05 February 2019

First It Was Bad. Then It Was Good. Then It Was Frustrating.

And now it's Tuesday ...

Anyway, our weekend trip to Baltimore started out on a bad note, as Friday morning when we were supposed to have a "covering" of snow showers, it just kept snowing, and by Friday late afternoon when we left to get on the road, there was about an inch of snow and it was really slippery.  The weather reports said that the snow stopped as you went south, so we carried on.  Except the snow didn't stop, it actually snowed more!  A trip that is usually pretty quick and uneventful was instead very slow and stressful.  But we got there safely, which in the end is the only thing that matters.

As soon as we arrived, things got good.  Pat and Amanda had ordered in sushi for all of us, and they have a really good place near there house, so that was a treat.  They were thrilled to meet Hamlet, and he of course was incredibly excited to see them.  One of their neighbors came over for a few hours, and we had a great time talking about everything, and learning about the year he lived in South Korea.  All thoughts of the snowy trip completely disappeared.

Saturday we started with breakfast at one of our most fave bagel places.  Then we all settled for a while before deciding to go to the Baltimore Museum of Art.  We'd never been there at all, and Pat and Amanda hadn't been for a while.  Amanda called her sister Annie, and we met her, her boyfriend and her boyfriend's daughter there and walked around with them.  It was great.  I wish we could have spent more time, but we still would not have seen everything, so I guess we just will have to make a return visit sometime (such a sacrifice!).  All of us headed back to Pat and Amanda's for pizza, and we ended up watching a Netflix documentary about the Fyre Festival.  I had heard of it and what a disaster it turned out to be, but until seeing this documentary, I had no idea of the details.  Never let a narcissistic bro plan anything is the lesson I took away from it.  (Not that I would let that happen anyway, as I stay as far away from any types of bro as I can.)  Hamlet got a ton of love and attention, as well as many many ice cubes (which are his favorite treat).  I'm pretty sure that everyone wanted him to stay in Baltimore.  As if ... :-) 

Of course, we were so busy having fun, this is the only photo I thought to take, but it's a good one - Hamlet *loved* their wood-burning stove and just wanted to sit in front of it the whole time.


We headed back home on Saturday evening, since The Tim had to work on Sunday.  The kitties were very excited to see us, and Pip in particular had a very long story about the neglect and starvation they endured while we were gone.  Sunday I spent the day catching up on laundry, paying bills, and other things people with a glam lifestyle do on their weekends.

So that's the bad and then the good.  Now comes the frustrating.

I had taken the day off on Monday, because I had an appt and x-ray with the orthopedic surgeon, then a session of occupational therapy, and then a bit later in the day, I was going to have a crown finally put onto a tooth that has been needing it, now that I can use my dental insurance again.  I figured it was easier just to take the day off than to worry about time, etc.

I got up bright and early and headed over to my dr appt and x-ray.  But that was not to be.  Why?  Well, apparently all of a sudden I needed a referral from my primary care physician, and I didn't have one.  This was puzzling, since that was never the case before.  The receptionist said that since I had switched my health insurance, the new one required referrals.  Um ... I had not switched insurance, so I was puzzled.  In any case, after about 15 minutes, it was determined that I would need to get things straightened out and call to reschedule the appt.  Sigh.  I headed upstairs to go to my occupational therapy session, and guess what?  Same problem (even though for all of January I had been going without any questions), I needed a referral, etc.  The woman at the front desk was apologetic, but said they couldn't treat me unless I was willing to pay out of pocket.  Which of course I cannot afford, so I headed home to work on getting things figured out.

First I talked to the insurance company.  They informed me that my employer had sent them the information about the option I had chosen back in November during Open Enrollment.  I had a printout from when I completed that, showing that I had enrolled in the same insurance I always had.  So I called Human Resources, and after getting shuffled around for approximately 20 minutes, I finally got a person who would a) speak to me, and b) said she could try to resolve the issue.  She said she was relatively new, but would try her best to help.  According to their records, I had switched insurance.  I told her about the printout I had saying I had not.  We went back and forth for a bit, and it was deteremined that somehow it was my fault even though of course it was not.  Anyway, to sum things up, I had to send an e-mail to the head of HR requesting a Benefits Appeal to see if I can go back to what I have had for the past few years.  The young woman I talked to was actually very helpful, and after I sent the e-mail, she sent me a response saying that it had been received, and "expedited."  So now I have to wait and see if my appeal is granted before I can do anything else at all.  Just one of the 4 billion reasons I wish we had national health insurance though of course why would we because "the American healthcare system is the best in the world."  Grrrrrrr.

OK, that was at least underway and will hopefully be resolved sooner rather than later, so I moved along to getting ready for my dentist visit.  I have dental insurance, but thankfully it is a different thing altogether from my health insurance.  Then about 1/2 hour before I was going to leave for that appt, the office called to cancel.  It seems that due to the snow problems on Friday, FedEx was behind on deliveries, and my crown had not been received and was still "in transit."  The person at the dentist's office said she would call when it finally arrived to reschedule my appt.

In the end, the day off was not just frustrating but wasted.  Which would be annoying under the best of circumstances, but me making arrangements for a day off is such a hassle due to my co-workers that it's not even funny.  And now at some point, I'll have to do it all again, and who knows if I'll be able to get it all done in one day.  Ugh.

That good time over the weekend sure seems far away now ... on the other hand, surely it can only go up from here, right?  RIGHT????

15 comments:

AsKatKnits said...

Oh boy. I am so sorry. Insurance woes that are not of your own making are the worst. I hope that your "proof of insurance" works and all will be corrected.

Nance said...

I'm so very sorry for your troubles with your health insurance. We can definitely relate, having spent hours on the phone with ours in frustration after Rick's recent surgery, trying to get things in order with billing and deductibles and all sorts of other unpleasantness. It all boils down to Whatever Is Easiest For Them/Their System, and Screw The Patient.

Sigh.

But your Baltimore Trip sounds like it was so pleasant with friends and lots of love and admiration for Hamlet. Yay for that!

Vera said...

Geeze Louise! Medical insurance is such a PITA (and so friggin' expensive - at least for me). We had a rather large co-pay last week for Fletch's cataract surgery which no one had mentioned in all the billion of calls leading up to the surgery. At least our deductible for the year has been met already - lol. Hope your situation gets straightened out quickly.

Araignee said...

Wow......I can feel your pain. It's not exactly the same thing but I was notified by Bank of America on Friday my debit card had been compromised. When I tried to call to find out was up I got the run around because not only was my card compromised but it had been blocked a few hours later meaning all the info I had to put in the automated voice system would not go through. Trying to get a HUMAN on the phone took forever. Then when my new card came yesterday and I tried putting it into all the sites I use autopay for it kept coming up that the new card was unauthorized so today I have to start all over again. I'm off to the bank right now.
Grrrr.....

Bonny said...

I think there is a circle of hell reserved for hr people who screw up employees' insurance. I hope it's resolved soon, and thankful you at least had a great weekend.

Tired Teacher said...

I hope this frustration can be resolved smoothly AND quickly.

Wanderingcatstudio said...

Ugh - that is frustrating. Sometimes I think insurance companies make things difficult in the hopes you'll just give up and they don't have to pay.
I will say - our Canadian healthcare isn't perfect, but I'd take it over the U.S. any day!

But at least you were able to have a lovely visit and Hamlet got good and spoiled!

Kim in Oregon said...

Oof. I feel your frustration. I am glad at least you had someone who could 'expedite' things but why, why is it ALWAYS OUR FAULT??

The delay on the crown is expected but sheesh, just the frosting on an annoying day.

Hope today is better!

Helen said...

If I remember correctly in Japan, if others are going to make you miss something (appointments, work) due to their behaviors, they pay you for the missed work, appointment etc. Kind of cuts down on this $#@! Also, why didn't the clinic etc call a day or two ahead to confirm or notify you? I seem to get twenty calls/reminders to the point I'm tired of it by the time I'm supposed to go.
Anyrate, I hope it works out quickly.

Kym said...

Oh, Bridget. That is the ultimate in frustration! My most annoying dreams are like that . . . one frustrating thing after another. I'm so sorry you had to live that -- especially after such a delightful weekend. I hope everything gets straightened out and rescheduled SOON. (Sending good juju.) XO

Dee said...

Health care ---------the seventh level of HELL! Don't even get me started on the denial of benefits. ARGH!

KSD said...

"Just" frustrating? JUST?

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

elns said...

Yeah, frustrating definitely frustrating. The only good thing that came out of the "day off" besides the expedited insurance fix is at least you didn't make YOUR way all the way to the DDS to have them tell you then the crown had not been delivered.

Here is to another good weekend.

PS: Hamlet is super cute in that photo.

kathy b said...

oh boy Bridget. That sounds like a really frustrating day . Im so sorry. One thing after another. You deserve some flowers

karen said...

what the heck? I would have lost my mind. Sorry that HR screwed up and the fact that you printed out what you elected should help you if normal people are resolving. But lately I have lost all faith in normal people.