they have a vast network of doctors to serve their members. Then why is it that it took SIX MONTHS to schedule an appointment for my wife with a VH neurologist after our PCP's referral? Is VH serving its customers? NOT!

Lead time for scheduling an appointment with our PCP went from a week to TWO MONTHS after our PCP joined VH. Is VH serving its members? OBVIOUSLY NOT!

VH talks the talk, but VH doesn't walk the walk.