The "This Insurance Thing Almost Made Me Cry", edition.

iPad shuffled to "Ventura Highway", America.  I'd hoped that my insurance issue would be solved by now.  It almost is. The good news my experience exposed a problem with the benefits application. The bad news is that even when the problem is addressed it still won't help me. *sigh*. I'll start first with thanking my friends who helped me. While looking on the City directory online for a number to call, I saw that a person I'd worked with on several projects is now an executive in HR. However there was no direct contact number and no answered the general contact number. ;-/  *huff*. I sent email describing the issue  to 2 of my friends to see if they could get the number. They did one better. They both forwarded my email to the executive. She responded promptly with her phone number and an offer of assistance.

Christopher Williams,  "Dreamin'". Like the song, his voice. Is he "New Jack"?  My kid can tell me. :) Plus he's eye candy. I have a nephew with that name. He's quite handsome too. :)   The executive explained the status "terminated" is the default stratus for early retirement, but the explanation is early retirement.  That is a bug in the benefits application used to enroll the employees in the plans.  Since I was in the 1st group on the 1st day of the enrollments, I was the 1st person to catch it. Yay me.  :-/  It will be addressed. I am not the only person to retire early. 

So the other question was why wouldn't I be able to enroll until June?  Because I am not eligible for City medical coverage until I hit the 30 year mark. I knew about that prior to retirement, but I didn't care. I was covered by Brian's plan. Had been for over 20 years. Well now it's a huge issue. The City is ending health care coverage and everyone had to get plans through the marketplace.  Brian enrolled and got a great family plan which will be covered by the stipend.  BUT.  I am ineligible because I have Medicare because of the ESRD.  Are you following me?  I can't get insurance with the City because I need a few more months. I can't get insurance through the marketplace because I have (mandatory Medicare).  But wait, there's more!!!

I say fine.  I'll just go straight through Blue Cross to get a Medicare Advantage plan.  You know, the plan that covers that 20% of costs that Medicare doesn't pay. I called. The agent tells me I'm eligible for a gap plan if I fit certain criteria. One of the criteria was not getting a stipend from your employer.  Well yeah, we'll be getting a stipend. OMG. No insurance for you. This can't be happening. The Gap Band, "You Dropped A Bomb Me". Roflmao. How timely is this song!!  

I call Medicare. How can this be?  I called was put on hold then was disconnected.  ;(  Called back and eventually got someone.   I explained I needed a Medicare Advantage plan. She looks up my information. Tells me enrollment is closed. I explained to her I am getting kicked off my husband's plan effective Feb 28. She says some gibberish about how I've had Medicare since February 2013.  I try to explain to her that it was retroactively applied.  I didn't go to Social Security until November 2013. SHE WASN'T TRYING TO HEAR THAT.  She was basically saying, "You dumb ---, you should have had it by now, you've had Medicare for almost a year,".  I'm starting to feel helpless and am just about crying.  I have to admit I didn't go buck wild, but that probably because I was feeling absolutly hopeless.  I wanted to go off, but would not have helped. At all. 

But you know what?  I had my acceptance letter with me and read it to her. She stopped in her tracks, apologized and transferred me to an agent. {Deep Breath}.  The agent was so pleasant with her southern accent.  She asked questions, went over several plans, compared plans.  I selected one!!!!   We're almost there. I have 1 more roadblock. I can't enroll until February 1, 2014 in order for coverage to start March 1, 2014. {Cautious Sigh of Relief}.  I am feeling cautiously optimistic. I'm glad I started this early. :)

Beyoncé, "Get Me Bodied". Needed an upbeat song after that. :)  Thanks, Bey.  On another note, Shawn's headed back "home" today. I'm so glad I had her for a month. Classes start on Tuesday. How's that for a winter break.  I don't recall us having a winter break of that length. 

My tech isn't here.  She still hasn't quite recovered.  I hope she's ok. Also, the snow jammed up the clinic again. The staff was lamenting on the number of call ins. Heh, the patients made  it in.  I'm thinking that more staff will show up at 8AM. The first shift staff get here at 5AM, patients start at 5:30AM.  I'm on the last round of first shift with a 6:15 chair time. There's a flurry of activity, relatively quiet until 9:AM when the next shift start to arrive. Patients being taken off, machines and chairs getting cleaned, patients being bandaged and making sure stats are good, and the next patients get put on.  Log jam at the scale. First shift folks hollering to their tech what the end dry weight is after the run. Hopefully took off enough fluid to be at the dry weight of record...especially for the weekend. Second shift folks seeing how much fluid they've retain over 2 days.  

Well I'm back to my empty nest this weekend, although I still have spoiled old dog. Lol. Have a great weekend. Get some young person to shovel the snow. Signing off with Eric Benet, "When You Think of Me". Roy Ayers and his xylophone rocks!!