Headachey

Last year my health insurance provider decided to jack up my monthly premiums by another $700.00 a month. For the record, I made three routine doctor's visits in 2021 and had three rounds of blood tests. That's all I used my insurance for the entire year.

The new premium they wanted was roughly $400.00 more a month than what I've been earning, so my total gross income alone wouldn't cover the cost. I could have asked my guy to help me with the payments, or pulled the money out of my retirement account, but I decided to see if I qualified for government assistance. As it turns out I did, so I enrolled in that healthcare.gov program where they pay part of the cost, and then paid my first, greatly reduced premium.

My insurance provider got confused by this (I'm still not sure why), didn't log the change or give me credit for the first payment, or the one I made before that, and cancelled my insurance policy -- without telling me or sending me any notification -- retroactive to November 30th.

Fast forward to this month, which I spent in complete, ignorant bliss as to my insurance coverage status. I go and have my quarterly blood tests, and then see the doctor a week later to discuss the results. I'm doing better with my numbers, by the way, thanks to increased exercise and some dietary changes. As I go to check out the clerk at the front desk informs me that my insurance is "inactive." That's how I found out they cancelled my policy.

After much effort and confusion, I am insured again. I think. It's been a week, and I have yet to get any confirmation on that. I have one e-mail that says "Thanks for making your first payment" that I got when I made the first payment for the second time, and that's it. I'll have to pay for my January doctor's visit and the blood tests out of pocket because I was uninsured at the time. I also still have no idea why they cancelled my policy.

I am trying to be philosophical about it; I know the healthcare system is a complete mess, and people are out sick and not able to do their jobs. My insurance company refuses to put any information online or give it to me by e-mail, which is their choice. They won't give any information to my guy if he calls for me, and I am too deaf to hear them over the phone. If I want to talk to someone in person -- assuming I could even hear them -- their nearest office is forty minutes away from us and my guy just had minor surgery for a cyst on his neck (thank heavens HE has insurance) so I don't want him to drive me over there, especially as they might make us wait for hours.

I have been paying for health insurance all my adult life, and I have never missed a payment. And this is where I am with it. I am trying to be patient, I am making myself stay calm, and hopefully, I end up with health insurance. But I still don't know that for sure. So I hope these people all end up in Hell.

Just kidding. Hell is probably full now. Anyway, health insurance should not be this much of a headache.