A Panic Attack & Moment of Gratitude

Last Friday at 5:45 p.m., my health insurance informed me my coverage was TERMINATED. Via e-mail. Um, REALLY?!

Dialing their 1-800 number at 6:05 p.m., I gruffy demanded to speak to a “Representative” over and over. The robot eventually informed me the office was closed. Office hours 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Go figure.

I had the entire weekend to mull it over… I tried to distract myself and not let my mind “go there,” but by Sunday evening, I panicked – shedding tears into my Oprah Magazine. Yes, Martha Beck, I am on the Rumble Strip of Life’s Highway, you mind-reading smarty-pants.

Living well with chronic illness requires many puzzle pieces coming together perfectly to optimize my health and sanity. Health insurance is a BIG piece of that puzzle. I’ve never read my health insurance’s fine print, since I’ve been on the same plan for 3.5 years. Yet, by Sunday night, I convinced myself that the gig was up.

My boyfriend reassured me everything would work out. Somehow… And I sort of believed him, deep down. Thankfully, I had about 3 weeks worth of medication in stock – a good buffer until I figured out next steps. 

So, this Monday morning at 8:00 a.m., I re-dialed my health insurance company to find out, from that same female robot, that there had been a massive error of email messages sent out falsely stating that plans were terminated. The robot was “very sorry for any inconvenience.” Music to my ears.

I jumped for joy and yelped “Yay!!!” out loud to myself twice, as if I’d won the lottery. I should be enraged by the error yet, instead I’m 110% relieved and starting my week on cloud 9.

Many other challenges lie ahead, and I will surely fall back onto the “rumble strip” soon enough. Yet, for today, I’m happily re-entering the traffic, knowing it’s an honor simply to be on the (bumpy) road. 

P.s. – Martha Beck and I think alike. Check out my previous post “Blindsided: Navigating Life’s Construction Zones”

8 Comments

  1. Jill on February 4, 2013 at 6:28 pm

    OMG! That must have made for a tough weekend! Glad everything is ok. Phew!

    • julie on February 4, 2013 at 8:14 pm

      Thank you, Jill. I’m so relieved. Ever onward! 🙂

  2. Kate on February 6, 2013 at 3:55 am

    I’m sooo thankful your story had a happy ending that didn’t require hours and hours of phone calls and petitioning and legwork just to end up back with the same insurance company!!

    And, I too love Martha Beck. Glad I’ll be getting my O subscription back shortly.

    • julie on February 6, 2013 at 3:33 pm

      Kate: I’m so glad this didn’t turn into an epic battle too! Reminds me that NOT fighting an epic battle this week is a joy. 😉 Oh yes, Martha Beck is a genius! Love her. Thank you so much for reading and commenting on my blog! Big smiles, Julie

  3. Angie on February 19, 2013 at 3:05 pm

    I’m so glad this was an error, Julie. My heart dropped when I read the first 2 lines of this post. I would have been a basket case…

    • julie on February 19, 2013 at 3:07 pm

      Thank you, Angie. I know – my heart dropped too, reading the original email message and waiting all weekend to find out what had happened… So thankful not to have to face an insurance battle today. 🙂

  4. Dan Browne on March 5, 2013 at 5:06 am

    When I dial a number that answers me robotically I just keep pressing 0 until someone answers the thing. I don’t care if it’s the maintenance man, just someone.

    I have no patience for waiting on some menu…sleep is beckoning quickly.

    • julie on March 6, 2013 at 4:16 pm

      Thank you, Dan. Yes, persistence is the name of the game!! 🙂 -Julie

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