Tuesday, November 20, 2007

insurance company-9, me-0

i could just scream right now. my health insurance policy is somehow lost in limbo-land, even after:

7 phone calls to
ceridian/cobra
5 phone calls to great west
2 phone calls to my former employer
payments sent overnight mail
election forms sent certified mail

i've begged, pleaded, told my sob story, sworn. then waited a few days, then done another round of the same. each and every person(with the exception of joanne at my former employer, she is a gem) has either told me something different or just repeated, in a creepy, monotone, recorded type voice, the same meaningless statement in answer to my specific questions.

how is a person who is barely getting through the day emotionally supposed to fight this fight? how is it that human beings on the other end of the phone line can just run you around and blow you off? insurance doesn't seem set up to help the sick. but i need them, i need them badly. our system is really and truly fucked.

my surgery is in one week! i am freaking out today. feeling positively sick about it. my skin feels thin, like a delicate shell that could crack wide open at the slightest bump. no match for professional
slingers of red tape and recorded voices two time zones away.

maybe, just maybe, after the round of calls today, the loop will be closed and i will be back in the system. back to being a legitimate citizen with the buying power to get the best medical care.

long live the system.

the thing is, i can't just trust it will work out in time. in this game, the insurance company wins if you slack off. you have to advocate, push, pull, stay on top of things, read the fine print, read the big print, call them again. and again. and then again. so i know i will be calling them up until the damn surgery itself to make sure they are on board.

you can trust the universe, but not the one that insurance companies operate within.

5 comments:

Sondra said...

Hang in there, Kiddo. We're all behind you. Work Work Work. Make ART ART ART. Take your anger and make a "Healing" project.
Sending mucho Love and ENergy your way.
Sondra

salmonpoetry said...

oh, that sounds so miserable Tay. It is a shame that you can't just record YOUR message to play to them over and over again until they get it.
Hang in there, keep up the fight. You aren't alone (have you seen Sicko, the Michael Moore movie?) but that doesn't make it any easier when you are in that boat.
Sending you energy in the fight for what you deserve, the best healthcare possible. There is no doubt that our healthcare system is broken, broken, broken, very badly.

Terence said...

On the list of things I'm thankful for today is you, friend.

I send you fight and energy, righteous indignation against a feelingless enemy. I'm certain you will persevere: light, life, and justice are on your side. Stick with it, we're all right here beside you!

Maryam in Marrakesh said...

What? That is outrageous. I am furious for you. Pls do update us.

PS. My friend Jane just had her surgery on Tuesday...it went swimmingly and she feels great. Yours is in 4 days by my count. Is that right?

Tay said...

thank-you, my friends. it's been a tough week. the surgery is Tuesday.