Saturday, February 6, 2016

BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE!!!!!!

BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE!!!!
(As if you didn't already know that....it's REALLY true! ha!)

ANYWAY, long story short....I AM OFFICIALLY ADDED TO SEAN'S BCBS POLICY EFFECTIVE 1.1.16 and we are BACK on TRACK with how things are going down.

If you want the long story, here it goes.....
This all started on January 15th when I realized the mix up with the insurance...Medica vs. BCBS and was PISSED at myself for not reading more thoroughly as far as the deductible and out of pocket maximum go. Well, when Sean would check with his HR lady, she would say, "Nope, I haven't heard anything back, yet." When I'd call and talk to the same customer service rep at BCBS over and over again (we'll call her MJ for now), she would say, "Well, nothing is on my desk, yet. Maybe it's still in underwriting." WELL....I have worked with insurance and adding patients to insurance policies AFTER the effective date and back dating it. AND....I KNOW it doesn't take THREE weeks to get someone back added. I was irritated I had to cancel my MRI appt and was going to be REALLY irritated if I had to reschedule my ENT appt I have this week and ESPECIALLY my Mayo trip coming up as they REALLY had to sync multiple schedules to be able to see me for EVERYTHING in one day.

So, after waking up Thursday night/Friday morning at 330am SUPER frustrated by this all and not being able to go back to sleep and having already spoke with HR and MJ multiple times with NO help, I called BCBS yesterday morning. I usually call and get a lady who transfers me to MJ every time. I asked if I could tell her my situation first BEFORE she transfers me because I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere. I explained the confusion and what had happened with signing up with Medica. I told her about talking with MJ and her telling me it should be NO PROBLEM to fill out an application and get me added back to 1.1.16 since it was only 1/2 way through the month and usually there is a 1-2month grace period time frame. I explained how I filled it all out and it was supposedly emailed in to someone on the 22nd (even though it had been in HR's office for a whole week before being sent in). I explained that I would ask HR and get one thing and ask MJ and get another and that I was really just frustrated at this point. I didn't care if "underwriting" was still reviewing it, but I NEEDED to know that they PHYSICALLY had the application and that we were on the right path. NICOLE, who is the girl I was talking to at BCBS, asked for HR's name and said she would call me back by the end of the day. Well, NICOLE is my LIFESAVER!!!! She was a doll and was so kind. She looked into everything and I won't even get into the pointing finger crap, but she LITERALLY got me added back the SAME DAMN DAY!!!! FOR HER, I am grateful!!! MJ could have tried to look into it for me one of the million times I called in, HR could have checked to see where they were at with things, but NOPE!!!! YOU HAVE TO BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE! Thank God for Nicole who followed up and did HER JOB! I thanked her UP and DOWN....OVER and OVER again. THAT girl deserves a raise. Well, really...it's sad...she was just doing her job and because of that she seems like the queen in this situation!

So, now we are back on track....I will see ENT this week, I will have my MRI hopefully the end of this month, and will still be able to go to Mayo in March!!!! Hip hip hooray! In the midst of all this craziness, I'm glad that there is SOME light at the end of the tunnel!!!!

PS: Thank you to my Aunt KC Davis for listening to me on all of this and giving me advice on what to do!!   You're the best...love you! Thank you for ALWAYS having time to listen!! :)

4 comments:

  1. Good for you Heather. I am learning the hard way with my strictures that if you don't "bitch and moan" a little things wont go your way. My prayer is that everything remains positive for you as you move through this journey. Keep fighting!

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    1. Thanks Roger!!! Meet with the same surgeon you saw and had on Monday! Hoping all goes well!! :)

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  2. Hi Heather, I came across your story and it reminded me of my owns. I lost my mom to stomach cancer when she was only 35 :( I was just 12 at the time, and now I am 23. I am on track to get tested for the gene. I just had an endoscopy and everything came out great except there was a small little change that concerns the doctor. He wants me to go get tested for the gene to ensure that this change will not turn into cancer someday. As you can probably relate I am very scared but I am trying to stay positive.

    Sharmela

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    1. It is a little scary going through all of the testing, but the nice thing is that it's a quick and easy blood draw. THAT will be the easy part! Good luck with everything!!!! Hope your results come back NEGATIVE! :) Keep your head up...it's definitely an interesting "journey" to be on. AND...if you ever need to talk, let me know! :)

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