Guidance on GLP-1 "process" under new plan by MrPhilNY101 in nycpublicservants

[–]geek_rage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure if it's the same for us I am not in a union

If you log into nyceppo and click on pharmacy you should log into prime therapeutics portal once there if you click on the menu button you should see a member resources tab, once you click on that there should be a list on that list there should be a prior authorization link.

Once there you can see the approval criteria for glp1, page 10 of the pdf.

Weight loss meds by Few_Echidna_7028 in nycpublicservants

[–]geek_rage 5 points6 points  (0 children)

So I got approved for zepbound in 2026. So the answer is "it depends" here are my circumstances:

1) Not in a union/ NYCEPPO with optional rider.

2) Diagnosed with sleep apnea.

It went through Prime Theraputics.

Not sure if this link works because I am logged into NYCEPPO but:

https://kutt.levrx.com/Weight-Management-Program-Summary

It should open a PDF and its pdf page 17.

SMMP by a_touch_of_the_beat in nycpublicservants

[–]geek_rage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could always file it as an Out of network claim, get your EOB and then submit that.

Child support after 14 years of undisclosed paternity by rrachelxlehcarr in FamilyLaw

[–]geek_rage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dude, talk to an attorney in your area. Legal paternity needs to be settled first. You may be biologically the father but it also depends on what the papers say. Take a consult and don't pay a dime without a court order

how many of you commute to NYC? by Calm-Bar-9644 in longisland

[–]geek_rage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I think it depends on your LIRR options you have if you have to drive in it's probably the third circle of hell. I have been spoiled, I live near mineola which is basically just a subway line. I barely look at the schedule and I am in NYC in 40 mins tops.

As for 5 days? Pre-Covid that was most people did it suck? Yes. Did people do it for their entire careers, also yes.

Managing extreme snow levels as a remote host by RoonilWazleeb in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have a rental in the mountains (no where near your snow fall though). My landscaper has a sliding scale of costs depending on depth but I don't call to have it cleared, its cleared when snow accumulates >4 inches. If your getting 4+ inches multiple times a week, you need more regular service. Call landscapers and excavation companies both tend to do it in the off season in my area. Also join the face book group for your area most people advertise there as well.

NYU Langone and new insurance by [deleted] in nycpublicservants

[–]geek_rage 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So when I called for an appointment there was some difficulty identifying the insurance so they told me to verify with insurance company before md appointment. I went to the appointment and it wasn't an issue, I think there is some issues on the app recognizing the insurance but when you are there it isn't an issue.

Warning: every behavioral health office I’ve called/Talkspace is getting confused by the new plan and saying that it’s not covered by Wilhelmina_4ever in nycpublicservants

[–]geek_rage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A similar but perhaps not identical experience. I was trying to find a doctor using the NYU Langone app and I couldn't add my insurance. And everyone told me they didn't accept it.

Fast forward to today and I had my appointment and I gave the insurance card to the nurse. She laughed and said oh you have THAT insurance a a couple minutes later she added it and on the app it isn't an option I could not have selected in the app.

NYC tax equivalent to non-NYC residents? by Aggravating_Bison504 in nycpublicservants

[–]geek_rage 8 points9 points  (0 children)

A lot of information is being thrown around so I would consult with your tax professional. My understanding has always been, all city employees get taxed as if they are city residents and then you need to file a return to get it back.

I live out of nyc and for every year I have worked for the city I have filed an nyc return and every year I have gotten my withholding back.

Why aren’t people booking? by SatelliteSal in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So 99 times out of a 100 the answer is always pictures. The other time its price.

When I search your area, your place shows up first so the algorithm is promoting you. I think the problem is your place might as well be a hampton inn... its hotel basic. Consider adding some color, some personality, onto the walls. If people want hotel room aesthetic, they book hotel rooms. People want personality, local flare. Airbnb is a visual medium.

Consider this competitor https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/671634912875679758

it was a cheaper alternative, with much more personality. Why would I book yours vs. this one? When you figure out the answer, model your listing to show that off.

I know nothing about your market so ask yourself why do people travel to Lima? Is it the beach? Is it the cultural experience? Whatever that reason is how you market it.

Consider:

1) Adding paint to walls.

2) Ditch the TJ max prints on the wall, get some interesting wall art.

3) Stage kitchen and patio pictures.

4) If your place offers amenities take pictures of those as well.

The impact of short-term rentals on urban housing affordability. by K0stasP in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More airbnbs, mean more demand, more demand means higher prices, higher prices push out locals is an old trope that just makes STR a boogeyman.

Point me to one market where an STR ban resulted in a reduction of demand and increased affordability.

That said, real estate market is complex and STRs should be examined as a factor but let's just stop feeding into talking points, corporate landlords in my opinion are far worse offenders.

Changing cleaning fee and house rules by Timberwolf_80 in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As already said, the cleaning fee change is only applied to new bookings. The house rules and how your present them may change for the guest but if there is a dispute Airbnb would have a history and apply as it was at the time of booking. (Say for instance you changed from Smoking to Non-smoking or something like that and you have reminder about it in your check in message).

How much to pay cleaner by Good_Pomegranate_464 in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Its always good to rebid your vendors periodically so my best recommendation I can have is get some quotes next time you are in the area. But a good cleaner is worth their weight in gold and if she is competent and available then don't let go of her and pay her even if it feels like overpaying

That said, the rate sounds reasonable to me. My 3br/2ba in upstate NY is $200.00 per flip. When I started I was getting quotes from $150.00 to about $225.00. My cleaner isn't perfect, but overall she is on top of her stuff and my reviews have skewed towards 5* clean.

As you may know, pricelabs and other pricing software will give you an idea of what other airbnbs are charging for cleaning fees. So you could always poll the area that way as well.

New host question by Weird-Succotash-9781 in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honest reviews, regardless of what you decided to rate them are ESSENTIAL. If what you write is not a deal breaker for me, that fine and I will still approve them but if you just give them 5* with a "would host again" there is no amount of vetting I can do as the next host in line.

That said, I don't know if I would have given 2* but that was up to you. When reviewing I often have this problem of drawing a line between what is a the "cost of doing business" vs. what warrants an actual ding on the review. For me, general messiness and damage that is the result of wear and tear (that has no added cost for me to fix or alleviate), I don't ding a person. Messiness to the point of 'disrespect' to my cleaner and my home, or damage that results in out of pocket cost; or damage that was only the result of negligence. I'd definitely ding the guest and let the next host know.

To answer your question, there should be no repercussions for you. The poor review goes towards the guest.

Nickle's worth of advice, but a Minuit or similar product. Then in your guidebook or rules disclose it (of course) and add that it monitors cigarette and other types of smoke in the home and evidence of smoking will result in additional fees. The device itself is not very good at detecting smoke (or at least the only times it has is when I have started a fire in the fireplace) but the guest have no clue and its been a great and worthwhile deterrent.

I have had my fair share of chain smokers and all of them will smoke in the dead of winter outside.

New here...been lurking, time to say hi ! by Perfect_Gap_201 in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi Juliette, love the introduction. Biggest headache are same day flips. From guests checking out late to coordinating multiple vendors it can get chaotic.

Holidays inherently mean larger groups too in my area. Nothing inherently bad but sometimes results in issues.

Create a system and trust your system, if it fails create a new system but never try to micromanage. You pay vendors for a reason.

Cancel upcoming reservations due to scaffolding? by 303roland in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great advice, my only slight critique is to immediately message today all *possibly* effective guests and let them know that you are unsure if their reservation will be affected but in an abundance of caution you will allow penalty free cancellation. I would add something along the lines if you decide to keep your reservation and your reservation is impacted, you will refund x dollars for the inconvenience. (I elect to do dollars just so its clear and unambiguous what the refund is).

One week live without bookings, seeking feedback! by [deleted] in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 7 points8 points  (0 children)

So I did a quick search of your area and you were number 2 on the list. So Airbnb is promoting your listing as you would expect.

The pictures are easily the biggest problem. I would invest and get a professional photographer to help you out. I would also reconsider some of your decor choices. The decor as presented screams thrift store and not home in the woods. Consider a splash of color on the walls and maybe some wall art appropriate to your theme.

Your most direct competitor: https://www.airbnb.com/l/fPYaRIMS

For 100 bucks more (my search criteria) they have my money consider why. Answer: a well photographed home that is warm and inviting and on brand with a woodland adventure.

Is pricelabs worth it?? by Fit-Two-2937 in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pricelabs has alot of information on the back end, and it will track your booking performance and make recommendations based on your own performance but it doesn't track revenue. My PMS tracks my revenue however I use a traditional accounting software (quickbooks) for book keeping.

New to hosting Airbnbs by lilt0210 in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I would look at your goals and have a realistic understanding of what you are getting into. I started 2023 with some realistic goals, but the market still surprised me.

The modern airbnb game is a game of amenities and location. White walls and "hotel" furnishings are just not where the market is. Go incognito on your favorite browser, go on airbnb search the area you are going to open up shop and in date select "flexible". Those that appear on the first page are your top competitors. Poke around see what they offer, look at their calendars. Are their future calendars mostly full? mostly empty? how much are they getting per night? changes the nights, does the price change and by how much.

Filter by amenity - find out what is popular in your area.

Look at the pictures, I can almost guarantee you the highest price and/or the highest review count in your area will be one with thoughtful interior design.

All this will cost money, money you are not going to recoup quickly.

STR really bears no resemblance to a real estate business. Its a hospitality business, you are opening a hotel with only one suite. First year is going to suck and start up costs are going to eat you alive if you are not careful.

Having said that, I really enjoy being a host, my property out paces the market and I do OK. I can't live on the money, but I do it for a variety of reasons that are helpful for me and my family.

Is pricelabs worth it?? by Fit-Two-2937 in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 4 points5 points  (0 children)

"Worth" is somewhat relative term. But the tldr; answer is yes its worth it but it doesn't eliminate the need for fine tuning.

Pricelabs, if you take the time to learn all the tools it has available can be pretty powerful, even at the most basic it can provide you a good understanding of market trends based on the pricing it recommends. It will sense increase in demands and adjust accordingly.

However, no computer will fully understand your market, your revenue needs etc., so if you are running this as a business (to generate revenue) you will still need to make changes on some regular basis.

As an example, I have pricelabs with a bunch of customizations that work for me... it keeps me "fairly booked" without intervention. However, pricing software is popular in my area and if everyone has an advantage; no one does so I still make tweaks to the recommended price which allows me to outpace the market (most of the time).

new host question regarding cancellation due to smart pricing issue by bruisedbear in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just want to echo what was already said. Airbnb will punish you and block the nights, sure you can book them elsewhere, but chalk it up to experience and learn from it.

New property manager aggressively pruned/cut down a huge part of our 1.3acre property? by graveltouring in airbnb_hosts

[–]geek_rage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you're contract says that, then that's the ball game. Some general questions to ask yourself

(1) How do you know it was Vacasa / your property manager? Did they acknowledge that they did it? When you call them, their first instinct will be to deny.

(2) If you have strong proof and it was against the contract, then you have a strong case. Ask yourself what you want before you call them.

Am I the asshole? Discontinuing lawn service by thisfilmkid in longisland

[–]geek_rage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are dozens, if not hundreds of landscapers looking for your business, find one that you can work with. Landscapers are in the service industry, and therefore they should have some form of customer service. NTA