Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Slings and arrows of outrage...

At the beginning of the year we had to change medical insurance because our plan was discontinued. Only two options, an HMO or "traditional" were available; our benefits rep recommended the traditional one so we had more control over our doctor choices. We knew it would come with a higher co-pay for office visits and have dealt with that through the year.

Thursday, on the ice, Dottie went to pick up a veggie platter for a party at work on Friday. Some kid in daddy's 4-wheel rolled up alongside her in the grocery parking lot and lit the tires. It slid sideways towards her and she jumped to get out of the way. This is right after she stepped out of her car with the handicapped plate and was walking away from the handicapped parking place (she has a replacement hip and and knee).

Friday her left foot was tender. Saturday it started to swell. She stayed off it most of the day after that. Sunday it looked like someone had slipped a third of a baseball under the skin on top of it, but she wouldn't go to the ER, not knowing how much that would cost us. She wanted to wait for Monday to go see our regular physician.

She called in sick, then called the doctors and got in. They sent her to the lab on premises for an x-ray. The lab said they had gotten an e-mail from our carrier and that they would only pay for foot x-rays done by "National Foot Care" and told her go back to the doctor's to find out where they were.

The doctor's office had no idea. She called me, and I went through 5 phone books and couldn't find them, then went online and Googled and came up with that name and that Ford, Chrysler and Delphi are participants, but there is nothing listed for GM employees.

So the doctor's office sent her to the emergency room...

It wasn't broken, they offered her a "boot" and she turned it down because she knew it wouldn't be something "clean" to wear at work. They offered her painkillers, she turned them down because with only one kidney, she avoids any "extra" things to make it work harder when she can. They were a bit worried about her blood pressure, as it was in the 170/ something range...she is on meds for it and usually it's in the "normal" range. She pointed out to them what she had been through that morning and they didn't seem so worried!

So besides working my 9's 6 days last week and this I've been trying to make sure that there's absolutely nothing for her to do when she comes home except put her leg up.

I will be checking in with you all as I get time...sorry I haven't been around more!

And just so you all can grin a bit, the ornaments are slowly climbing the tree as the ones on the bottom get carried away by Frankie and rehung higher and "deeper" in the tree, lol!

alan

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear about Dottie's foot. I hope the healthcare folks can get it all sorted out soon.

paul

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry to hear this!

I understand the frustration to some degree... it seems that the older i get, the worse our medical benefits get...

:(


i hope that she recovers completely soon.. and that you both have some time to relax

Anonymous said...

Wow, Alan. I feel so bad for you both.

I have been blessed as all heck with health care. We have the Kaiser plan here, and altho' many people do not think they are very good, I find them excellent. We pay 12 bucks a visit, and meds usually run anywhere from 5 bucks to maybe 30 or so, depending. The visit charge has gone up from 5 when I first started w/ them, to the 12 buck cost.

All Xrays are included in the Dr. visit charge, they refer you to the Xray, so it is covered.

Maile's Pediatrician is a godsend of care and professionalism. We had the HMSA (blue cross) and it was 80/20 co-pay. When the boys were born, that 20% put us into hock, I tell ya.

Its a sorry state when the hoops you and your Dottie have to jump thru cause more distress than the unforeseen injury.

Hope all gets well with time, dont work too hard my friend!

Aloha, stay warm!

robin andrea said...

Sorry to hear about Dottie's foot. Hope everything works out there. You do take good care of each other. That's love for ya!

Mystical Me said...

WOW, I do hope she is going to be OK. What a JACKASS to have done that in the parking lot. Some peoples kids, I swear.
I know what you mean about Health Insurances, I m dealing with that myself right now. GOOD FOR YOU Sweetie, Your a good Man to be helping take care of your wife. There needs to be more men like you in the world today.
Have a wonderful weekend & do take care of yourself as well as your wife sweetie. Love always, MM XOXO

Kranki said...

Oh dear. That is terrible. I hope she heals up soon. Poor footie.

Lois Lane said...

Please send Dottie my best. I sure would like to smack the poop out of that boy!
Ah... Frankie... who can blame the little bloke for having tons of Christmas spirit? :D
Happy weekend to you!

MB said...

Sorry to hear about this. My best to you both, Alan. I know you'll take good care of her and I hope she's feeling better real soon.

sjobs said...

Healthcare what a pain the ---! It is a shame that the most powerful nation cannot cover everyone and everything.

I am so sorry to hear she is having so many problems. I wished I lived closer and could help out.

Please let us know how everything is going when you have time.

Love ya,

Mary