GRRR...snafu?

Mar 08, 2011

The other day I decided to give insurance a call and see if, by chance, I had been approved for the surgery- assuming the doctor's office had submitted the paperwork.  My jaw nearly dropped when the customer service rep said I was "termed" on February 18th.  WTF? 

Let me preface this with a couple things that have happened since January 2011.  I started working for the government in December 2009 and of course quickly signed up for health insurance.  All of 2010 I had been using my health insurance with no problems.  I had been examining my paycheck stub ocassionally and was growing concerned that just maybe they were not deducting my healthcare costs.  Flash foward about a year and I approach human resources to say I don't think my pay reflects a healthcare deduction.  Payroll steps up and states it would be a simple adjustment.  So I'm thinking that maybe I paid what I needed to and all was fine.  Two weeks later a letter from a San Diego, CA branch (I live and work in NY) says "we have you listed on our health care plan...can you please submit paperwork to prove you work here?"  Another WTF?

Payroll supposedly takes care of the issue once again.  Another week or so later I get a letter from the government dept that handles our overall pay telling me- you owe the government $2700 for the year of 2010 because deductions for your healthcare were not taken out.  WHAT????  Not only that but they quoted me under the wrong plan- they said I was under a family plan while I was under a single plan.  Of course this went  right back to payroll because they key in the codes for that stuff.

Okay, so back to most recently- my dept says I am all set and that it shows I am insured.  On a whim I call the insurance company with the hope that the last customer service rep didn't read my record properly- this call they say- nope, you are all good and I don't know why the last person told you that you termed.  *sigh*  *BIG SIGH* *EVEN BIGGER SIGH*  This is the only part I really care about at this point.  Surgery date is 3 weeks away.

Meanwhile, I had left messages at the doctor office regarding this problem- they probably think I am nuts.  But if my record of being insured this whole time was intact- then they have not sent in my paperwork yet and the woman at the clinic has not tried calling me back again yet.  So now I guess the worst hurdle is getting the clinic to confirm they sent my paperwork to the insurance company- then waiting for the insurance response. 

Time to call the clinic.  I can't remember a time when I had to work so hard having all my ducks in a row!!  Well, all this is happening and I am trying to complete courses online for school so I can eventually become a nurse.  CRAZY!!!

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