the middle guy

I've been shopping several things like Medicare supplements and car insurance.  Looking to cut costs, so to speak.  My BC/BS supplement is a pretty good deal except for the 20% co-pay on DME which is my ostomy supplies.  I ended up in the hole with them last year and now can't order until I pay 168 for that time when I wasn't insured.  Y'all all know the story of the Marketplace fiasco.  As a result of that little snafu, I have outstanding medical bills that I'm still paying on.  The short story is that even though I won the appeal, which I didn't find out until June, I was supposed to be paying BC/BS 3oo a month until I got to Medicare in September.  Only I didn't know it until the total was up to two thousand in back premiums.  Nobody let me know that and I figured all would be well once the appeal was approved.  Uh, no.  Therefore i was uninsured for 8 months and didn't know it.  I was in a fog for most of last year because of the surgery so I really didn't have my wits about me to keep up with all that.  That's when I could have really used a healthcare advocate.  I've learned a lot about how things work and how to shop and find folks who work on your behalf.  

I had a small dog bite yesterday which I'm watching closely.  I went to the pharmacy and got a tetanus shot which would have been free at the health department had I not had insurance.  The deck is totally stacked against people who are struggling to get by with healthcare costs.  In a year and a half I'll be eligible for Medicaid which should help but I'm also losing my long term disability at the same time.  Those suckers have tried to buy me out three times but I've stood firm on that.  A big chunk sounds good, but it's also a big part of my income which makes me not eligible for healthcare services that others get free. This is why we need universal healthcare.  If you want to keep your plan through your job, you can do so.  

Yaya and I had some home cooked lunch and watched the recorded concert at Central Park that got rained out.  Jon Baptiste was, hands down, the star of the show along with Carlos Santana.  Anyway, I won't rant anymore.  Carlos urged everyone to ride the wave of sound that music brings to us.  I will try to do just that.

Namaste ~