*&(^#(*&!@^*#&% medicaid!!!

sigh.
i'm back in brooklyn and i'm really feeling it.

while i was on the west coast, my medicaid card arrived in the mail. i've learned that it was active from july through october, but starting in november, it became inactive. why? well, the educated guess from a woman at the helpline is that my disability payments, which began in december, are above the maximum income level to qualify for medicaid. in fact, she told me that any income over $700 and change is too much to qualify for medicaid. apparently, since i will be living large on disability, i should have plenty to pay for my february 3rd hysterectomy and all the medical testing beforehand.

my options? according to the helpline woman, i can request to pay some sort of monthly surplus fee or, i can reapply for medicaid all over again. what?!! reapply??! this comes after hours of calling fifteen different billing offices/collection agencies to provide my medicaid number for past bills and work out what will be covered and what won't. i also called another medicaid number where i waited 14 minutes and 58 seconds only to find out that due to the high call volume, my only option was to leave my name and number so that they can get back to me within 48 hours.

i was a bit overwhelmed, but after some lunch and a good cry, i'm back in fighting mode. i've got calls in to my oncologist (no surgery without medicaid) and the financial office at the hospital, and my dear sweet sister is seeking assistance from any medicaid contacts that my local assemblywoman might have.

ok. enough complaining. i just needed to get that off my chest. now it's time to fill out my registration and pre-surgical testing forms. thank goodness we were able to enjoy a good break on the west coast. i can't wait for spring...