Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Training Notes

My heart rate started slowly climbing, adrenaline pumping through my veins. My hands clenched involuntarily, arms swinging back and forth, pulling me. My feet were moving. I was breathing hard. The sweat poured off me as my heart continued its deafening pound pound pounding ... dear God, would this never end???

The end came, mercifully, finally, one hour and 15 minutes after it started. Not a minute too soon.







Yes. It's that time again:



Time for bell-ringing class!

And class number one was, yet again, not pretty for this novice.

In addition to forgetting every single note I ever learned, I also forgot how to count. Luckily, a lovely older woman (what??? I'm the same age!) spent the entire class counting for me and pointing to the notes that I was supposed to be ringing.

It's not enough being humiliated on the running fields ... oh no, I have to put myself through this weekly humilation, too. Luckily, our director not only puts up with my endless whining about my suckitudiness, but also continues to tell me that one day, I'll get it.

Well, that makes one true believer.

Plus, I hear that learning bell ringing—and other new things—can stave off dementia.

Now, where was I?

Ah, insurance companies.

I got an interesting call from my health insurance company this morning. Shall I tell you the name of this company??? I SHALL. Destiny Health.

Last May, Number One Daughter went for a routine ob/gyn visit. Last May I went to the exact same doctor. Destiny paid NOD's entire bill. Her $90 Pap smear? Paid. My $90 Pap? Reimbursement: $1.40 (I wish I were making this up).

After ten thousand phone calls to South Africa (customer service) they let me know that they paid NOD's entire bill "because she saw an out-of-state" doctor. I tried to let them know that Washington, D.C., is not exactly "out-of-state." Virginia, Maryland, D.C.—they're all part of a metro area. I believe I even used the word "contiguous." (Maybe that's where I lost them.) They continued to insist that since NOD went out-of-state, she got the full rate. Great! Then I asked why didn't I get it? That's where things went haywire.

Finally, it dawned on me that they thought Washington, D.C., was the STATE of Washington. Only that doesn't really explain why I was reimbursed differently for the exact same doctor.

About a month ago, they said they had "made a mistake" on my claim and it should be coded as out-of-state, too.

Sigh. Whatever.

They would have to "escalate" the claim, send it up the flag pole, see who salutes, blah blah.

So, today, September 12 (appointment was in May), DESTINY figured it out. They figured out that they "made a mistake." And as a result? I needed to reimburse them $350.

Here's what I'm going to do about it:

First, I'm going to escalate this. Then, I'm going to consult with my superior. Then, I'll send it to the committee to review appeals and payments (CRAP). After that, the oversight department of refunds (ODOR), located in Tapei, will take a long, hard look at the particulars of this request.

And then?

Request denied!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, the joy of insurance companies. Lucky me gets to be on yet another end - the doctor trying to get paid. The stories I could tell...

21st Century Mom said...

This is cross training, right?

Thomas said...

Maybe it's your destiny to forever be in dispute with them.

You sure have unusual hobbies. Bell ringing? I'm absolutely positive that I don't know anyone else who does that.

Jon (was) in Michigan said...

Just be thankful you got someone on the other end that spoke english. The guy I talked to at Verizon couldn't understand anything I said. "Thankyou, I will call back."

m said...

My advice...write your state (district) representative. Write everyone in office and it will go away. I hate insurance companies. We were going to make a flood claim and my agent told me if I did they would drop me and put it into my permament file. Greaaat.

IronWaddler said...

I'd work up a sweat trying to do the bells. That's before I even started.

a.maria said...

*sigh*

damn woman. thats rough.

my mom rings bells though!!! and that still makes me laugh. :)

Bolder said...

what?

washington dc is not in the state of washington? how stupid is that?

next thing you'll tell me is Kansas City, is not in Kansas?

i mean, how stupid would that be??

LBTEPA said...

Arrrggghh.
Give 'em hell Jeanne!

David said...

Lady; you're in rare form. Save some of that chutzpah for Susie. She'll enjoy the laugh. But hold the bells.

Rose said...

Hmmm - is there a state agency that regulates insurance companies to whom you might complain? It's worth looking in to.

This reminds me of a case a few years ago where student financial aid was denied to a student from New Mexico to a university in another state because . . . wait for it . . . "foreign" students were not eligible for the aid.

Rae said...

What a PAIN! It is impossible to get good customer service these days!

Dori said...

I thought of you when I watched Meredith Viera's debut on the Today show. There had some school friends of Meridith who were bell ringers and they played the NBC theme on the bells.

Anonymous said...

Giv'em all you got. You deserve better.

Stay tuned...