A Retraction - of Sorts

While I was rather infuriated with my former employer due to my health insurance being terminated, I do feel the need to retract. At least a bit.

To be fair, my former employer did fix the issue. As well as fixing the issues earlier in the year when my insurance was cancelled 2 different times. The 'fixing' was never quite complete, as I always had to make calls to each type of benefit that I was receiving. But at least they turned me back on the system.

And just to recap. In March 2010, when I went on long term disability, my company accidentally coded me as terminated. That took me until May to get figured out. But it did. Then CIGNA, the third party that handles my employers long term disability claims, decided in October that I didn't qualify for benefits. Not sure how metastatic cancer doesn't qualify, but oh well. Still working on this. But because of this ruling my employer terminated my benefits. They reinstated them, while I am in my Appeal. And then this most recent time - Blue Cross and Blue Shield had a glitch in their system, that cancelled my insurance for the month of December.

So my retraction is that my former company was not directly  responsible each time. And they did help me out to get me reinstated each time.

Disability Blahs

Oh my. This is going to be a bit of venting. I really can't believe that my former employer has screwed things up this badly. My insurance has been cancelled sometime in December. I thought that it was just because of the new year. Changing to 2011, maybe they didn't carry things over. Amusingly enough, I did get new insurance cards. Think I better change my stock options. If they can't get insurance coverage right, the rest is sure to head downhill as well.

It is just lovely that my former employer has terminated my insurance once again without telling me. Really wonderful considering that each treatment that I do is $15,000. And that's every 3 weeks. Maybe there is a reason that I am consistently "accidentally" terminated. Maybe they really do just want to get rid of me. I am an expensive liability. I wonder if there is anything in Obama's bill about that? Not sure I can read that huge tome of health insurance policy, but it would appear that it would be in my benefit.

It's awful to have your insurance pulled out from underneath you. It just makes me want to scream! No wonder people go postal. Benefits are those things that you assume will be there. I did my work while I was at the company. I didn't think that I would use these benefits. Apparently my employer didn't think anyone would either. Otherwise it wouldn't be such a cluster, and my new full time job would not be to monitor them.

Aaaaargh!!!!!

Insurance - Love it, Hate it

I just have to say, having health insurance is GREAT when it all works out well. I worked really hard at my corporate job and I feel that I earned the benefits due to me. That's part of why you get work the corporate gig - for hopeful idea that you will have good benefits that take care of you if something happens.

My insurance did work out great while I was working. And even through my short term disability, FMLA and then long term disability. However, part way through my long term disability, the third party dealing with my insurance cut me off. Their reasoning was quite odd. My husband and I decided to take a little trip to King's Island with our 3 year old boy. When we got back, I mentioned this to my doctor and the fact that my feet were killing me, (part of the joys of Xeloda side effects). She noted that I had a good day and went to King's Island with my family. The third party handling my insurance, read this in my chart and decided that since I went to King's Island for a day, I must be well enough to return to work.

What?! Yeah, seriously that's what happened.

I guess they missed the part in the chart where I go to IV infusions every 3 weeks. And that I am on chemo every other week and the fact that I have metastatic cancer. And for anyone that has ever gone to King's Island with a 3 year old, knows that you have to plan your day out for some down time. And that your 'day' is not from open to close at King's Island, but more like noon to 5 or so. Honestly, I spent a ton of time lounging in the Pirate Pool in the kiddie area while my husband chased our son around. It was one of my more relaxing days.

But back to the point of insurance. As 3 people at the third party decided that I no longer required long term disability, they alerted my previous employer who promptly terminated my benefits. Awesome. Especially as this was the second time they did this in 2010.  And the first time was an accident, while I was still working. I finally got all of the bills figured out from earlier in the year, and then it happens again. And this is where all the problems happen.

When your benefits are cancelled - it is NOT an easy thing to get them all turned back on. One would think that you just need to call your HR Manger, right? No, it takes several calls. First there is your health insurance. Then there are your 401K benefits. You also have the Pharmacy, as well as Disability benefits. Each one takes at least one phone call, usually more.

Then there is the fact that I pay my former company the cost to have me on their insurance. It's one of the benefits of long term disability. I send a check every month with a little coupon that they sent to me. I have been waiting for my new coupons, but they never showed up. I did eventually send in a check with my account number, but who knows. I don't think that it mattered, just got my EOB and I'm not insured. AGAIN. This is the third time.

So, insurance, it's great when it works. But it makes me a freaking wreck when it gets screwed up.