Today, I have a migraine....can anyone tell me why?
So I kept the house quiet and the shades drawn.
(It only helps a little bit, but every little bit helps)
Here's what happened so far:
1) I am still on a Leave Of Absence from work.
2) My Insurance did expire on January 1, 2006 (I was covered under something called a Rule 4 Extension for 2004 & 2005, but December 31, 2005 was technically the last day - even though it appears my coverage actually ended mid-February).
3) I can return to work, but it's going to be a very difficult process. I need to get reports from every doctor I've seen over the last 3 years and have them say I'm ok to return to work, and while this is difficult, it's not impossible - but - even if I can get all of their reports and even if I can get them to say I can return to work (even if they don't want me to yet) then my company's Medical Department may - or may not - release me to return, but even if they do, I have to have a Return To Work Physical, and that doctor may - or may not - release me to return to work. So it's going to be very difficult to actually get back to work.
4) Due to how hard all steps in #3 might be to accomplish, it was suggested I contact Railroad Retirement (hereafter referred to as RRB - I work for the railroad) and look into Disability. This I tried 3 years ago when it appeared I'd be out a while (I had that immobile kidney stone that eventually a full year and 3 surgeries to resolve - albeit temporarily), and I was told that I'd need to work an additional 18 months to qualify. I asked how I could work 18 more months to qualify for Disability when I'm disabled now? They did not know. Because of how the railroad works, after a certain period you become "vested" with the RRB and all the money you made in your working life that was paid into Social Security (hereafter SSI) gets "dumped" into RRB and that's who you would collect from - instead of SSI, which no longer has anything to do with you. A short while before I went out in 2003 the RRB changed the "vested" period from 10 years to 5 years, and I had worked for the railroad for more than 5 years, but less than 10, at that time. Although I was hired in 1990, because of the Crohn's Disease (I was diagnosed April 19, 1996 - my 6th Hire Anniversary at the railroad, I was hired April 19, 1990) I did't work the entire 13 years, so I was in the Twilight Zone of coverage. I have to contact the RRB again now and find out what the real deal is, and if I can't get Disability from them, someone there should be able to help me coordinate with SSI to get some kind of Disability from someone. This might be just a tad bit easier than going through the hoops of #3.
5) I am looking into trying to get an individual Insurance Policy so when the next tragedy hits I'll be covered, but in the meantime (now) I can no longer afford to keep doctor's appointments (I've had to cancel 2 this week and I have one with my shoulder doc coming up in 2 1/2 weeks that will most likely have to be cancelled) and I had to cancel my physical therapy session this week as well (and can't make another until I'm covered), but that's not a huge deal since I can still do all 12 of my exercises 3 times a day here at home, it's only the stretching part that I have to skip, and since motion is coming back to my arm, it's now more or less strength training, it may not set me back too much.
That's all that's new since Monday, but I was pretty worthless today (anyone out there who's experienced a migraine knows there's not much you can do about one, but wait for it to end) and it usually takes 2-3 days for one of my migraines to fully pass.
Oh, and it was * snowing * when I woke up this morning at 5:30am (at least I slept 3 hours last night, that's an improvement)!!
I also found a 4th "spiked icecube" in my freezer this morning (see earlier post titled Freak Of Nature Discovered)
Take care everyone,
RobMac
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Monday, March 13, 2006
Can You Hear Me Now?
Well, allot has happened since my last post this morning.
The first thing is that my Human Resources department, that told me I was "terminated" in 2003, was actually referring to my insurance coverage, which is not true, of course.
So after doing some more digging with them (second and third call) I found out that they were talking about a form regarding my insurance plan that was not mailed back, but the form in question didn't need to be mailed back as I was making no changes to my plan or coverage (there are several to choose from and I've never changed and the forms only need to be mailed back when a change is being made) so someone entered the wrong information and that's what they read to me earlier (without telling me it was a form), although it had no impact on my coverage or plan since I was still covered until this year.
Then I contacted my company's insurance department, a department dedicated to questions about coverage, not the goings on of the parent company itself, and found that I was covered under something called the Rule 4 Extension, which basically says that my insurance coverage would continue for two years beyond the year in which I went out on a Leave Of Absence (which was 2003) so it expired December 31, 2005. However, I was never aware of this Rule 4 Extension and was therefore not informed my coverage would end January 1 of this year. I was advised to contact my local office to find out more.
I called my local office (where I work(ed) ) and since the person involved in setting up Return To Work Physicals was not in this late in the evening I left a message on her voicemail asking her what I needed to return to work.
So tomorrow I hope to hear back from her (if not I'll call again) and be told either A) what I need to get in order to return to work (meaning I am NOT terminated) or B) that I no longer work for them, in which case I'll need to find out when I was terminated and why I was never notified of the termination (and then I may need to look into legal action).
Hopefully it will be A, in which case I'll do whatever I can to get back to work (Part Time if I'm able) even though I may not be medically ready, I don't think I can hold out much longer and I should count my blessings I wasn't fired.
I'll keep you up to date on what is actually going on when I find out the whole story myself, but since I was told this morning that I was terminated, it's been a long, hard day, and I'm exhausted, so I didn't get as deep into it that I should have from the start. I was in such shock I couldn't think straight.
That's the problem with big companies, not only do they not talk to each other (Employer company & Insurance company), but they don't even talk within their own departments (HUman Resources & Insurance Member Services) within the company, so no one seems to have the whole picture, you can only get bits and pieces and have to add them all together yourself to try to get the whole picture.
RobMac
The first thing is that my Human Resources department, that told me I was "terminated" in 2003, was actually referring to my insurance coverage, which is not true, of course.
So after doing some more digging with them (second and third call) I found out that they were talking about a form regarding my insurance plan that was not mailed back, but the form in question didn't need to be mailed back as I was making no changes to my plan or coverage (there are several to choose from and I've never changed and the forms only need to be mailed back when a change is being made) so someone entered the wrong information and that's what they read to me earlier (without telling me it was a form), although it had no impact on my coverage or plan since I was still covered until this year.
Then I contacted my company's insurance department, a department dedicated to questions about coverage, not the goings on of the parent company itself, and found that I was covered under something called the Rule 4 Extension, which basically says that my insurance coverage would continue for two years beyond the year in which I went out on a Leave Of Absence (which was 2003) so it expired December 31, 2005. However, I was never aware of this Rule 4 Extension and was therefore not informed my coverage would end January 1 of this year. I was advised to contact my local office to find out more.
I called my local office (where I work(ed) ) and since the person involved in setting up Return To Work Physicals was not in this late in the evening I left a message on her voicemail asking her what I needed to return to work.
So tomorrow I hope to hear back from her (if not I'll call again) and be told either A) what I need to get in order to return to work (meaning I am NOT terminated) or B) that I no longer work for them, in which case I'll need to find out when I was terminated and why I was never notified of the termination (and then I may need to look into legal action).
Hopefully it will be A, in which case I'll do whatever I can to get back to work (Part Time if I'm able) even though I may not be medically ready, I don't think I can hold out much longer and I should count my blessings I wasn't fired.
I'll keep you up to date on what is actually going on when I find out the whole story myself, but since I was told this morning that I was terminated, it's been a long, hard day, and I'm exhausted, so I didn't get as deep into it that I should have from the start. I was in such shock I couldn't think straight.
That's the problem with big companies, not only do they not talk to each other (Employer company & Insurance company), but they don't even talk within their own departments (HUman Resources & Insurance Member Services) within the company, so no one seems to have the whole picture, you can only get bits and pieces and have to add them all together yourself to try to get the whole picture.
RobMac
The End Is Nigh
I am very depressed right now.
I just found out, through Explanation Of Benefits forms from my Insurance Company that I received on Saturday, that I no longer have any coverage. It appears my coverage stopped mid-February, unbenownst to me, so some of my recent tests, office visits, and therapy sessions are not being covered.
I did some checking (through my Insurance Company and Employer's Human Resources) and found I am no longer employed (although I haven't been able to work for 3 years it was always a comfort to know a job was waiting for me - not any more), although I was never notified - so I can no longer see any doctors, have any more tests to make sure stones aren't growing/blocking anything, I can't have any more physical therapy sessions (I can at least do the 12 exercises 3 times a day still, for free at home) and no more drugs to prevent stones from growing, which means they may start growing rapidly again once my drugs are gone.
I am looking into Disability possibilities and alternative Health Care Insurance possibilities (A MUST), but as for another job? Who knows, you may see me at a Best Buy or Quizno's someday serving you, I certainly won't find another job that paid so well (when I actually worked) and had such good Insurance coverage (when I actually had it).
I am sick to my stomach - literally.
I've been throwing up this morning and shaking uncontrollably.
My nerves are frayed.
My ulcers have been in overdrive since I found out and I haven't slept in like 3 weeks (I just found out about my Insurance, but my money's been getting VERY tight and I have been hoping to return to work sometime soon, but the stones and the shoulder are my worst enemies, fighting an unending battle).
If you don't hear from me within the next few weeks with updates, I may not be around any more, either from an act of Nature
- or worse......
Goodbye Friends
RobMac
I just found out, through Explanation Of Benefits forms from my Insurance Company that I received on Saturday, that I no longer have any coverage. It appears my coverage stopped mid-February, unbenownst to me, so some of my recent tests, office visits, and therapy sessions are not being covered.
I did some checking (through my Insurance Company and Employer's Human Resources) and found I am no longer employed (although I haven't been able to work for 3 years it was always a comfort to know a job was waiting for me - not any more), although I was never notified - so I can no longer see any doctors, have any more tests to make sure stones aren't growing/blocking anything, I can't have any more physical therapy sessions (I can at least do the 12 exercises 3 times a day still, for free at home) and no more drugs to prevent stones from growing, which means they may start growing rapidly again once my drugs are gone.
I am looking into Disability possibilities and alternative Health Care Insurance possibilities (A MUST), but as for another job? Who knows, you may see me at a Best Buy or Quizno's someday serving you, I certainly won't find another job that paid so well (when I actually worked) and had such good Insurance coverage (when I actually had it).
I am sick to my stomach - literally.
I've been throwing up this morning and shaking uncontrollably.
My nerves are frayed.
My ulcers have been in overdrive since I found out and I haven't slept in like 3 weeks (I just found out about my Insurance, but my money's been getting VERY tight and I have been hoping to return to work sometime soon, but the stones and the shoulder are my worst enemies, fighting an unending battle).
If you don't hear from me within the next few weeks with updates, I may not be around any more, either from an act of Nature
- or worse......
Goodbye Friends
RobMac
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