Suffice to say, today was not a good day. I'm currently moving between positions (a long story--Queens to NYU) and had to COBRA my health insurance. My current employer, Queens College, did not terminate my insurance properly and ran the 60 day COBRA clock out for me, terminating my insurance on March 27 after my begging them to do this but putting a termination date of 2/1 in place and then telling me I had 60 days AFTER March 27 to continue coverage. I discovered this today. I don't know if my insurance can be continued despite my efforts and this was the plan that covered IVF. I am not very happy, especially after being given consistently wrong information. As I tend to be anxious and cautious over these matters, I've called Queens College HR numerous times and also GHI (my health insurers). They changed the date to 2/12 today so I express mailed in my applications ($35), but in all likelihood I will have no prescription drug benefit which means IVF drugs will set me back a cool $3,00-7,000 a month. I also have piles of medical bills that I will have to pay if my COBRA is denied.
I then went to the doughnut plant at 5. They were out of most doughnuts, I burst into tears and the lovely guy there gave me a chai (which was really good) and a small creme brule doughnut that was left. His kindness was unbelievable but I feel raw and like a baby for losing it in that way in a place that was not appropriate. As he told me, neither he nor his wife have any insurance coverage but he was happy for all he had in life. I felt very spoiled in some ways, but more angry that we let this happen in the world's richest nation. Evan took me out for sushi and got me a signature hot chocolate in Starbucks. I figured why not eat sushi as I am not pregnant. I hope this insurance issue doesn't mean I can't have a baby. My NYU insurance kicks in in September but I don't want to wait that long and have to get all these tests again. After 35, every month matters.
I am sorry that this is not the best written post but I am not in the clearest frame of mind right now.
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Oh Moya, I am so sorry!! Seriously Queens' College HR needs to get it together. Maybe you can speak to a lawyer (more fees I know) but its better than a pile of debt due to their incompetence. Feel better, I am thinking of you. And Evan sounds very similar to my own husband, you are very lucky.
That situation sounds like something out of an Ionescu play. I can totally understand your breakdown at the doughnut store -- I probably would have reacted the exact same way. Just keep hounding the folks at CUNY to make sure they get it right. It's not fair when one someone's clerical error can have such a major impact on another person's life.
But congrats on your new job at NYU!
what the heck, this is such a ridiculous situation! i cannot believe that you're going to have to pay that much for prescriptions because of a stupid bureaucratic error.
so sweet of that guy to give you a doughnut and chai. and evan sounds like such a supportive and thoughtful person.
i have faith that you will get through this latest setback, moya. i know every month matters and the panic-anger you must be feeling right now, so if i were you, i would channel that energy into gathering up all incriminating evidence and keep at Queens College's HR until they set it right.
joyce is right, this is straight out of an absurdist play.
Thank you Marti, Joyce and Erica. I am still in a fog. I think Queens HR are chronically understaffed and the system is starved of money. The problem is theirs--they admitted it--but it's also difficult for them to change much because of the bigger system wide bureaucratic issues.
My contract was 18 months long and one thing that emerged was that the last month of that, the pay is deferred from March to August, so benefits effectively only last for 17 months (August pay comes without any pension or health insurance). This is not communicated to you at any point--Queens send you no materials on health insurance, pension, etc. It is up to the individual to inquire. So I assumed my last pay would be in March and in mid-Feb started making noises about COBRA.
Nobody told me Feb 1 was my last day of coverage--but nobody seemed to know very much. I collected a COBRA package 2/25 and the date of termination was written as March 09. This wasn't specific enough for the application. Besides, GHI kept telling me when I called that there had been no termination received and therefore I couldn't apply.
I think moving the termination date means that an impoverished system (and one that is otherwise over bureaucratized) will have to pay for weeks/months of health insurance, and that's what they don't want to do. Meanwhile, I have fed exed everything in--it should all arrive today/tomorrow--but there's a good chance that I'll not get my insurance and I've been told that the chances of getting the prescription drug benefit is extremely poor.
The union provides the prescription drug benefit too so I can't exactly use the union to sue the union.
My head is going around and around. I don't need this. Trying to conceive has been tough enough in its own right.
Joyce/Erica, you are so right about Ionescu. It also seems like something out of Beckett or Kafka.
I also imagine it has happened to others, but they just accept it or go on their spouse's insurance.
Also, the Obama money for COBRA has not been released yet and nobody is sure how it will play out so even if I get COBRA, I doubt I'll see any of that 65% co-pay the media has touted so widely.
Yes, I feel crushed. I wonder if I'll ever have a child--I'm fighting so hard for this and everything seems to go against me.
keep strong, moya! it's a setback, yes, but that means you will get through it and come out on the other side very soon.
moya - i really feel for you. this must be so frustrating. i hate the bureaucracy of universities and their human resources. you should definitely not have to deal with this, esp. at this time. i hope they are able to sort this out for you soon. sorry this is ruining your spring break.. just try and keep positive though it must be hard! and reward yourself with some non-donut yummy carbs!
moya,
this is awful! i'm so sorry you have to deal with this, it really is an outrage. i agree that if this is not resolved, you might want to speak with a lawyer (i'm happy to help you if i can, but this is not my area of practice and i don't know much about it). sometimes it can be quite effective to just tell them you're getting a lawyer, because people hate dealing with lawyers and may be more willing to work something out without them.
good luck with this and keep us posted on any developments.
moya-i know this is a tough spot right now...but please keep positive...i know at times you will just want to scream and punch a wall but please just smile...sytems always have too many faults to count..but i know that this grey cloud WILL PASS...i am thinking of you...and want you to enjoy your spring break..please let us know what happens
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