Legalectric

So here I am, the typical self-employed person without health “insurance” (because I’ll be damned if I’ll pay an INSURANCE company for “coverage” with a $5-10,000 deductible massive premiums every month and get nothing for it).  I’m excited about MNsure, ja, you betcha.

October 3, 2013.  I started to get ready, don’t cha know.  I have all my income info at the ready, I get online, and… NERRRRRRRRRRRK!  Reject, they can’t find info on me to set up an account.  I’m told I need to mail the form in by snail mail, and they’ll mail back info to get the account going.  I print it out, make copies of driver’s license and passport and mail it in.  (3+ hours)

December 31, 2013.  Info comes back and on New Years’ Eve, I get online again, fill out the application, and am told I can have the privilege of paying $1,106.74/mo for “coverage” with a $12,000 deductible (100% covered after that).  Or $1,380.93 for $6,600 deductible (60% covered after that), or $1,661.77 for $300 deductible (70% covered after that).  Oh, right, sure, OK… NOT!  I got on the horn with a major WTF, and they tell me it makes no sense, that I qualify for deductions and what not.  OK, fine, just get me there.  They can’t, said that I qualified for MN Care and they’d send me forms.  (6+ hours over 2 days)

January 2, 2014.  Happy New Year.  I get a letter in the mail, “Health Care Notice” which says over and over and over, “DOES NOT QUALIFY” “DOES NOT QUALIFY” “DOES NOT QUALIFY” “DOES NOT QUALIFY” “DOES NOT QUALIFY” “DOES NOT QUALIFY” “DOES NOT QUALIFY” “DOES NOT QUALIFY”  MNsure, I get your drift.  But you said I qualified.  More WTF moments, they said that I’d not checked the box for credits, deductions and what not, so I couldn’t get any.  She said I should request that the application be withdrawn.  OK, fine, what does that take?  ??? Doesn’t know.  EH?  Said I should call back in a week and they’ll see what they can do (4+ hours on phone).

January ?, 2014.  I call back.  I learn that not only do I not qualify, but Alan and I are not a household.  ???  It says “household,” and doesn’t say you have to be married to be a household.  NO WHERE IN THE APPLICATION DOES IT SAY YOU HAVE TO BE MARRIED TO BE A HOUSEHOLD.  Fine, whatever, what do I have to do to redo the application?  They can’t say.  Notice says “I’m supposed to receive another notice in the mail telling me the reason I don’t qualify.”  Nada…  I’m told, again, to call back in a week  (4+ hours on phone).

January 21, 2014.  I’m sick.  Really sick.  It feels like the last time my allergies went wacky and I couldn’t talk for two months.  More hours on the phone, to learn that they didn’t understand why I got that notice, issued 1/1 @ 12:19 when it says that as of 1/1 @ 1:39 p.m. I was covered.  WTF?  And I was supposed to just sit and wait, “you don’t need to do anything.”  And I says, I’m sick, I do need to do something, what do I do to see a doctor?  How can I get verification I’m covered somehow, somewhere?  They suggested I call Minnesota Care.  So I did, the folks at MN Care had no verification of me being in the system.  That only took over an hour to find out.  Back to MNsure.  By this time I’m writing down names, and spent about an hour before “Kevin” picked up the phone and told me that “No, you’re not covered by MN Care, I don’t know where they’d get that information, there’s nothing here about that.”  Great, now we’re getting somewhere… NOT.  I said that I’d been told I’d not checked the right box and needed to have my application withdrawn and start over, and I got the dead silence.  He said they’d check into it, and to call back in about a week.  OK, and if I die first, should the dogs handle it for me? (2+ hours, 1+ hour, 2+ hours).

Today, just now, Alan brought up the mail.  From Minnesota Health Care Programs, a “Giving Permission for Someone to Act on My Behalf.”  “Why am I getting this letter?  You asked to give permission to another person to act on your behalf.”  Ummmm… NO!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I can go to the Care Clinic, and not only can I see a Dr. or Nurse Practitioner, but I can work with an “assister” on MNsure, and share the pain.

Now I’m going to bed to drink myself into a Nyquil stupor.  This kind of “care” I don’t need.