Continuing adventures

So, as part of my husband's impending lay-off, I've had to investigate getting medical insurance.  I looked online, got the paperwork I needed, and trotted off to Social Security to get my Medicare re-started.  This was near the end of March, the worker took my information and the papers, went off to talk to someone, came back and told me that I was all set, my Medicare should be back on for the first of May.  Last Wednesday, I get a call from Social Security.  Because I was eligible for Medicare and choose not to receive it, I must prove, by having a signed paper from my husband's employers, that I have been continuously covered since I dropped Medicare when we got married, 18 years ago.  Sounds easy, right?  Except that the place he worked when we got married has been sold once or twice, and the two between that one and his current employer, are out of business.  The ever helpful worker I was speaking to suggested that I gather his paystubs for the last 18 years, or perhaps get all the cards for all the different insurance companies together and bring them in.  Does he have that information?  He says he's only worked for Social Security.  I tell him that I don't have that information, everything I've ever been told says that you don't need to keep anything longer than 7 years, and that is all I have kept.  He then tells me that if I can't provide the needed proof, I will have to wait until January 2016 when the next open enrollment begins, and my Medicare will start in July 2016.  He totally neglects to mention a little thing about a fine of 10% per year that I cannot prove I had insurance.  Since I can prove the last 10 years that Hubby has been with current employer, that means that I would have to pay an additional $80 per month above the regular Medicare premium FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.  By this time I am extremely upset.  I am on disability for a reason, I have significant health issues.  I ask how I'm supposed to pay for my medical care until July 2016.  He suggests Medicaid.  He obviously knows nothing about Medicaid, lucky man that he is.  By this time I'm telling him that I need to get off the phone.  I am very upset and I tell him that I don't want to say anything that I will regret.  He keeps talking!!  I say, look, I am trying very hard to control my mouth, but I need to go.  He KEEPS talking!!!  I finally say I am now going to hang up.  Good Bye and have a wonderful life and I hang up.

An hour later he calls back and asks if I have the W2's for the years in question.  I reply "I already told you that I have no records more than 7 years old because I had always heard that you don't need to save paperwork any longer than that".  He asks if we remember who the head of the HR depts for the various companies would have been, I said even if we knew them, how would they have access to records?  I got him off the phone and did some research.  I have requests for assistance in with one of my senators and one of my congressmen.  Until I hear anything, I guess I'll have to do the COBRA and hope Hubby finds a job soon.  As far as health insurance for him, that's a whole 'nother story for another day.

Moral of this story, sign up for Medicare as soon as you are eligible.  If you don't, for whatever reason, keep proof of insurance for every year you are not using Medicare. If I can help one person not to have to deal with this mess, then it isn't all futile.

Great things in store for us

Well, remember the last post, where I asked that things please settle down?  The universe laughed.  My kidlette recently told me she is expecting.  That's right.  Early December, shortly after my 55th birthday, my first GREAT grandbaby will be born.  You read that right.  I will be 55 in October and my oldest grand daughter will be having her first baby in early December.  This child will have 4 grandmothers, 2 grandfathers, 4 great grandmothers, 3 great grandfathers, 4 great great grandmothers and 2 great great grandfathers, if I counted right.  It's conceivable that my mother could be a great great great grandmother, if this child has a child by it's early 20's.  My mother is only 74, with a family history of most of her ancestors living well into their late 90's.

Wow.  It's so hard to wrap my brain around.  I know many people my age who have teen age children.  Still, I have no doubts about her ability to parent.  She is pretty mature, since finding out, even before she told us, she did research to find out what she needed to do to ensure the baby the healthiest possible start.  She even researched her prescription meds to find out which ones she should stop taking.  She has been being careful to only eat things that are healthy, getting plenty of sleep, and making plans.  She is doing awesome.  Her fiance is also very excited.  It never entered his head to run.  We had a talk today about starting my kidlette on his insurance in July.


Still, I'm going to be a freaking GREAT grandma!  How the heck did I get old enough for this to happen????

Well, hubby still hasn't found a job for sure yet.  He passed on the other job offer because it was too much of a pay cut, and then with no insurance it was just not going to work.  He's interviewed at another local company, and they want him back for another round  We don't know about benefits or salary yet, have to wait till they make an offer.  So we will keep on keeping on, life continues, the world keeps turning.  Hope to see you all soon.

I'm back

Well, it's been a while.  I didn't realize so much time has gone by.  I see I've had some visitors, thanks for stopping by.  Things between Hubby and I are going fairly well.

Unfortunately, the company he works for was bought by a Canadian company.  They are closing the financial department, so Hubby got notice that he is being laid off as of 5/31.  This brings so many things into play.  He has interviewed and is negotiating for a job at another local company.  Big problem is that they don't offer health insurance.  No problem, right?  Just go to the Health Marketplace, the Affordable Care Act will make it easy and affordable to keep him covered in case he has more heart issues.  Except Congress's idea of what is affordable and mine are very, very different.  The lowest cost one we could find is $600 a month with a $3000 deductible!!!  That's approx. 1/5 of our income just for his insurance!  How the hell is that affordable???  Add in that this new job's salary is $13000 less than he currently earns.

I'm so tired of being strong, I want desperately for someone else to take over.  There has been so much stress in my life for the last 5 years or so, it never seems to stop.  I want to run so bad.  I want to have no responsibilities, There seems no where I can just let the tears out, no place I can just fall apart.

At least my insurance is easy to switch.  I had to take some paperwork to Social Security today, my Medicare will start up as of May 1.  I have found several different plans that will be from $0 to $50 above the  $104 monthly Medicare premium.  I was in and out of the Social Security office in about 1/2 hour with everything settled.  I had a really bad panic attack while I was there, but I managed to get through it.

Ah, well, I need to get busy with some more errands,   Goddess, I pray things settle down, I'm really not sure how I am standing up under all this pressure, I really need things to settle down soon.