12.13.24 Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / SAVE On Healthcare

Summary

The Clark Howard Podcast: Episode Summary Title: Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / SAVE On Healthcare
Release Date: December 13, 2024
Host: Clark Howard

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Introduction

In this episode of The Clark Howard Podcast, Clark delves into two primary themes: addressing listener criticisms through his "Clark Stinks" segment and providing actionable advice on saving money in the healthcare sector. Throughout the episode, Clark engages with his audience by responding to feedback, dispelling misconceptions, and sharing personal experiences to empower listeners in making informed financial decisions.

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Clark Stinks: Addressing Listener Criticisms

Clark dedicates a portion of the episode to the "Clark Stinks" segment, where he addresses and responds to listener criticisms. This approach not only fosters transparency but also enhances the show's credibility by acknowledging and rectifying oversights.

• Donation Transparency:

  • Listener Feedback: John from New York City expressed disappointment over Clark not mentioning the potential for companies to match donations to Clark's Christmas Kids, a charitable initiative for children in foster care.
  • Clark’s Response (02:47):

    "John, thank you so much for ... and give this money to the kids in foster care. I appreciate it so very much."

  • Acknowledgment of Oversight: Clark appreciates the feedback and recognizes the importance of highlighting donation matching to amplify charitable contributions.

• Electronic Paperwork in Healthcare:

  • Listener Feedback: A listener voiced concerns about the push for electronic paperwork in doctors' offices, especially for elderly patients unfamiliar with digital tools.
  • Clark’s Response (04:11):

    "Think of it this way. It is the exception, not the rule, of people who prefer paper."

  • Clarification: Clark elaborates on accommodating those who prefer traditional methods while advocating for increased electronic efficiency.

• Financial Product Recommendations:

  • Listener Feedback: Russell pointed out that Fidelity also offers ATM fee reimbursements, a feature Clark hadn't mentioned, typically highlighting Schwab.
  • Clark’s Response (05:39):

    "Russell, thank you. I didn't know that Fidelity was doing the fee free ATM charges. And that's an oversight on my part."

  • Commitment to Accuracy: Clark acknowledges the omission and emphasizes that different financial institutions have their unique advantages.

• UGMA Accounts Clarification:

  • Listener Feedback: Gregory highlighted a factual error regarding the transfer of UGMA accounts to minors.
  • Clark’s Response (15:57):

    "It's exactly. There's a legal age where the money goes to the kid."

  • Correction and Explanation: Clark clarifies the legal obligations and practical realities of UGMA account transfers.

• Amex Platinum Card Transparency:

  • Listener Feedback: Andrew questioned Clark’s disclosure about holding an Amex Platinum card through Schwab, suggesting potential conflicts with his budget-friendly brand.
  • Clark’s Response (09:23):

    "I don't have the Schwab, Amex."

  • Transparency: Clark openly discusses his credit card holdings, differentiating between personal and recommended products.

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Save On Healthcare: Reducing Medical Expenses

Healthcare costs in the United States remain a significant financial burden for many. Clark dedicates an extensive segment to dissecting the issues within the healthcare system and offering practical strategies to mitigate expenses.

• High Costs vs. Low Lifespan Rankings:

  • Key Insight: The U.S. spends a disproportionate amount on healthcare—18% of its economy—yet ranks 45th globally in life expectancy.
  • Clark’s Assertion:

    "We're spending it on healthcare with a lot of sand in the gears."

• Nonprofit Hospital Practices:

  • Issue Highlighted: Many nonprofit hospitals fail to fulfill their obligation of providing charity care, despite not paying taxes on profits.
  • Clark’s Commentary:

    "They have a responsibility to provide charity care to people who maybe have insurance but have really large deductibles and can't afford the bill."

• Personal Anecdote – MRI Costs:

  • Clark’s Experience (20:02):
    Clark shares a personal story about needing an MRI for his knee. At a hospital system, the cost was $2,400, whereas an independent freestanding facility charged only $300.
  • Quote:

    "I end up getting the MRI at a freestander owned by... I do have insurance and My share was $85. My share if I'd filed through insurance was more than they would have charged me at this place."

  • Lesson: Shopping around for medical services can lead to substantial savings, as hospital systems often charge exorbitant rates compared to independent providers.

• Atmosphere vs. Cost Efficiency:

  • Observation: Freestanding medical facilities often offer a more welcoming environment with amenities like snacks and comfortable seating, yet charge significantly less than hospital systems.
  • Clark’s Reflection:

    "They have soft music playing in the waiting room... but it was 1/8 the cost at the freestander as it is at the hospital."

• Call to Action:

  • Clark’s Encouragement:

    "When you're having something non emergency shopping around could make such a difference in what you pay."

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Listener Questions and Feedback

Throughout the episode, Clark interacts with a variety of listener inquiries, providing insights and clarifications on diverse topics.

1. Credit Freezing with Smaller Agencies:

   • Listener Concern: A listener from law enforcement sought specifics on which credit bureau smaller agencies use, especially those targeted by criminals.
   • Clark’s Response (11:25):
     Clark acknowledges the oversight and commits to updating the show notes with the relevant information.

2. Electric Razor Maintenance and Utility Competition:

   • Listener Feedback: Chris from a listener questioned the maintenance of electric razors and the feasibility of increasing competition in the utility sector.
   • Clark’s Response (13:19):
     Clark discusses Texas's free-market approach to energy, emphasizing the benefits of competition in power generation and retailing while addressing the challenges of infrastructure monopolies.

3. UGMA Account Transition:

   • Listener Clarification: Gregory corrected Clark’s statement regarding the transition of UGMA accounts to minors, highlighting the legal obligation to transfer ownership upon reaching the age of majority.
   • Clark’s Response (15:57):
     Clark reiterates the legal framework and acknowledges the practical dynamics within families.

4. Condominium Association Fraud:

   • Listener Story: Patrick from Georgia described an incident involving fraud by a condominium association employee who forged a check.
   • Clark’s Advice (26:09):
     Clark advises that Conservice, the billing company, should rectify the situation, issue apologies, and cover any unjustified fees. He explains Conservice’s role in utility billing for condo associations and the common challenges residents face when dealing with third-party billing entities.

5. Google Fi Compatibility with iPhones:

   • Listener Inquiry: Stephen from Colorado asked about using Google Fi on iPhones, given the reported beta compatibility.
   • Clark’s Response (29:52):
     Clark shares his family's positive experience with Google Fi on iPhones, noting the need for manual configuration but affirming its functionality despite the lack of seamless integration between Apple and Google.

6. Sources of Clark’s Knowledge:

   • Listener Curiosity: Michelle from New Hampshire wondered about the sources from which Clark acquires his extensive financial knowledge.
   • Clark’s Response (31:05):
     Clark enumerates his daily reading regimen, including The Financial Times, Barron's, The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and various industry publications. He emphasizes his passion for continuous learning and staying informed about financial and economic developments.

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Closing Remarks

Clark wraps up the episode by reiterating the importance of patience and thoughtful spending during the holiday season. He encourages listeners to seek out meaningful gifts that may not be mainstream but are cherished by recipients, thereby ensuring financial prudence. Additionally, he emphasizes maintaining composure amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, reminding listeners to focus on the spirit of joy and giving.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Acknowledging Oversights:

  • 02:05:

    "Well, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you're right, pal."

• On Electronic Paperwork:

  • 04:11:

    "Think of it this way. It is the exception, not the rule, of people who prefer paper."

• Discussing ATM Fee Reimbursements:

  • 05:39:

    "Russell, thank you. I didn't know that Fidelity was doing the fee free ATM charges. And that's an oversight on my part."

• Healthcare Spending Critique:

  • 20:02:

    "We're spending it on healthcare with a lot of sand in the gears."

• Freestanding MRI Anecdote:

  • 20:57:

    "I end up getting the MRI at a freestander... $85. My share if I'd filed through insurance was more than they would have charged me at this place."

• Utility Competition in Texas:

  • 13:19:

    "What Texas does in most of the state is there are power generators... because it is a free market for the generation and ultimate retailing of energy."

• On Continuous Learning:

  • 31:05:

    "I read, I read, I read, I read. I am really dull if you don't know that Michelle."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Clark Howard Podcast effectively balances listener engagement with informative content. By addressing critiques transparently and offering strategic advice on navigating the complex healthcare landscape, Clark continues his mission to empower individuals in achieving financial freedom. His emphasis on continuous learning and adaptability underscores the value he brings to his extensive audience.

Transcript

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[Clark Howard]

It's great to have you here on the Clark Howard Show. You know, our mission is to serve you with advice and information that empowers you to make better financial decisions in your life. Are you superstitious? Friday the 13th I've never been superstitious. No. No. But it's always funny because I travel a lot and you go to other countries and they'll have a 13th floor and I'm like, wow, that's unusual. But this Friday the 13th is a lucky, lucky day for me because I get to learn from you. And today's Clark stinks how I could have done a better job. And I actually so look forward to this. And I recently had an experience. Later I'm going to talk about an experience I had in the health care world where I was able to save substantial money. And I want to share it with you because this is so relevant as more and more of us pay more and more deductibles with our health coverage. But without further ado, it is time to hear how I messed up. I should have never encouraged you to speak. You must think I'm pretty stupid.

[Listener 1]

You should be ashamed of yourself.

[Clark Howard]

Well, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you're right, pal.

[Listener 2]

All right, you don't stink. But you may not have mentioned something that could be helpful. My family was happy to donate to Clark's Christmas Kids again this year. I was able to have my company match our donation. Even though the agency that runs the program is not a 501c3 organization. State agency. That's why they are certainly charitable and that is what counted for my company. Perhaps if you mentioned the potential for companies to match donations, Clark's Christmas Kids could reach a few more kids. Thanks for your continued sound advice and happy Holidays, John in New York City.

[Clark Howard]

John, thank you so much for not only feeling that spirit of what we do with Clark's Christmas Kids for children in foster care, but to get your employer, your company to also donate. And we do have a procedure where the donations are tax deductible and it is not a traditional 501C3 because it's state government. But thank you for reaching down I95 and giving this money to the kids in foster care. I appreciate it so very much. You want to know what inspired John, Go to Clark's Christmas kids.com I never.

[Listener 2]

Thought I'd write one of these because you really don't sting Clark. But occasionally we do need to point out a missed detail or alternate point of view. You talked about being handed a piece of paper on a clipboard when you go to the doctor's office and how behind in the times that seems. Maybe so, but remember that not everyone uses computers yet. I take my 90 something year old mother to all her medical appointments and if she was told that anything had to be done electronically, she would be completely lost. Of course I would do it for her. But not everyone has that assistance. There's still at least one generation ahead of me that is not used to doing things electronically. And I cannot imagine how much it would slow things down if they were asked to verify their meds list or update their current symptoms electronically.

[Clark Howard]

I appreciate that post very, very much. And I want to say this, think of it this way. It is the exception, not the rule, of people who prefer paper. It's at this point a small percent of the population. So what you could have at a medical facility is if somebody doesn't, you could either assist them under hipaa, you could have someone in the office assist them filling out on a tablet, because it would usually be a tablet, not a computer. Or in those cases you could have them fill out by default the old paperwork. But it seems really not efficient in an era where things should be electronic, where any medical provider would see the information about you to do it electronically instead of with the clipboard, the dreaded clipboard. Do you go to any doctor's offices that have accepted that it's not 1958 anymore?

[Listener 2]

Most of them now I do it electronically. I usually do it before I get a text, before I go to fill out the paperwork, and I do it online before I show up. But then I get annoyed sometimes because then they'll have me do it again. When I get there I'm like, I did this.

[Clark Howard]

Oh. I say, oh, I already filled this out. And they'll say, oh, Let me look. Oh, yes, you did. You can sit down now.

[Listener 2]

Clark often talks about using Schwab for foreign ATM withdrawals, but he never mentions Fidelity, which also reimburses customers for ATM fees. Is there a good reason to use Schwab instead of Fidelity, or are they both equally good? Russell.

[Clark Howard]

Russell, thank you. I didn't know that Fidelity was doing the fee free ATM charges. And that's an oversight on my part. And I thank you for pointing that out. And this is exactly why we do Clark stink. So advantage disadvantage of Fidelity, Schwab, or my third favorite child, Vanguard. They all have their pluses and minuses. There is no. Not one of these companies is perfect. If you really like what you get from Fidelity, then use Fidelity. If you really like what you got from Schwab, use Schwab. And same in turn for Vanguard. I actually use all three.

[Listener 2]

I'm an internal medicine physician who works in the outpatient setting and would like to address some misconceptions about billing for care that were expressed regarding billing for an extra diagnosis during an annual physical. By the way, so many people reacted to this, saying it happened to them. And just so much buzzword people are.

[Clark Howard]

On both sides of this one.

[Listener 2]

Yes. Imagine you have a 20 to 30 minute appointment for an annual physical. The physician must cover all age appropriate screening and preventative care, depending on age. In addition, the patient brings up several complaints that now require evaluation and diagnosis. If the doctor bills it as an annual visit, they will not get reimbursed for the time and expertise it took to evaluate and diagnose the added complaints. If you went to the dentist for a cleaning and complained about a painful tooth that needed immediate extraction, would you be surprised that you got charged for the extraction? If you went to a lawyer for annual tax advice, but then asked him to handle a speeding ticket, would you expect not to be charged if you took your car in for annual maintenance and told them about a clicking sound? You get the point. When people go for an annual physical, it should be made very clear what will and will not be covered by that visit. And if it isn't, people shouldn't assume. But ask Jane. And then another listener, Jeremy, sent this image from his annual physical.

[Clark Howard]

Looking at it right now.

[Listener 2]

Yeah, it was in the doctor's office. The sign, which is pretty.

[Clark Howard]

So the sign makes it very clear. And I like this because this is what I talk about with medicine, that you eat the meal and then you're told what it's going to charge. I like that this doctor's office says this is what's covered by your physical. These are things that are not that will be billed separately. I really like that the doctor did it. And by the way, doctors are not the bad people in medicine. I want to address this again because I have new data. The hospitals are where the problem begins, ends in the middle. Hospitals are where our medical costs are out of control. Not doctors and also not prescription drugs. I'll lay it all out. If we can schedule that sometime on another podcast or YouTube show.

[Listener 2]

I can understand why Clark doesn't want to tell his listeners that he has the free Amex Platinum card from Schwab. Most of his target audience doesn't have the account balance to qualify for it and doesn't fit his low budget brand. But I think it's okay to show everyone the nice perks that come along with living below your means and growing a big pile of financial security. And some listeners have used his tips over the decades to graduate from coupon clipping to living high on the hog. It's no secret that successful podcasts make a lot of money, and Clark has been more open in recent years about his wealth. He's told us he has an account at Schwab, and surely that account meets the balance requirements for $1,000 credit when you have the platinum Amex. I'm pretty sure if there's $1,000 lying on the ground, Clark is going to stop and pick it up. Krista probably has the Platinum Amex too, but it is not her podcast, so we can give her a pass for now. But full disclosure from Clark about the cards in his wallet and needed if we need to trust everything he says. After all, there's no law that says you can't be a cheapskate and filthy stinking rich. Andrew.

[Clark Howard]

Andrew. Thank you. And I don't have the Schwab, Ame.

[Listener 2]

I don't either.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah, I had the Schwab card forever ago when it was a 2% cash back card. The card is not as generous now.

[Listener 2]

The Platinum Amex from Schwab. The difference is yes, you get a credit depending on it's 100, 200 or 1,000, depending on how much money you have with Schwab. But also right now through early January, they're offering, I think it's 150,000AmEx points as opposed to 80,000 bonus signups with regular Platinum Amex.

[Clark Howard]

So did you get this card?

[Listener 2]

I haven't, no. I don't think I have a need for it. I have too many credit cards, so.

[Clark Howard]

I don't actually carry the Schwab card right now. So I can't speak first person about the Schwab card.

[Listener 2]

But you have a platinum Amex.

[Clark Howard]

I do. I have the travel one. The one with the massive annual fee. And it is massive. It works out for me with traveling about 30 weeks a year. I don't recommend it to people who don't travel a substantial amount.

[Listener 2]

I found your response to the person who wanted more information about freezing their credit with the smaller agencies lacking. You referenced one that many of the cell phone companies use that criminals have been targeting. Please tell us what company that is. I tried googling that info and came up with nothing. Let the listener decide whether or not to go through the hassle of freezing this account. Your show notes do link to the info which we have on clark.com for smaller agencies, but there's no mention of the cell phone company. If criminals have been targeting something, please don't keep it to yourself. I was in law enforcement for 26 years and saw the grief and destruction associated with identity theft. On another note, I seem to remember you talking about getting stood up by ride sharing drivers. As I understand it, we rate the drivers and they rate us. I'm guessing a rider's tip history factors into their ratings of us. I'm not sure what kind of tipper you are, but it may help to explain why you're left standing out in the cold. Thank you and all the Clark Howard team members for all the hard work you do. Jim from Seattle.

[Clark Howard]

Jim, thank you. I've got a good rider rating. I tip what I think is quite generously. I get a lot of thank you messages from drivers. I'm looking right now because I don't remember the name of that company. I'm looking. I already looked at T Mobile. They just say they're going to run one. They don't say who it's with. I'm looking at Verizon and I'm looking to see if they disclose who they use.

[Listener 2]

Well, why don't we do this? We will find it and we'll put it in the show notes from today's episode.

[Clark Howard]

Okay. Because there's a specialty credit bureau that the cell phone carriers traditionally used.

[Listener 2]

We do have that article on clark.com with all the smaller agencies and shows how you can go and freeze your credit with all of them if you're concerned about any of this. But we will put that in the episode notes. If you are listening to this or watching it, it should be in the notes for this episode.

[Clark Howard]

Thank you for your career in law enforcement?

[Listener 2]

Yes. Thank you. Two things. One, on your electric razor, you say you've never replaced the blade and you don't notice it getting worse, but you didn't say what, if anything, you do to maintain it. Do you rinse it out after each shave? And two, you say there should be more competition with the electric and gas utilities. The power utilities are completely different from, say, the trucking industry. It is much easier to buy a truck and go into business and compete. How are companies supposed to compete in the power industry? Build their own electric grids and gas pipes. It is most efficient to just have one electric grid and one gas pipe system. If you think companies should be able to lease the power infrastructure and get their own customers, I think that would lead to more unaccountability and scams. If you think regulation should be loosened with respect to it being easier for solar companies to sell power to the electric company or have neighborhoods create a co op and produce their own solar, maybe there's something there. But you should be more specific on exactly how competition could be increased. Thank you. Love, Chris.

[Clark Howard]

Chris, thank you very much. Okay. I love what Texas has done. They've had growing pains with it. Obviously, when the state didn't deal well with the extreme cold weather they had several years ago, it was a tragic event. But what Texas does in most of the state is there are power generators. There are, for lack of a better term, the network providers that provide the infrastructure, the long lines to get the power to where it's going, and then the retailers. And so what it allows is that any form of energy has access to the grid and provides power. And that's why power in Texas is generally so much cheaper than it is anywhere else in the country, because it is a free market for the generation and ultimate retailing of energy. I am so in a belief that the free market finds the most efficient way to do so with the state regulated monopolies. And by the way, to your point, you only need one provider of the transmission. You need one provider of the pipeline, necessarily. But how that energy is produced and who sells it directly to the public can be fully free market activities. That's my thing. And what I despise are the state regulated monopolies where there's what's called regulatory capture. The political process is corrupted in every single state with monopoly power companies because the power company is powerful enough and spreads enough money to politicians that whatever stacks the deck in their favor and against industry, consumers and small businesses is what happens. Instead of government being there to just Be a referee. Government stacks the deck for the power company. That is the monopoly. That's my thing. And I'm intense about it. And I'm going to stop right now because otherwise we'd be here till the cows come home with me talking about this.

[Listener 2]

Not that you stink, but a factual statement you made, I believe is incorrect. When talking about Ugmas for children, you stated to turn it over to the child when the custodian feels they are ready. I have Ugmas for my grandchildren, and when one turned the age of majority for their state, I had to turn the account over to them. No choice. Keep up the great work, Gregory.

[Clark Howard]

Gregory. Thank you. Okay, so what I said, and I must not have said it clearly is. It's exactly. There's a legal age where the money goes to the kid. But what happens as a practical matter, in a lot of families, the statements keep coming and they never tell the kid that the money's there. And let me tell you, that happens a lot. So if the child's not mature enough as a young adult, they just don't know about that account. I mean, that's how it really plays and a lot of family dynamics. And I want to thank you so much for taking the time to submit your Clark Stinks. And from time to time through the year, we do like an entire podcast of just Clark Stinks. Because they back up. Because I'll go through a cycle where, in your opinion, I'm really, really stinking it up. And you just can't imagine how much this helps your fellow listener or viewer, how much it helps me, because I'll give an opinion or state something and I'm missing part of the picture or I don't explain it well, like with the Ugmas just then. And so knowing where I've got a blind's eye to the ability to explain something or say something makes this a better podcast and a better YouTube show. So thank you for taking the time. And if you're frustrated because yours hasn't been read yet by Krista. Well, we got so many. It takes. Takes a process to get to all.

[Listener 2]

Of them, and I don't ever get to all of them.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah, it's impossible to get to all of them. Should we ever have a place where you just post all the Clark Stinks online for people to be able to read? Maybe.

[Listener 2]

So we'll look into that.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah, because I want people to be heard. I want them to be seen because.

[Listener 2]

They can go to our community. Just one guy on clark.com we have our community. They could join our community and, you.

[Clark Howard]

Know, share your beef with me, whatever it is. So coming up ahead, my thing about health care is the industry doesn't want you to shop around is now 18% of our economy is healthcare and we are now 45th in lifespans in the world. 45th. Spending more money than anybody else. And I want to help you spend less on that healthcare and maybe get better care. We're going to talk about that straight ahead.

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[Clark Howard]

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[Clark Howard]

All right, so we spend so much money on healthcare in the United States, it's insane. I mentioned just before the break here, we're now 45th in the world on lifespans. You'd be amazed at the countries in the world where people live longer than we do. And yet we're spending so much of our nation's wealth instead of on productive capacity to increase people's standards of living. We're spending it on healthcare with a lot of sand in the gears. One of the scams going on in the country is this thing with nonprofit hospitals where the big ones administrators may be earning more than 10 million a year and the hospital's not paying any tax on all the profits it has hiding behind the curtain as a non profit. So if you are a nonprofit hospital and you avoid paying taxes like the rest of us, you have a responsibility to provide charity care to people who maybe have insurance but have really large deductibles and can't afford the bill the hospital generated or someone who doesn't have insurance. The hospitals are supposed to have a procedure to apply for charity care. And a lot of these nonprofits only pretend they're nonprofit and don't follow the legal responsibilities they have to provide charity care. So something I haven't mentioned, I think in two years, $4.org which is D O L L A r f o r.org which walks you through if you've got one of these headaches of these huge hospital bills, how to apply for that hospital's charity care assistance program that they keep a big fat secret. Yeah, you hear it, the anger I have about hospitals. I'm going to talk about that. As I mentioned the other day, I'm going to talk about that as a topic on another show. How much of that incredible waste of spending nearly one in five of our nation's dollars generated each year on health care, where the next closest country in the world spends one in $11 or the equivalent in their currency. But one of the things with the hospitals something there, you'd think that the size of them would lead to economies of scale, that they'd be able to do something more efficiently than, let's say, a little pop up in a shopping center. Well, let me tell you a little story. Recently I'm having some trouble in my left knee, so I needed to get an mri. So it took some work. But I found out at the hospital system that I can walk to on my gympie knee that it would be $2,400 for the MRI and then I'd have my share of it. I know about this because I've shared with you before how much cheaper the independent freestanders are. So I end up getting the MRI at a freestander owned by, I guess some doctors or whatever own it, not part of a hospital system. I said, so what does it cost for this mri? And they said, is it with or without contrast to your knee? So I said, without contrast? They said, well, it's $300. I said, wait a minute, I walk in off the street and I pay $300 for it? I said, yeah, like surprised that I was surprised. And then I'm thinking, so it's eight times that cost at the hospital having the mri. So I make the appointment at this freestander and I do have insurance and My share was $85. My share if I'd filed through insurance was more than they would have charged me at this place. Not having insurance, just going as cash pay. If I'd done at the hospital my share of the copay would have been gosh, Was it been 600? Whatever. It's crazy that the hospitals instead of doing what should happen as an organization develops more production is the cost per should go down. But in the hospital world they go up. So this is really funny. So you go in there and they have soft music playing in the waiting room. They have really comfortable chairs to sit in. They have a sofa, I mean and then they've got medical chairs for people who are all they need to sit in just like a medical kind of chair. And then they have snacks and somebody comes out and says what can I get you to drink? Would you like a coffee or a cappuccino or water or a soft drink? And I'm like man, they got this variety of snacks and a kid came in who had a sports injury like probably 10, 12 years old. It was like the greatest day ever with all the snacks were available to him. Think about that. When you have something that has to compete in the free market, how different the environment is and then that the cost is cheaper. But with medicine understand that the hospital systems in mid size and large markets are buying up all these other practices in shopping centers and all that and then they're charging you hospital rates. They may not have the hospital name on there. It may say affiliated with blah blah blah hospital system but it'll have a different name and then the bill will be what they'd bill you at the hospital. This is why when you're having something non emergency shopping around could make such a difference in what you pay. I would have been happy just it was so much cheaper. But it was really funny that the atmosphere was like I was going to a boutique kind of place that I'd pay more. But instead it was was that 1/8 the cost at the freestander as it is at the hospital. By the way, you know, we just had Clark stink. So you work for a hospital. You want to tell me why I'm just missing the big picture? Please go ahead and [e-mail] clarkstings all.

[Listener 2]

Right, we'll go to questions. Patrick in Georgia says my condominium association unfortunately uses. I'm going to call you can Name them. Is it conservative?

[Clark Howard]

I think is how you say it. Yeah.

[Listener 2]

To bill members for our water slash sewer usage. Recently a conservative employee forged a check that I wrote to them, including my signature. By the grace of the great spirit did I happen to notice their attempt. The board and my bank's fraud department were immediately contacted and my bank's investigation confirmed the forgery attempt. I do not feel comfortable issuing any additional payments to them and have notified the board and property manager of my justified feelings and asked for another payment option. The board and property manager are seemingly ignoring the situation and paid con service. They are fully aware of the situation and are now billing me late fees. I don't know what to do.

[Clark Howard]

Right. So Patrick, it's crazy that you're being billed late fees. Conservice should issue you an apology, should cover any fees, anything like that, because it was their employee allegedly who committed fraud, manipulated the check. Let me explain what conservice is because people keep asking me about them. You live in a single family home, so you're not familiar.

[Listener 2]

Right.

[Clark Howard]

So they bill a lot for common utilities at condo associations, apartments and in rare cases, things that are common utilities that people may have at a homeowners association, community, but normally condo and apartment. So if I'm a condo management company, condo association, I'm an apartment manager and I'm billing out separately instead of in the regular rent for an apartment or condo fees for condo association and I want to break out water and sewer. There are these companies of which conservice is best. I know is the biggest in the country. I contract with them to do the individual billing of tenants or unit owners. And we are not the customer when we're being billed by them. So the association or the apartment owner is trying to provide these services at what's the cheapest cost for them. And many times you'll be billed service fees to pay the bill when you use one of these third party servicers like Conservice, but they are not. Service is an odd name because whenever you're not the customer, think of the credit bureaus. Getting customer service is not easy. And it's funny with these organizations I'm not specifically picking on conservatives just because they're the. They're the biggest I'm talking about and the one people would be most familiar with. They often in order to get the business from an association or apartment owner are charging you fees to pay your bill. So it's really an unfortunate situation. And this came about because when people are billed for these things as just part of their rent or they're billed as part of their condominium fee. People don't seem to care that much about how much water or various utilities like electricity or gas or whatever they use. So the idea is to make market pricing more evident to you. Unfortunately, the process of doing it has continually been a messy endeavor.

[Listener 2]

Stephen in Colorado says any feedback on using Google Fi on iPhones? My wife wants to switch from Android One plus to iOS for her phone. Many of our kids use iPhones and she's also addicted to our iPad. But the Google Fi store says that iOS compatibility is only in beta, which.

[Clark Howard]

It'S been for like five years. Long time. Full disclosure. Four of us and our family are on Google Fi and everybody is on an iPhone but me and the iPhones. You have to go through a manual process because Apple and Google don't like to play well together and you have to go in and change some settings before an iPhone will work properly on Google Fi for various things like travel overseas, for checking your voicemail and all that. It's not a difficult process. It's tedious. Takes about five minutes. You can have the instructions like on a computer screen and go in and manually change those settings. Why it's not automated. I don't understand enough about the Hatfield McCoy's thing between Apple and Google, but it will work fine on Google Fi as long as you do make sure that those manual setting changes are made.

[Listener 2]

And Michelle in New Hampshire says I want to know where Clark gets all of his knowledge. What are you reading or watching to learn about all the things you know.

[Clark Howard]

So I don't watch. I read, I read, I read, I read. I am really dull if you don't know that Michelle. I'm a really dull guy. What I get excited about people laugh about all the time. The things I get excited about. But my first read every day is the Financial Times because they spend so much of their writers efforts on financial because I'm always looking deep dive financial stories about companies, about industries. My second read is Barron's magazine. Barron's used to be just a weekly magazine but now has daily updates. And I read the Wall Street Journal. Same company owns Barron's, owns the Wall Street Journal. I read the major newspapers, New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, although the LA Times is not that great anymore. Used to write really really great financial stuff. And personal finance. USA Today does a good job with personal finance. I read that. I read the New York Post which ironically enough same owners as Barron's in the Wall Street Journal then I read a number of industry publications. I read every single day of my life. It's recreation for me to read and learn more about things and learn more about finance and what's going on with various economies around the world. It's what I love. And I still remember my first economics course in college. A lot of people in the class found it kind of dry and were like zoning out. And I was like engaged like you could never imagine. And the college I went to had a communist Marxist economics program. I would just argue with whoever the professor was because I'm totally a capitalist, free marketeer. So this is my love, other than my family and my friends. And it's what I study all the time. I hope that explains somewhat why you hear me talk about the most obscure things. And I got to tell you a funny thing, Krista, think about in our meetings when we're all meeting, all the different functions, our website and the podcast and the YouTube show and the radio and TV and all the things I do. And we're all meeting and then I'll talk about something completely obscure. And you always say, I've been waiting to hear why you were interested in that. What's the weirdest you can think of?

[Listener 2]

Like, oh, don't put me on the spot. I don't know. You've always got an angle on something too. That surprises me. That's why I don't think AI is ever going to be able to nail you down. I was thinking about that. If you said, what would Clark Howard say about this? I would challenge AI to really be able to answer that. Because you always have some unique spin on something. You know, we always joke about the convenience stores and how you make the interesting mundane. And the mundane interesting, as you like to say.

[Clark Howard]

It's. No, exciting. I mean, the mundane exciting and the exciting mundane.

[Listener 2]

Okay, okay, sorry.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah. I remember my wife Lane and I were outside Buckingham palace recently. She's looking. She's looking at the grounds of summer. So the flowers were just gorgeous and all this. And I'm like, what is that car? I've never seen that car before. What is it? Cars driving by. I really sometimes miss the moment because of my obsession with different things.

[Listener 2]

I mean, recently we were talking about. There was an article about a small house that you could build that is $36,000 or something. And it was. You didn't have to permit it and you could. I was like, we need to move on, remember?

[Clark Howard]

And I wouldn't stop talking about this permit free prefab home. Yeah. So Michelle, understand With that knowledge comes some, to put it politely, a lot of quirkiness, but it's great.

[Listener 2]

That's why people love you. That's why you do bring so many things to light and make them so interesting. I find myself now in convenience stores going, oh, look at the flooring. Whatever. I never ever have thought about that before or the lighting to make me feel safe.

[Clark Howard]

The lighting to make women feel safe is something the business people who discovered that in the late 80s, it's like, why did nobody think of that before? Because it's not like just women want to feel safe.

[Listener 2]

No, no, no.

[Clark Howard]

People want to feel safe. But it was all about creating environments where women could feel safe. Enough about that. Thank you so much for joining us today. I hope you have a great, great weekend in front of you. Christmas is, you're staring down the barrel of it. If you're one of those procrastinators, like a third of people procrastinate on buying gifts. You will find now that the prices on things people want are much, much higher than they were even 10 days ago. But the things people don't want are marked down very heavily now through Christmas. So if you find that needle in a haystack that you know the person who would really like having it, I mean if it's something that people generally don't want but you know your gift recipient would like, well, your wallet's going to smile on you. You procrastinated. On the other hand, if they want that hot item, your wallet hates you right now. Have a great, great weekend. And if you get in traffic at some shopping area this weekend, remember, keep your patience on because, well, it gets tough at the stores. I used to say the malls. Now it's at Costco or Sam's Club or Walmart or Target or you know, strip centers or whatever the traffic and finding the spaces can be. Try anybody's patience. So remember, this is about the season of joy and giving and holiday and all that. Just take a deep breath if you're around people that are short tempered and we'll see you Monday.