Whoops

Well, January just slipped by without a word from us here at R&K.  The Reader’s Digest version..

We got sick.  Rob got it worse than I did, for once.  He hacked for several days which turned into weeks.  We’re better now.

Our health insurance was finally sorted.  Whew.  When I lost my job, we started drawing COBRA benefits which was subsidised by the feds so we only paid 30% of the premiums.  In November, we were told the subsidy was up for us and our COBRA would cost us a staggering $1200 a month.  We quickly applied as a family to our HMO and waited the standard 10-14 days for a medical review.  And we waited, and waited, and waited.

By December, we still hadn’t heard anything so we called.  We were told a decision had been reached but because of HIPPA laws, they couldn’t tell us anything.  We requested a letter to be sent because the elusive email with our password reset never arrived.  (Still waiting for that actually.)  So we waited, and waited, and waited.  Our COBRA provider meanwhile, dumped us like a hot rock for lack of payment.

So finally, a week ago, we trundled down to our HMO’s hospital and talked to member services.  Shock of shocks.  Rob was approved.  I was denied.  Migraines. Medications. Blah blah blah.  A few more phone calls and forms, a couple of faxes and we got both of us sorted.  It’s not huge savings but we’re covered for less than COBRA would cost us.

In the process of sorting out medical stuff, I found the paperwork I was given from my surgery.  I opened my discharge paperwork folder only to discover that none of it was mine.  It belonged to another patient.  Where’s my paperwork?  No one seems to know.  When we visited the hospital about our coverage, we brought the folder.  To the horror of the rep, she profusely apologized and said it was a major compliance error they would have to report.  Someone would be calling me.  Still waiting for a phone call but I got a nice letter in the mail that basically said please don’t sue us for this gross violation of your medical privacy.  Yay.

So January had it’s craziness and when you throw in that we’ve been busier than we have sine 2006, it’s been hard to find time to do much else.  Corporate clients have climbed out of the woodwork for us and we’ve had to juggle work, friends, church, family, oh yeah and being married.

Life is good.  So very, very good.