Frightening, but necessary.
Nov. 16th, 2018 01:15 pmAs I write this the printer is churning out pages and pages of what I hope will be my new health insurance. I'm kissing MediCal good-bye, as our circumstances have changed, mostly for the better. For those of you who are not old or disabled, Medicaid, which is called MediCal in California because most states give their programs more local names, is a safety net for people who can't afford medical care even with regular Medicare.
But safety nets are not meant to be lived in. I'm doing better and can work as a crossing guard, my Social Security benefit is getting a cost of living boost, and Kirsten is getting paid a bit more now. All of which combine to push us out of the narrow range where keeping MediCal is a viable option. It's a matter of what it would cost us to keep my current coverage. It wouldn't be possible.
Since I've mostly been happy with Anthem Blue Cross, I looked mostly at their offering for Medicare Advantage plans. With![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kshandra's help we've found a great plan that lets me keep my current medical team. With a little finagling and juggling of in-plan offering and Canadian pharmacies, we're keeping the drug costs low. Today, I pulled the trigger. Only had to call for assistance once, when I needed to confirm my state benefits ID number. Hopefully, I did everything right.
Along with the pleasure of seeing another tangible milestone on my recovery march, getting this coverage frees us from the nightmare that is dealing with annual recertification with the state. That process is brutal and insulting, where you have to open every aspect of your life to prove that you are still poor and deserving. All the screw ups we've torn our hair out over have come from the state and the Santa Clara office. Thanks for the help, and good riddance.
Doing this has eaten all my spoons for the day. That, and the smoke from the Camp Fire which is gifting us with an Air Quality Index of 170. So the rest of the day is devoted to being a monument to inertia.
But safety nets are not meant to be lived in. I'm doing better and can work as a crossing guard, my Social Security benefit is getting a cost of living boost, and Kirsten is getting paid a bit more now. All of which combine to push us out of the narrow range where keeping MediCal is a viable option. It's a matter of what it would cost us to keep my current coverage. It wouldn't be possible.
Since I've mostly been happy with Anthem Blue Cross, I looked mostly at their offering for Medicare Advantage plans. With
kshandra's help we've found a great plan that lets me keep my current medical team. With a little finagling and juggling of in-plan offering and Canadian pharmacies, we're keeping the drug costs low. Today, I pulled the trigger. Only had to call for assistance once, when I needed to confirm my state benefits ID number. Hopefully, I did everything right.Along with the pleasure of seeing another tangible milestone on my recovery march, getting this coverage frees us from the nightmare that is dealing with annual recertification with the state. That process is brutal and insulting, where you have to open every aspect of your life to prove that you are still poor and deserving. All the screw ups we've torn our hair out over have come from the state and the Santa Clara office. Thanks for the help, and good riddance.
Doing this has eaten all my spoons for the day. That, and the smoke from the Camp Fire which is gifting us with an Air Quality Index of 170. So the rest of the day is devoted to being a monument to inertia.
