Why I Have Tonight Off. (aka, My Ex is the Gift that Keeps On Giving)

[Antisocial_Worker]

As fate would have it, this story turns out to have a peculiar coda...

I am now working as a human resources specialist in the same office that helped me (and called me up to yell at me) through this medical mess.

[Barefootgirl]

Thank goodness for that, I am honestly hugely relieved for you.

I will now go off to Fratching and rant about how appalling it is that someone has to live half-year to half-year.

[Sapphire Silk]

Great news!

[BeeMused]

Woohoo!

[Kristev]

Wonderful for you.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Do they usually approve you for a whole year? Anyway, if nothing changes and you watch your income, it's likely you will be approved for the next half-year too.

I'm curious about that myself. My current enrollment ends at the end of March. The new enrollment carries me through the end of September. I guess this warrants another call to the social workers at my doctor's office.

Still though... Six months of life-saving medications.

Pardon the sappy sentimentality, but God bless the great state of North Carolina!

[Mikkel]

Do they usually approve you for a whole year? Anyway, if nothing changes and you watch your income, it's likely you will be approved for the next half-year too.

[Antisocial_Worker]

The letter arrived today. I am approved. Only for the next six months, but approved all the same.

We shall now celebrate with an impromptu dance party. I am taking a page from my factory's playbook and declaring this celebration mandatory.

Earthbound: Health Insurance

Trauma Team: Anyway, Let's Begin the Diagnosis

Trauma Team: Forensics -- The Dead Shall Speak

Trauma Team: On the Town

Trauma Team: Surgery -- Code Blue

Note -- it is surprisingly difficult to find health and hospital-related video game music remixes or suitable sound tracks. If you know of any more, feel free to add 'em.

[laborcat]

I'm keeping fingers crossed for you. Good thing is paperwork errors are usually easy to fix, and by re-submitting it, you have a good chance of getting approved.

Hang in there.

[Rapscallion]

Damn - that sucked. Hopefully that will get straightened out.

Rapscallion

[Antisocial_Worker]

There may have been a mistake in how the application was filed. My boyfriend and I went to my doctor's office this morning with the letter I got, and it was given to a social worker. Later in the day while I was asleep I got a voicemail from that social worker who explained that every year that I've been on the program, everything was filed under the name I go by. This year, things were filed under my full name.

I won't rest easy until I have another letter from the state telling me I can. The social worker wasn't unduly concerned, however.

I'm sorry for the terse posts, but I'm really just trying to hold it all together until I know for sure one way or another.

[HYHYBT]

...
. . .

I'm sorry. I'd thought, though, that you said you came in under the limit; why would they deny you?

[Kristev]

Oh no, I'm sorry.

[Mikkel]

Sh!t. I'm so sorry. Yes, keep us updated. I hope there is something you can do.

[Sapphire Silk]

I'm very sorry to hear this. With the budget crunch North Carolina is facing, they are cutting and cutting and cutting. And you're caught in the middle.

Is there an appeal process? I'd appeal right away if so.

I'm guessing you don't qualify for Medicaid. Does your employer offer insurance? The good news for you is you can no longer be denied benefits for a pre-existing condition.

You might contact Wake Forest University, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill to see if they are running any clinical trials you might qualify for. The only down side is you might get in a control group and get a placebo.

Keep us updated. You're in my thoughts.