I Only Support Patriot-Owned Businesses And This Is Not One Of Them

Dr. Douglass Stull - Orthopaedic Surgeon

1112 W 6th St, Ste 124

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone: (785) 843-9125

Website: orthokansasllc.com/office

Referred by my primary physician, Dr. Steven Dillon, for severe shoulder pain that has been going on for months, Dr. Stull's office called to make an appointment, but when they found out I was retired military (Tricare) I was told "you're going to have to pay a lot out of pocket, we don't take Tricare or recognize Tricare's discounts".

Dr. Stull accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and most other major insurances, but those who protect his freedom have to pay out-of-pocket? That seems un-American to me and I refuse to support any business that treats military and Veterans with such disdain. If a doctor does not accept Tricare, he or she has made a conscious decision that padding their already inflated bank account is more important than treating American heroes, the men and women of our nation's military, retired military, and our families.

Thanks, but no thanks Dr. Stull, even if I have to suffer a couple weeks longer I refuse to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of my military pension and VA disability so you can get the latest Mercedes. There are plenty of patriots out there willing to accept Tricare, even if I have to drive 50 miles to Kansas City to see my old orthopaedic surgeon. She takes Tricare by the way.

As it turns out, there are six orthopaedic surgeons in Lawrence, including Stull, but like many medical professionals, and I use that term loosely, in this extremely liberal town, not a single one takes Tricare. Not a single patriot in the bunch:

William A Bailey, MD 

Neal D Lintecum, MD 

Stephan L Pro, MD 

Jeffrey C Randall, MD 

Douglass E Stull, MD 

Kenneth L Wertzberger, MD

So I have no choice but to drive nearly 30 miles to Topeka, Kansas, a much more conservative city and, coincidentally, where many more physicians take Tricare. To prove my point, there are 15 orthopaedic surgeons in Topeka, which is a little larger than Lawrence, and 8 of them (53%) accept Tricare:

MCCOY, MICHAEL T., MD 

WALLACE, BRETT E., MD 

WILSON, BRIAN F., MD 

GILBERT, JOHN H, II., MD 

LEPSE, PETER S., MD 

MUMFORD, JOSEPH E., MD 

POOLE, BRADLEY T., MD 

SMITH, MICHAEL L., MD

Compared to zero (0%) out of six orthopaedic surgeons who take Tricare in slightly smaller and much more liberal Lawrence, the story in Topeka is telling and distressing for those of us who serve or have served our nation and happen to live in Lawrence, protecting the freedom of all 21 surgeons referenced herein.

Oh, and by the way, Dr. Steve Dillon, who I switched to in April after a rash of bad encounters with primary care managers, has decided to reduce his practice by 80% and charge remaining patients $1,650 per year (out-of-pocket) to stay with him. I finally found a PCM I can trust and now have to pony-up close to $2000 or find ANOTHER doctor? I guess I will find another doctor, but I am running out of options in a town where most medical professionals do not take military medical insurance (Tricare). The Hippocratic Oath says "do no harm", but it seems as though modern medicine does not embrace that commitment and most practitioners are more concerned with their personal wealth than taking care of patients.

CombatCritic Gives Douglass Stull M.D. 1 Bomb Out Of 10 For Treating Military Patients With Disdain And Takes A Spot On CombatCritic's "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!   

"Follow Me To TravelValue"

Title: I Only Support Patriot-Owned Businesses And This Is Not One Of Them

Key Words: Doctor, Stull, Lawrence, Kansas, 6th, orthopedic, surgeon, Tricare, military, veteran, retiree, patriot, value, wall, shame, orthopaedic, Dr. Stull, Dillon, Steven

Apple Still Sucks ... More iPhone Problems: "This accessory may not be supported"

Here is the original post regarding this problem by lexiphillips on an Apple forum:

Posted Oct 2, 2013 2:08 PM

"Ever since updating my iPhone 5 with the new iOS 7, this display message pops up while my phone is plugged in to the computer, using the original cable that came with it in the box. Researching this issue only informed me that the new iOS is no longer compatible with generic iPhone chargers. However, mine is the one made by Apple and so there should be absolutely no issues with it. While it is plugged in my phone charges on and off, never consistently charging. It's really irritating and is making charging a very slowgoing process. Does anyone else have any insight on this issue? 

While we're at it, I noticed the new iOS 7 kills the battery life much faster than the previous iOS; I don't use my phone too much throughout the day, and it has been dying consistently twice a day. If I don't use it nearly at all, it seems to last only six or so hours. 

Thanks in advance for any feedback! Hope not everyone is having these issues! 

Alexis"

Well Alexis, I am having the same problem all of a sudden (and despite your hopes, it appears that everyone else is a well) and of course it is happening while traveling (again). My iPhone 5C ($700) started displaying the message, "This accessory may not be supported", about a week ago when plugged into my Mac and my IOGEAR High Capacity Portable Battery (GMP6600P).

Here is a synopsis of my impression of Apple products and some of the threads contained herein:

1) When you pay top-dollar for a product, you should not have all of the problems, including this one, I have had with Apple products (iPhone and Macs)

2) We don't care how intelligent or tech-savvy you are, so please provide helpful comments that don't take a PhD in computer science to decipher

3) Apple obviously enjoys trapping its customers into buying only their products and having to replace parts soon after the warranty expires. It's obvious that the Chinese junk they sell is not worth the price-tag.

4) Apple also confiscates our personal information (e.g. photos and God knows what else), making it extremely difficult to take control of them again and holding us hostage by forcing us to purchase more of their products. The latest iOs is a perfect example, sucking up GBs of space on our phones and forcing us to purchase an iCloud data plan (which I refuse to do).

BOTTOM LINE: Apple sucks and I'm going to find a way to save MY INFORMATION on MY external hard drive so that when my iPhone and Mac go tits-up, likely very soon, I can buy a less costly and more reliable product that allows me to travel stress-free and purchase the peripheral devices/accessories of MY CHOICE!

Read my original review of Apple products.

CombatCritic Gives The Apple iPhone 5C A Dismal 1 Bomb Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Title: Apple Still Sucks ... More iPhone Problems: "This accessory may not be supported"

Key Words: Apple, iPhone, 5C, This accessory may not be supported, forum, technical, problem, problems, customer, service, accessory, supported, support, CombatCritic, review, TravelValue, travel, value

Garbage ... I Will Never Waste My Money On Apple Products Again

Review: Apple 60W MagSafe Power Adapter (for MacBook and 13‐inch MacBook Pro)

Having heard wonderful things, propaganda, about Apple products, I took the leap less than two years ago by purchasing a Macbook Pro, then an iPhone 5C. What a mistake!

Just shy of warranty expiration, my Mac's OS went TANGO UNIFORM (military speak for hard‐broke), causing me to spend countless hours on the phone with support, wiping my hard drive clean, reinstalling the OS, and recovering everything from backup ... several times. Then my 6 month old iPhone died while on vacation in Puerto Rico, stranding us in an unfamiliar area while using Google Maps to navigate the island, losing my ability to take vacation photos/video and unable to contact relatives back home over the holidays.

Most recently, my MagSafe power adapter's (plastic) "L" connector head broke off. After removing it with a pair of pliers, I super‐glued it back on, allowing me to charge my computer for a couple weeks, but now it will not charge at all. Having paid close to $3500 for three Apple products (including my wife's computer), I would expect better quality, but what should I expect from overpriced products Made in China? I was shocked to see that Apple wants $79 for a replacement MagSafe adapter. Where else would you pay $80 for a power cord other than Apple? Nowhere! Based on the reviews this product has garnered, it is a piece of $80 junk just like the rest of Apple's products, I can see that my problem is fairly common. I will buy a new adapter from another supplier for just $30 and I will never buy another Apple product again.

CombatCritic Gives Apple, Inc. and their MagSafe 60W Power Adapter A Dismal 1 Bomb Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Title: Garbage ... I Will Never Waste My Money On Apple Products Again

Key Words: Apple, macbook, pro, MagSafe, power, adapter, 60W, MacIntosh, computer, iPhone, 5C, Mac, phone, product, review, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, tech

DO NOT BUY! The WD My Cloud 6TB Personal Cloud Storage Device

Do you need cloud storage for all of your travel photos? I do! Do you not want to pay the ridiculous monthly or annual fees for years on end for Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, or Amazon Cloud?  I know I do not! The best and most cost-effective alternative is a "personal cloud", a wireless external hard drive (or drives) connected to your home wireless network with tons of storage space (up to several terabytes - TB - 1TB = 1,000 megabytes) that you can access either at home with your computer (or mobile device) or remotely anywhere in the world. 

After my old personal cloud failed, a 4 TB Western Digital (WD) MyBookLiveDuo, I had to find a replacement, so I decided to give WD one more chance only because of the decent price and good reviews on their new My Cloud products. I purchased a WD My Cloud 6TB Personal Cloud Storage device on Amazon for $269.99 plus tax, hoping that it would "connect effortlessly" to my network as advertised.

The WD MyCloud would not connect to my network when it arrived and after spending an additional 3 hours on the phone with tech support, 5 total, they could not help me and told me to return it to Amazon.  The only reason I chose Western Digital again after having two other products that failed, a 1TB MyPassport and a 4TB MyBookLive Duo, was because of the dearth of available products out there and the poor reviews on Seagate products. Never again WD!

CombatCritic Gives WD My Cloud 6TB Personal Cloud Storage 0 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Can't Get Any Lower Than That ... And A Spot On CombatCritic's Wall Of Shame 

Less Than .... 

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic On Yelp And TripAdvisor ... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title:  DO NOT BUY! The WD My Cloud 6TB Personal Cloud Storage Device

Key Words: WD My Cloud 6TB Personal Cloud Storage, WD, My Cloud, 6TB, Personal, Cloud, Storage, NAS, WDBCTL0060HWT-NESN, review, Western Digital, western, digital, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, tech, technology, photo

TravelValue, TravelSafe, ValueTravel .... Follow CombatCritic To Travel Value

Title: TravelValue, TravelSafe, ValueTravel .... Follow CombatCritic To Travel Value

Key Words: Trademark, Copyright, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, TravelValue, TravelSafe, ValueTravel, Follow Me To TravelValue, CombatCritic, 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC

United Airlines: "We Don't Care, We Don't Have To"

United Airlines, Inc.

77 W Wacker Dr

Chicago, IL 60601

b/t Lower Wacker Dr & Michigan Ave in The Loop

united.com

I do not usually write reviews so many weeks or months after the fact, but being in India for four months where Yelp did not yet exist, I felt compelled to add my two cents worth while there and after I returned ...

My first two of three United flights to Delhi were both two hours late and I had to rush through Frankfurt Airport to catch my final flight after already spending close to 20 hours traveling (with 7+ yet to go). I somehow made it!

However, when I recently checked my mileage balance on United.com, my final leg still had not been added to my balance, requiring me to submit a request that still has not been answered.

Airlines in general, and United in particular, just do not care about customer service because they do not have to. They know that most of us will probably purchase the cheapest fare, so it will only be a matter of time before we return even if their service is pitiful, which it usually is ... rude check-in and gate agents, aggressive flight attendants, and poor on-time departure/arrival record ... they should change their motto to: "United Airlines,We Don't Care, We Don't Have To"

As my India trip neared its end, I have to say that United came through with flying colors. 

When one of my wife's return flights in mid-January was rescheduled, leaving her a 30 minute layover to clear immigration/customs, re-check her bag, and get to the next gate (IMPOSSIBLE), we contacted United and were quickly dismissed ... "sorry"! But when we got our travel insurance company involved, they were able to change her flights and get her home in time to attend a meeting at work the following morning.

but, the saga continued ...

I received a call in early February, three weeks prior to my scheduled departure, informing me that my 84-year old mother had been hospitalized and was not doing well.  I contacted my travel insurance company (Allianz Global Assistance/AGA Service Company /Jefferson Insurance Company) thinking that they would be as professional as my wife's, but after 12+ hours of being ignored (on their 24/7 Hotline), I contacted United reservations in New Delhi.  They were not extremely helpful, but when I was finally transferred to an American employee, she was outstanding.  She quickly found me a flight two days later (i had to get from Southern India to Delhi the next day) and WAIVED THE $300 CHANGE FEE ... without even asking.  I was able to get home to see my mother and spend a couple days of quality time before she passed away on 2/12/2015. At that point I was much happier with United.

and continued ...

Then, just three weeks after my mother passed, my wife received word that her father had suddenly died in Naples, Italy where he and her mom live. I logged-in to my United account to search for "bereavement fares", but even though a link appeared in the search results, there was no such information on their website. It turned out that United discontinued their bereavement fares at some point in the recent past. When I called United Customer Care, a deceiving term, I was connected with their offshore "care" center in Manilla, Phillippines where I was quoted $4000 for a single ticket ... $1600 more than the cheapest fare available on Kayak.com and $2350 more than we eventually paid Delta airlines. Thanks for your compassion United!

Up, down, up, down, fleeting moments of excellence, but mostly a "we don't care" attitude, lousy customer service, and absurd prices.  After the recent positive experiences detailed above, finding out post de facto that 15,000 of the 20,000 miles from the US to India and back I paid dearly for were not eligible for frequent flyer credits ("K Class" was their excuse) and the $4000 quote for a last-minute bereavement fare earns United Airlines a spot on my Wall of Shame.

Key Words: United Airlines, united, airlines, airfare, fly, friendly skies, compassion, fare, customer, service, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value

USAA Federal Savings Bank ... Too Big For Britches, Strands Member In India Without Funds

It has been over 9 days since I requested help via email from USAA concerning my damaged debit and credit cards while on vacation in Dharamsala, India where I am attending teachings by the Dalai Lama, volunteering with the Tibetan refugees, and studying Budhist philosophy. My credit card does not work at all and my debit card is also damaged, but is currently functioning (although I do not know how long that will continue). I gave them my hotel's address HERE IN INDIA, but having not received them by the appointed date, I realized that THEY HAD BEEN SENT VIA FedEx TO KANSAS ... "Dharamsala, Kansas" and an Indian postal code.

It's no wonder I have not received my replacement debit/credit cards because if USAA employees had simply read my emails in their entirety, they would have realized that I AM IN INDIA AND THAT THERE IS NO DHARAMSALA IN KANSAS!!! Unbelievable! They also would have answered the questions I asked about MY DAMAGED CREDIT CARD and HOW AND WHEN TO CALL USAA AS INSTRUCTED in a previous email.

I find this all very concerning as I am half way around the world and potentially without a source of funds and USAA DOES NOT SEEM TO CARE ENOUGH TO READ MY EMAILS IN THEIR ENTIRETY, ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, AND GET ME THE CARDS I DESPERATELY NEED!

I am also EXTREMELY concerned because I specifically asked not to have my current (new) credit card replaced because I had to notify numerous auto-pay accounts of the change in cards WHEN FORCED TO REPLACE THE CARD AGAINST MY WISHES, THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS!  USAA apparently does not understand the inconvenience caused by mandating card changes on customers THROUGH NO FAULT OF OUR OWN.  Being in India, where internet connections are slow at best, it would be IMPOSSIBLE for me to contact all of my account holders AGAIN to update payment (card) information, AVOIDING MISSED/LATE PAYMENTS AND POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MY CREDIT RATING. If USAA cannot figure out that I am in India, how could I possibly count on them NOT TO CANCEL my current credit card and AVOID HAVING TO CONTACT MY CREDITORS FOR THE THIRD TIME IN TWO YEARS.

I ASKED THAT MY CASE BE ELEVATED TO A SUPERVISOR AT 9:45 AM ON 11/15/2014 (INDIA TIME - 10:15 PM ON 11/14/2014 CST), HAVING ALL OF MY EMAILS READ/REVIEWED AND ACTION TAKEN IMMEDIATELY TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION SO THAT I CAN RESUME MY VACATION WITH AS LITTLE ADDITIONAL STRESS AS POSSIBLE, ALLOWING ME TO ACCESS FUNDS IN ORDER TO EAT, TRAVEL, AND PAY MY HOTEL BILL.

We will see if and how my case is handled and I will update you here. USAA has gone downhill in recent years in terms of customer service and it seems as though they have gotten too big for their britches since rolling in non-officers. I think it's wonderful that all Veterans now have access to USAA's services, but before the change we (officers) received quality, personal customer service, a thing of the past based on my experiences with USAA in recent years.

UPDATE - January 26, 2015): Three months after first contacting USAA about my damaged cards, I still have not received my new credit card even after my case was elevated to the CEO-level. I was promised by the CEO's representative that my application would be processed "personally" and the card sent to my wife so she could bring it to me when she left to meet me in New Delhi on November 21, 2014, but when I checked the status on their website a few days before her departure I found that it had not been processed as promised.

Maybe USAA's CEO should try traveling abroad without a credit card the next time he goes on vacation to see how difficult it is and possibly empathise with customers (members) like me that are left stranded in a third-world country without the proper resources.



CombatCritic Gives USAA A Dismal 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

USAA Has Been Added To CombatCritic's Wall of Shame

Key Words: USAA Federal Savings Bank, USAA, federal, savings, bank, banking, insurance, credit card, debit card, debit, credit, card, customer service, customer, service, travel, India, Kansas, Dharamsala