Stormy Sunday with torrential rain, hail and rainbows. Oh, and wind. I drove through a puddle on the way to dance that I thought would be up to my car doors, giant splooshes on either side of the car.
On a day like this, I wish for all the homeless to have shelter and warmth. Dry socks. Hot chocolate.
Medicare and I are, apparently, best friends. They have sent me voluminous mail already. First they sent my premium, which I paid right away. Then they sent three letters informing me that I make more money than the 'no additional fee' people. And then they quoted me what my additional payments will be. There are a variety of amounts. $223.00. $104.00. Etc. These are for parts of Medicare because there are four parts. Part A, Part B, Part C (don't know what this actually is) and Part D, which is the prescription drug part. Woe betide you if you don't sign up for Part D initially and then need it later. You will be penalized. How's that for compassionate care?
I currently take no prescription drugs but one day I might. Who knows.
I read through their letters and I wonder how well others do with their nonsensical messages. I can read. I have glasses. I have my wits about me, more or less. I have a college degree. I have a computer where I can look things up. I went to s seminar where I presumably learned how to decipher all of the above. It's bullshit, I tell you. I am reminded of the room full of monkeys sitting at typewriters pecking away in the hopes that the next GAN (great American Novel) would be written by serendipity. And monkeys.
They have been sent to work for the government.
I'm giving all the mail to my bookkeeper. She is a sly genius and I have used her for all sorts of things. She could be an advice columnist. At least she understands the ways of finance in my tiny midwifery world. Perhaps she can understand what the hell I'm being told to do. What do I owe, exactly?
And again, what about my neighbors around me who speak limited English? Who understand less about the benefits they are entitled to? The old man next door will be cared for by his son and daughter-in-law forever because that's how they roll in the Philippines. But the Vietnamese and Chinese who live farther down the street? What about them?
In the meantime, the Seahawks are losing in the playoffs and I could care less. I learned today that the broadcasts are about 2 hours but actual real play with real players running around and throwing the ball is 11 minutes.
Time for the Felix to have his outing. He's not half muddy enough and it's thundering out there. Now there are fireworks going on. Maybe the Hawks won after all. Sheesh.
Bless you, Casey, for all your work in the Sudan. Be well and be safe.
5 comments:
When my friend Lynn had the horrible degenerative neurological disease which slowly and surely killed her, I tried to be the one who did the Medicaid stuff and there was no way. NO FUCKING WAY!
Thank god, she had a friend whose husband was an attorney and through their connections and a social worker, we finally got it done.
But honestly- for a "regular" human being, it's a maze of fog and bullshit. I don't care what your level of education and literacy is.
And anyone who has no sort of ability to hire someone who can figure it out is just shit out of luck.
About 10 years ago as I sat up here with my head up my ass enjoying Universal Health Care I chatted with a woman in the U.S. whose child was having asthma attacks. "Oh, dear", said I. "Take her to the emergency room right away!" And she said, "We can't afford to"
!!!!!
At this point I can only describe my feeling as brakes screeching in a car and then a loud crash. I had no idea that it was that bad. I knew that there was no universal health care but I thought if you were really sick you could get help. At least a child should be cared for for something as simple as asthma. Stupid me. I not sit up here with my head still up my ass because I thought things were changing. Are they? Will they? Because everyone should have access to all levels of health care and not need a lawyer to figure it out. And considering what you do and how much money you save the Mighty System by keeping women and their babies out of the hospital they should be allowing you to have unlimited healthcare.
Dear Mary-I hope it doesn't come to that. I do think they deliberately obfuscate so us mere mortals have no fucking idea what they are talking about.
Birdie-Well, a special dispensation for being a midwife would be swell but I won't hold my breath. Sheesh.
I'm not sure whether you saw what happened to me, recently, when I was on hold with MediCal (the close, very close cousin of MediCaid in California), but it involved being taken over by Satan.
Elizabeth-LOL
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