Lately, I can’t stand the way things are. It seems that every week that passes by does so with tar stuck on its feet, slowly dragging its way through the days and leaving a sticky, disgusting mess.
But I walk through it, because there is no way around.
Was it last week or the week before when I was complaining to T about how shitty things were? I can’t remember anymore.
I’m working on a paper for my journalism class on healthcare reform, and I can’t help but think of my own problems with my health insurance right now. Basically, I was dropped from my mother’s insurance when I turned 23 in September. I applied for an individual health plan and was denied on October 2nd over clerical issues. I sent in my appeal after calling several people and chasing around for specific documents to prove that I didn’t lie on my application around the 12th. Around the 15th or so, I received a sheet of paper asking if I wanted to continue my coverage under the 30/1500 plan, which was the same plan that I applied for in my individual plan.
This is where I think that the paper that I received on the 15th was some sort of “welcome”, that they accepted my appeal and I was under the individual plan.
Turns out, it was for a completely different plan — the conversion plan that cost $190 per month that was a continuation of my old insurance plan. During this time, I was also accepted for the individual plan.
So now I’m under two insurance plans. Except, I did not know this until they sent in two bills — one that cost $570 for the conversion plan for the months of October (the month where I thought if I got sick, I would have to die alone in a ditch because I had no insurance), November, and December, and $224 for the Individual Plan, for the months of November and December. I call up the insurance company and ask why I received two bills, and it was then explained that I was under two plans. I cancel the more expensive one even though the girl over the phone said that I would need to pay for the month of October — the month that I was insured for.
Before I go any further, this is not a rant on the insurance companies. They’re shitheads, and that’s a given so I don’t like wasting my breath on them. I understand why I have to pay.
However, my mother doesn’t. I also understand why she doesn’t want to pay — because it’s total shit that I was even under two plans at once. It’s not right and it’s not fair. However, at the end of it all, regardless of whether I knew that I was accepted under the Conversion plan, I was still covered and that is my reasoning for why I understand that I have to pay for the month of October. I shouldn’t have to pay at all — I know (if it were up to this socialist, nobody would). So when I explained this to my mom, she threw a fit at me and said to let her handle everything, because I obviously don’t know what I’m talking about and don’t know how to deal with the insurance companies.
It . . . sort of turned into a huge argument between me and my mother. It didn’t get better when she tried to call the company and explain herself and I refused to authorize it and give her permission to let her speak to somebody. I’m tired of letting her fuck things over for me. I’m tired of her downplaying my health problems and I refuse to let her be in the position to jeopardize my Individual Plan. What the hell can she possibly do but make things worse? The insurance company will just tell her what I already know. In the end, I will need to pay.
But because I refused to give her permission, she then decided to ask one of the attorneys at work for help. He doesn’t really know what the fuck is going on. He called them up, said it was fixed, and wrote up a letter explaining why I wasn’t going to pay. I signed for it because I was tired of arguing. If I don’t have to pay, cool. If I do, well I was going to need to anyway. I just don’t like wasting my time since the latter will most likely happen.
And so begins another week. And here I am, forced to walk through it because there’s no way around.