HEALTH INSURANCE WARS

In this last few days, I've come to realize that in spite of health care reform things are just as bad as they always have been.

As most of you know, I accepted a job with a new company August 17, 2010. The company provides group insurance to all their employees including their new employees through Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The company I work for is doing the best they can to make sure their employees are covered by health insurance after a sudden and unexpected cancellation of health insurance coverage without the right to COBRA. When the new company found out about it, they had us all added to their policy at 12:01 on August 17, 2010 to prevent any lapse in coverage. The new company tried it's very best to do the best they could and the right thing.

One of the things I did not know until this happened is that when a company cancels it's employees insurance, the employee has no COBRA rights. You only have COBRA rights if you are fired or you quit your job. So basically, all of us were simply left facing a potential lapse in coverage had the new company not jumped in and attempted to save us. Yes, what happened to us is beneath contempt. We are people who cannot afford to ever be without health insurance even for one day.

So, yesterday I got a letter from the new insurance company explaining that they were not going to pay for any of my diabetic or kidney care for 12 months because I have a pre-existing condition. So, yesterday I spent a good part of the day getting certificates of creditable coverage from a variety of insurance companies with which I've had health insurance over the last few years. There were several of them because various employers change plans every fall so I've had health insurance with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, UniCare, United Health Care, GHP, Quality Health Care, etc. All those insurance companies had to be contacted to get these certificates of creditable coverage. By the way, I have started a file called Certificates of Creditable Coverage so that I hopefully won't have to do this in the future. This new insurance company wants to go back years and years and years. Now, the truth is that there has never been a day in my life when I have not had health insurance. But, there have been a lot of insurance companies and I don't remember them all, I have not kept all the cards, I don't know all their addresses and phone numbers, four years of health care was when my former husband was in the Air Force. But, I guess I'm going to have to trace it all back before they agree to pay for my health care. This is going to take a lot of time when I should be doing my job.

I spoke with the Labor/Employee Relations Specialist at my new employer and he explained that the new Federal laws associated with the elimination of the pre-existing condition exclusions under health care reform becomes effective for plan years beginning on or after 9/23/10 for individuals up to 19 years of age, but for individuals 19 and older, the regulations do not become effective until 1/1/2014. I'll be dead and cremated by 1/1/2014 if I'm not able to afford health care.

It's a war folks. The health insurance companies are trying to kill us, but it is NOT PERSONAL; they are trying to kill all of us. The DEATH PANELS are here and they are composed of health insurance companies.

SURPRISE ZEN DOG

Sophie is such a surprise. When we met her at the pound, she was this lively dancing dog. Now, I understand that when a dog is living in a cage (possibly on death row because of the dog death panels) and one of the attendants removes you from the cage and takes you to meet people who have requested to see you, a dog wants to impress. Hell, we're talking potential death row due to age issues vs a potential home with people who actually value life.

It's a good thing we named her Sophie for she truly is a Zen dog full of wisdom. It's like she's meditates 24 hours a day. She contemplates the world, just watching and taking it all in.

She has done absolutely nothing wrong since she got here. She's had no accidents and she dutifully comes and gets one of us and tells us when she needs to go outside. I'm a tad worried because (except for Cheddar Cheese) she literally does not eat anything at all. It's no wonder she's skinny as a rail. She won't eat soft canned food or dry food. She won't eat liver snaps. She has no interest at all in Beggin' Strips. Dakota is so relieved about the Beggin' Strips. At this point, I'd be relieved if Sophie stole some food. She does not jump on furniture or knock things off tables. She ignores the cat. The cat is relieved. She likes to go outside with either of us. She likes being on her leash and does not want to go into the double fenced back yard by herself. She wants one of us with her at all times when she's outside.

For the most part she sleeps on the couch or behind me when I'm at the computer. Alternately, she follows Eric to his office and sprawls behind him when he's on his computer. Sometimes, she wanders through the house checking it out to see what's here, but always there is that calm, quiet, contemplative, meditative quality to her. She doesn't even bark. It's like having a cloistered nun who keeps a vow of silence move in.

None of this is a complaint. Dogs, like people, are all different and have their own personalities and style. She reminds me incredibly of that big dog that sleeps in Jesse Stone's big chair in the Jesse Stone series. Mainly, I'm a little concerned with the not eating. I'm going to talk to the VET Tuesday about this not eating anything at all thing. She doesn't like regular inexpensive American cheese. She will eat expensive Cheddar Cheese!

SOPHIE IS HOME

While I was in Springfield signing on the dotted line for my new job, Eric went to the pound and was finally able to ransom Sophie out. He brought her home.

She has very dry skin and is absolutely filthy. She's scheduled for the same groomer who groomed Dakota two days ago. Sophie is going in at 9 AM. While she is in the groomer, I am going back to the humane society with her 3 ring binder. I can't figure out from the stuff they wrote if they gave her the heartworm preventitive already or if I need to give it to her. Also, I need to find out about some note they wrote about her needing a booster Distemper on the 18th. I'll get her scheduled with our VET for anything she needs. They said she needs to have her teeth cleaned. Dakota needs it more. So, I'll schedule Dakota first and Sophie a couple of days later.

Currently, they stand on either side of a closed door and growl and snarl at each other. I want to get Sophie seen by my VET before I introduce her directly to Dakota. They can stay separate until my VET clears her health wise.

I feel so sorry for her. She is very friendly and already quite attached to Eric and me. She is absolutely a "people dog". But, I don't think there has ever been anyone who provided her basic food, basic clean water, shelter, attention or love. She has no idea what a toy is. We have two boxes of 12 brand new tennis balls that were to be Jake's. He went through boxes of tennis balls like nobody's business. He loved those things. We bought boxes of tennis balls in bulk and kept them on shelves at the ready for him. Sophie has no idea what a ball is or what to do with it. I tried tossing a couple of tennis balls to her last night and she stood looking at me as if I were a fool. She showed no interest whatsoever in the tennis ball. She likes to sprawl beside me when I'm writing on the computer and she likes to plop her head in my lap as I type. But, she doesn't know how to play.

She's quite a pretty girl and once the groomer is done with her I suspect she will be even prettier. She's jet black with that Black Lab head and face. She's very tall and very skinny because she has had so little food in her life. The skinny part is actually probably healthier given that she is at least a major part Lab and they tend to be chow hounds. I don't want her to get fat, but she could use a couple of pounds.

Portrait Gallery Blog

Just found out that Roger and Di Smith have started a blog. Check it out. http://blog.rogersmithportraitgallery.com.

They provide beautiful portraits for many occassions. They do family portraits, individual portraits, senior pictures, boudoir portraits, etc. Their photography is of very high quality and absolutely wonderful and Roger simply has a "photographic eye".

If and when we ever get Sophie adopted, Eric and I are going to arrange with them to take some family portraits of us with Dakota and Sophie so we will have some current photos of us as a family. I'll publish some of them on the blog and on Facebook so you folks can see his work. If he can make us look presentable, I think all of you will recognize what an incredible photographer he is.

Go to http://blog.rogersmithportraitgallery.com and follow his work. You won't regret that you did.

A Dog's Purpose

My friend, Diane Hansford, recommended that I read a new book titled "A Dog's Purpose". I ordered it from Amazon.com and started reading the day it was delivered. I finished the book the day it was delivered. I was unable to put it down. I belly laughed and I sobbed.

This is a story for those broken hearted, guilt ridden, second guessing of decisions made, tormented souls among us. I was one and needed this book. My friend, Diane apparently knew. This story started the healing. It literally rolls over your soul like a soothing healing salve while simultaneously nurturing you. I hope others are able to use it to comfort their suffering souls.

I know that Taylor, Jake, Holly, Savvy JO and every animal family member I've ever had knew right to the last moment of their lives that I loved them every moment of their lives and that I did the very best I could to make the best decisions for them. Some decisions are bad decisions, but they are the best decisions you can make given the circumstances you are in. This story helped me forgive myself for the decisions I've made so that now all I have to do is deal with the grief of living without them. That is no small feat! Run (do not walk)and buy or borrow the book, read it as soon as you can. Allow it to help you heal.

STILL NO SOPHIE

One of us (Eric or me) has gone by each morning when the pound opens to attempt to ransom Sophie out. No luck. She's waiting for medical exams, shots and spaying. We are trying to adopt a stray dog that was running the streets skinny as a rail. We met her last Saturday and we still don't have her. Eric said tonight that we should have simply walked out with her last Saturday, made an appointment with our Vet, had her checked out, given shots and spayed. Of course, we could have never gone back there again. We are both going tomorrow morning and attempt one more time to gain her release.

SOPHIE

I've been going to the pound every day to check up on when we can adopt Sophie. The 3rd was the first day she was "available" for adoption, but after she became "available" she had to get her medical check up, her shots, and then she had to get spayed. Yesterday, they had a badly injured rescued dog come in and it took the VETs all day trying to deal with his injuries/trauma so they had no time to deal with regular exams, shots, or to schedule spays. So, she is just sitting. I have to go to court in Fairfield tomorrow and will be gone all day. Then, Friday I have to do an evaluation at Big Muddy and will be gone all day. So, Eric will have to make the run to the pound to see if he can adopt Sophie.

I've got here big huge pale blue pillow with the leather bone applique waiting for her, but no Sophie yet.

THE TRIP TO FIND SOPHIE

As you guys know, we have lost three of our four beloved dogs and one cat since May, 2009. We lost Taylor in May, 2009; Jake on October 15, 2009;
Holly on March 3, 2010 and Savvy Jo on July 26, 2010. It has been a really bad 15 months.

Eric loved all the pets, but he especially loved Holly. Holly was that strange little Black Lab mutt mix who tried to admit herself to the Holly admission unit at Alton State Hospital. I rescued her from the mental patients who were feeding her bags of Doritos, M & M, and Snickers Bars. He has been utterly heartbroken over her loss. The circumstances of her death, the fact that we didn't expect it that day and she went suddenly made it even worse I think. When he thinks about Holly or tries to talk about her, he still tears up. And, I'm not much better. When we lost Savvy Jo on Monday that was the last of the three musketeers for me. Those three dogs had stood by me, loved me and been utterly loyal through all of the toughest years of my life--when I was so utterly alone, abandoned, and felt as if absolutely no one cared if I lived or died--they were a steadfast, loyal, constant total love. The grief I felt at her death was not just her death,it was the grief associated with all of their deaths and the grief associated with the end of an entire era of my life. There were times when those dogs were responsible for my very survival. I could not give up. There was no one to care for them. I had to keep going through the very roughest years of my life. I know what I owe them. I owe them my very life many times over.

I prayed and prayed about it for this week and came to really know that if Taylor, Jake, Holly, and Savvy Jo could vote they would vote for us to rescue at least one more animal, save at least one more life, and give one more life a chance to love and be loved. So, Eric and I went to the pound Saturday and told the adoption counselor to pick out one dog and bring her to us in the adoption visiting room. We told her to pick out a dog that was kind of a black Lab or a mix that was kind of a Black Lab. If we had to look at a bunch of dogs, we would have brought them all home. So we needed someone else to pick a dog.

One of the pictures is of me filling out papers to apply for adoption and one of them is of me sitting in that long lonely hall at the pound waiting from them to bring us a dog.

She returned with this skinny, dirty Black dog who looks remarkably like an adolescent Black Lab. They had found her wandering the streets. She was either a stray, a dump, or a dog that had wandered away from home. She was incredibly friendly and appeared to take right to us--nuzzling and tail wagging. She was so friendly that I suspect she ran up to the animal control man and climbed in the truck. I named her Sophie on the spot. I had taken a leash with us because we were planning to bring a dog home. We were not allowed to bring her home. They can't put her up for adoption until 8/3/10 because they have to give her previous owners a chance to come and claim her. So, we don't know if we will get her. But, I plan to be at the pound with a leash when they open on 8/3/10.