Oh man, so the medical trial ate my life for awhile there – I was going for 3 or 4 days every two weeks and that was kiiiiiiiinda my job and existence for a bit. With all the attending fuckery, of course.

In the meantime, I was officially and finally terminated by Intel. I have applied for SSDI and not received it yet, though I’m not anticipating any troubles there. The agent I’ve been working with has been using the phrase “WHEN you’re approved” rather than IF. ALS is kinda a shoo-in. I’m not 100% confident that there won’t be something to go wrong, this is a government thing AND a medical thing soooooooo the situation is RIPE for angst and bureaucracy to do its thang.

I lost my health insurance through Intel as of the 30th of September. I don’t have Medicare through SSDI yet, so I am in Happy Funtime COBRA Land. I’m paying $750 a month to continue my coverage.

Orrrrrrrrrrr……I will be.

I signed up for it right away. And then I got a call on Tuesday the 1st about some parts I’ve ordered for the SS Opportunity, like longer armrests. They tried to bill my insurance and Providence says I’m not covered. I panic a little but not too much; I only just signed up for it after all and maybe it takes a couple days?

Wednesday, they delivered my $17,000 box of infusion meds. Thursday, the nurse came to my home to access the port. Friday, the wheelchair peeps called because my insurance was STILL not active. I start to panic a bit more. Saturday I had the home health nurse come out to swap my catheter. Monday I got a phone call from the infusion pharmacy because guess what? My insurance is invalid! So I called Intel’s HR in a complete panic and learned:

1. I am covered by COBRA as of the 1st of October. HOWEVER….
2. COBRA is a pre-pay benefit. So…
3. I’m covered but it’s not active until I pay the $750.
4. I can’t give them a payment over the phone to sort it all out.
5. In fact I can’t pay them AT ALL until I receive a bill.
6. I won’t get a bill until the 10th of this month, and…
7. it will take up to two weeks for the payment to go through, AND
8. I’ll be billed for two months, October and November.

In the meantime I have two options:

1. Pay out of pocket and wait maybe months to get reimbursed once the insurance is active (Not with a $17,000 bill I’m not gonna)
2. Call my medical providers, explain the situation, and ask them to please try rebilling in two to three weeks? But please keep my existing medical appointments anyway?

“I will gladly pay you in 3 weeks for a doctor today.”

I just….seriously. This is what I have. This is how it works. I hate the American (lack of) healthcare system SO MUCH. I should not be running interference between my insurance company and my medical providers. I should not be spending hours on the phone. I should not be worried about the financial aspects of dying, I should be allowed to just be DYING. I should be spending my time in bed watching Carl Sagan explain the cosmos to me while eating gummy sharks and finding cute Halloween pictures on the internet while my cats sleep at my feet, surrounded by a dozen blankets.

Dying should not require a fucking secretary.