Life Hacks
It's Friday and you know what that means?
Another installment of Life Hacks by Kat...
Just kidding, it's not a thing but I do have a life hack or two for the week...not the usual life hack though. This is when people do things to hack into your life and completely screw things up. A little twist you weren't expecting, surely not on this boring, blog...
I think last week I mentioned the insurance problem I encountered because Spencer turned 24...it's a problem that continues to burn brightly in my life. I thought I had it sorted out but I don't. There is an election coming up and one of the issues in our State is that of expanding Medicaid. There are debates on both sides of the issue and only recently, have I educated myself on this. In my opinion, this is not really a conversation about Medicaid, it's an issue about the working poor. That's me.
Let me show you by numbers.
Not only was Spencer arbitrarily removed from my insurance plan, which I purchase through the exchange and get tax credits for, but all of us were forced from the plan and I had to go back in to the exchange and reselect a new plan! Of course, I selected the same plan we've had because it's October and I have already 'paid' my out of pocket maximums of $6600 or something like that. However, that's not how it works... The new plan, which is still my old plan, with a small income increase jumped up to $10,000 out of pocket plus an increase in the monthly premium by $400.
What this means, is for the month of October, they are making me start all over with deductibles and crap!!! All of our medical bills this month, would only count towards this new deductible because the government forced me to reselect a plan on the exchange!!
Before I freaked out, I did the math of what this would cost me for the year. Based on an income of $42,000 /year and after paying all medical premiums, deductibles, out of pocket, mortgage, house and car insurance, car payment and utilities, I would be left with $7000 for the year, to cover food, clothing, gas, phone, entertainment, Christmas and birthday gifts, and weekly trips to the hospital in Utah, car repairs and maintenance...Just in the past two months, I've spent $1200 on car maintenance.
That is an impossible situation but that is the situation I am currently in. I do not qualify for any government assistance programs, nor do I want to. I was taught to work hard and manage my money, which I do. I was taught the value of being self sufficient which I try every day to be. I can not get a full time job that would allow me benefits and even the full time job I had at one time, refused to offer any benefits to me because of our high risk. So, I have no choice but to be self employed, work 6 part time contract jobs and pay nearly 30% in taxes every year and get my own insurance plan so at the end of the day, I can still be dirt poor but also exhausted, frustrated, anxious and sick from all the stress.
This problem is what I have feared every day of my life. Any hiccup in insurance or income, results in near devastation. It happens without warning. So, the problem in this country isn't the poor, nor is it the wealthy...it's me. The person trying to do the right thing and working hard and working any horrible job in order to make ends meet...sort of.
Spencer is still without his medication. If I don't pay cash for what is sitting at the pharmacy right now, today, he will lose it and we will have to start all over at the doctors for new prescriptions, because of the nature of the medication. The cash price is going to be close to $300 but another doctor appointment will be half that, plus time so I'll probably pay it.
I hate complaining, I really do but these problems I face on a daily basis are heart wrenching to me. I don't know what to do. Everyday, I face impossible situations like this. Currently, all three kids are sick. Spencer has been sick since the middle of September with C-diff and a lung infection. Sam got it and he's been down for almost three weeks and now Shelbie has it. Their blood counts have tanked but I can't let anyone go to the doctor because according to the system at the pharmacy and doctor, we don't exist with insurance and I can't afford to pay non insurance prices.
Thankfully, I have a really nice insurance company that is going to bat for me today and will appeal all this and try to sort it out. I've been doing it alone for three weeks but she reached out to me yesterday so I'm hoping and praying she can work some magic and put everything back to the original crappy plan I had and I won't have to start all over...because keep in mind...I start over regardless, come January!
So, this installment of How your life is hacked...is brought to you by the United States Government. Oh...my debit card was also hacked this week and I stood at the grocery store with $300 worth of food in my cart and no way to pay for it...It's been a red letter week around here!! Yippee!!
Another installment of Life Hacks by Kat...
Just kidding, it's not a thing but I do have a life hack or two for the week...not the usual life hack though. This is when people do things to hack into your life and completely screw things up. A little twist you weren't expecting, surely not on this boring, blog...
I think last week I mentioned the insurance problem I encountered because Spencer turned 24...it's a problem that continues to burn brightly in my life. I thought I had it sorted out but I don't. There is an election coming up and one of the issues in our State is that of expanding Medicaid. There are debates on both sides of the issue and only recently, have I educated myself on this. In my opinion, this is not really a conversation about Medicaid, it's an issue about the working poor. That's me.
Let me show you by numbers.
Not only was Spencer arbitrarily removed from my insurance plan, which I purchase through the exchange and get tax credits for, but all of us were forced from the plan and I had to go back in to the exchange and reselect a new plan! Of course, I selected the same plan we've had because it's October and I have already 'paid' my out of pocket maximums of $6600 or something like that. However, that's not how it works... The new plan, which is still my old plan, with a small income increase jumped up to $10,000 out of pocket plus an increase in the monthly premium by $400.
What this means, is for the month of October, they are making me start all over with deductibles and crap!!! All of our medical bills this month, would only count towards this new deductible because the government forced me to reselect a plan on the exchange!!
Before I freaked out, I did the math of what this would cost me for the year. Based on an income of $42,000 /year and after paying all medical premiums, deductibles, out of pocket, mortgage, house and car insurance, car payment and utilities, I would be left with $7000 for the year, to cover food, clothing, gas, phone, entertainment, Christmas and birthday gifts, and weekly trips to the hospital in Utah, car repairs and maintenance...Just in the past two months, I've spent $1200 on car maintenance.
That is an impossible situation but that is the situation I am currently in. I do not qualify for any government assistance programs, nor do I want to. I was taught to work hard and manage my money, which I do. I was taught the value of being self sufficient which I try every day to be. I can not get a full time job that would allow me benefits and even the full time job I had at one time, refused to offer any benefits to me because of our high risk. So, I have no choice but to be self employed, work 6 part time contract jobs and pay nearly 30% in taxes every year and get my own insurance plan so at the end of the day, I can still be dirt poor but also exhausted, frustrated, anxious and sick from all the stress.
This problem is what I have feared every day of my life. Any hiccup in insurance or income, results in near devastation. It happens without warning. So, the problem in this country isn't the poor, nor is it the wealthy...it's me. The person trying to do the right thing and working hard and working any horrible job in order to make ends meet...sort of.
Spencer is still without his medication. If I don't pay cash for what is sitting at the pharmacy right now, today, he will lose it and we will have to start all over at the doctors for new prescriptions, because of the nature of the medication. The cash price is going to be close to $300 but another doctor appointment will be half that, plus time so I'll probably pay it.
I hate complaining, I really do but these problems I face on a daily basis are heart wrenching to me. I don't know what to do. Everyday, I face impossible situations like this. Currently, all three kids are sick. Spencer has been sick since the middle of September with C-diff and a lung infection. Sam got it and he's been down for almost three weeks and now Shelbie has it. Their blood counts have tanked but I can't let anyone go to the doctor because according to the system at the pharmacy and doctor, we don't exist with insurance and I can't afford to pay non insurance prices.
Thankfully, I have a really nice insurance company that is going to bat for me today and will appeal all this and try to sort it out. I've been doing it alone for three weeks but she reached out to me yesterday so I'm hoping and praying she can work some magic and put everything back to the original crappy plan I had and I won't have to start all over...because keep in mind...I start over regardless, come January!
So, this installment of How your life is hacked...is brought to you by the United States Government. Oh...my debit card was also hacked this week and I stood at the grocery store with $300 worth of food in my cart and no way to pay for it...It's been a red letter week around here!! Yippee!!
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