It never rains…..

I didn’t think I’d be writing a post this week as everything was going swimmingly!!!

Health insurance kicks in on Sunday - yes! On Monday I also signed up for dental insurance on a really good plan and that kicked in yesterday - yes!!!!!!

I arranged an appointment to get my mouth/teeth reviewed and that was setup for today - yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whenever things seem to be going swimmingly and there are a lot of ‘yessesssss!!!!!’ involved, it is tempting fate to assume that things will continue in that fashion.

Of course today brought misery heaped on misery.

A call first thing from the dentist…..your insurance plan doesn’t exist! Followed by frantic call to insurance company….yes it does exist but no one can see it….please fix, I have an appointment on 2 hours…..don’t worry it will be fixed!

A hour passes, still no plan….oh they said, it wasn’t set to start until next month!!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr Someone put it in the system wrong……we will sort it out now!!

Text from dentist to say the plan is now available but there will be a copay……what?? I was promised no copays……sorry, copay must be paid and, by the way your really good dental plan doesn’t cover much of what we need to do today!

But I was told it would be free!!!!!!!!!!! WTF!!!

I go anyway, agree to be skimmed for the copay and get settles in with the hygienist for xrays (not covered on my really good plan), possible deep clean (not covered on my really good plan) and oh dear, are you dead? What???????????/

You have no blood pressure…..

I felt around and could feel a pulse (encouraging), move some limbs(thankfully) and was still breathing (there is a God).

Digital machine 1 attached to left wrist gives and error. Digital machine 2 attached to left arm gives an error….Let’s try the right side….Digital machine one on right wrist gives an error…..you get the picture….

Hygienist hoofs  off to her car boot (trunk) where she has an old fashioned pump it up and let it out and listen for a pulse…It worked!!!!!!!!! Blood pressure really good - that was a bonus.

Heart, no so good. You have an irregular heart beat. Beat 1, beat 2…..pause…Beat 3…..Atrial fibrillation is the answer.

Now, on top of everything else I now have a heart condition which, with surgery imminent, is not a welcome thing.

Now I have to wait for the surgeon and the hospital to examine me next week where no doubt this will need to be discussed as it has implications on my survival for the surgery and afterwards.

Having been x-rayed, photographed, prodded and poked the prognosis for my teeth is not good either. I will have a report to take to the surgeon who (as and when) my surgery takes place will do some extractions during the op. (might as well pour more misery on misery)….

This afternoon I discussed my really good dental plan with the insurance company (after forking out $66.50 for a copay.

Having been told (yet again) that my plan wasn’t active until next month or something, I finally get another goon to talk to who cheerfully tells me he can see the problem…the payment I made was never charged, so my really good plan was never set up and……….

I asked why this was the case, he said he didn’t know, I replied that I did know and used the word ‘incompetence’. I also told him that where I come from, people who sell really good insurance plans that don’t actually deliver can end up in court.

He suggested I talk to the people who understand plan benefits but I had to point out that until my plan was active (tomorrow??)  the benefit people couldn’t even see my plan……….

I suggested that he get someone to call me tomorrow and explain in simple terms the truth about my really good plan and why I was charged a copay.

So, the moral of the story is just when you think everything is going swimmingly, someone puts a foot on your back and tries to drown you!

….and it’s only Wednesday……