insurance

Welcome to personal rant day. Every once in a while something comes along that completely rubs me in the wrong direction. Today's hot topic: insurance, as you may have guessed. I would like to mention how insanely infuriated I am with the insurance company. For two months now we have been in constant phone battles, not sweet little nice conversations, raging Star Wars Death Star battles (I am talking storming the beaches of Normandy full-on war here) with our insurance to get coverage for a medication.

Cost of meds with insurance $5, Cost without $150. Insurance Says 'No way, Jose.' So we appeal. Insurance fails to process appeal. So, we finally get appeal processed (meanwhile paying $5 a pill for this stuff). Final verdict 'Ummmm, nope.' WHY!!! Then what is the stinking point of insurance!! Why do we pay a monthly premium to have them tell us they aren't going to do what we pay them to do? Does this make sense.

The logic behind the denial, and its upholding: It's not its prescribed usage and there is not enough medical evidence to support this kind of usage. News flash: Every medication that is medically proven to work in this fashion has been a failure. Apparently, thats just means try it more. Or try a higher dosage, or... whatever. Medical researchers suck at their jobs. Seriously.

May I further vent by saying that upon calling today and asking for the information regarding the denial, the young gentlemen unfortunate enough to have to take my call, could not find the information. Saying 'I don't know where to find it,' Really? The company who denies our appeal, can't find their own denial. I really need someone to punch in the face at this point (I wouldn't ever really do that, but it sounds threatening, right?).

So, after Mr. Magoo leaves me hanging on hold for twenty minutes while he and his buddies do the hokey-pokey on the other end, he pops back on to let me know that he can't tell me the information on our denial because he can't locate the letter, but he can have it sent to us. WHAT!! You can send it to me, but you can't find it? Then how in the world do you send something you cannot find? This makes no sense to me. I assume, by natural logic, that in order to send something you would have to know its location, but what do I know. (let me back-track a little here with some mortar to fill in between the bricks of my story here: One four separate occasions we have requested or have been told that letters have been sent to us regarding this appeal and denial process. As of the time I write this little number we are currently 1/4, at least these guys are shotting better than the Jazz from three-point range (way to go 0-14 guys). Needless to say another letter was not exactly an exciting proposal to me.)

My head is spinning. Enough for now.

What about you? Whats your rant/pet-peeve/frustration of the day/week/life, feel free to chime in.

I am going to bed. At least in my dreams the insurance doesn't win.

Princess Mom!

My mom gets to be a princess for the next few weeks! She underwent surgery last Wednesday and is in the process of recovering, easier said than done, I'm afraid! She's been instructed to rest and recuperate, which, as we all know, doesn't exactly fall into my mom's top 10 favorite things to do.....she's always going, going, going....but for now, she gets to be waited on and enjoy being Princess Mom.

It's our turn to take care of her, after decades that she's taken care of us when we're sick! Thanks Mom! :)

If you could send a few prayers up for my princess mom; for a speedy recovery with no complications, it would be greatly appreciated!

Being the wonderful, kind, generous, loving....(and don't forget humble!).....daughter that I am, I refrained from posting pics of my mom in the hospital. Being, her favorite daughter, I wouldn't want to make her upset! Hehe!

A Toothless Grin, well....only 2 less!

Today was the day Kelly lost his wisdom teeth. We went in at 10 this morning, and after 8 hours of pre-op fasting, 40 minutes of surgery, and 20 minutes of post-operative recovery (in which Kelly was rambling on about who knows what!) he survived! He is on a strict mush diet for the next few days. Guess I better whip out the blender! I've already been catching up on my jell-o and pudding-making skills! He has been a trooper through it all, and has been in good spirits, or maybe that's just the drugs. Nevertheless, he's on the road to recovery, and hopefully the tooth fairy is on the road to our house!

Here are some pics of the blessed day, as Kelly recovers from the procedure...white knuckled grip on his pain meds.

spring fever

Fevers have been running wild in our house. Wild, I tell you. It all started about mid-February. Shelli took a short Spring Break trip to Las Vegas with Rachel where she got well acquainted with a small stomach bug. This week also gave way to the infamous spring fever which, being the solar powered couple we are, hits hard in our household. but little did we know spring fever would come with the real thing this year.  The following couple of weeks Shelli was feeling, lets just say 'not-so-good'. Shortly there after we took a trip to Moab to see my family for a couple of days, and Shelli began recovering, praise God! We happened to hit Moab during the busiest time of the year: Jeep Safari. So we decided to take my Dad's new Jeep out on some trails with my family. We had a good time and it was fun to get out and do something I really hadn't done since I was in high school. The weather was beautiful, although it was a little chilly. 

Spring fever took its roots a little deeper with this fun little outing; it was only fitting that as spring fever spread it would bring with it more illness. This time it attacked me. I contracted the vicious virus, which I was told is currently a national epidemic, which was scheduled to last 14-21 days, and it milked up all of them. I am just now starting to recover and sleep through the night. Returning from Moab we enjoyed a wonderful Easter with the Haskins and Lansings where Shelli and Adrienne continued their annual Easter Egg Brawl, complete with pushing, shoving and a new addition, spousal participation, as poor Tyler watched in awe. Don't worry though, Tyler eventually jumped in and stole the show when he decided he was going to start walking around the house like a wild man! 

Unfortunately, as I recovered the virus found a new host in Shelli, however the virus would prove to be the least if our worries. Shelli decided to shoot for the fence and bite off an ear infection to go with the virus. As I type the ear infection is still taking its toll, and nothing has kicked it, the viruses seem to have passed, and spring fever continues to plague us both as the temperature runs a full gamut of temperatures this spring with beautiful 60-70 degree weather sandwiched miserably between frigid snow and rain. God cannot seem to decide what season he wants it to be right now. 

As Shelli hopefully continues battle and recover from her ear infection, I will enter into the Dr's office this weekend to have my chompers ripped from my skull. Okay, so that's maybe a little over-dramatic, I am having my wisdom teeth removed. 

We eagerly look forward to the end of this season, whatever it is: the spring/winter, disease infested, virus infected, miserable rollercoaster of a season it is.