REALITY?: Reflection

Thought I’d outgrown naivete. Thought wisdom and patience had been acquired. Didn’t believe I could still be surprised.

While attempting to convert from COBRA coverage to an individual health insurance policy, I called to get a quote. $6000 a month, the girl said. I was outraged, even found it amusing before I figured yeah, she’s made a mistake. So I called back the next morning and spoke with someone else who quoted me, yes, $6000 a month.

I laughed. No, really. I asked her, “Weren’t you afraid to get back on the phone and tell me this?” She said it did seem a bit high. Plus, the coverage wasn’t as good as what we had and had a higher deductible. “That’s $72,000 a year,” I said. “Do you make $72,000 a year? And would you pay that for insurance?” which to me, is like “protection” money, not even a guaranteed service (in that it may not be used, as The Company truly hopes and prays).

All set to armor up and swing a magic sword of self-righteousness, I wondered why my husband didn’t seem surprised. Nor, aside from a few, many others. Then it dawned on me: While CIGNA is required by contract and law to not discriminate against me and my spouse by refusing coverage, it’s well within their methods to simply quote some exorbitant price tag. This, folks, is what I didn’t think they were capable of doing, even as I raged against the fee. Though of course, the laws being the laws, loopholes for worms are always included. They can pass a thousand-page bill that besides guidelines and earmarks and all kinds of goodies thrown in, don’t actually solve the problems at all.

There are other options, but I really should have started digging into this six months ago, not realizing quite how complicated it all gets. Group insurance to group insurance is one thing, but if you go to an individual policy, then try to get into a group, the HIPAA doesn’t cover you and you can be discriminated against legally for existing conditions.

Somehow, I’m not thrilled with paying taxes that will pay insurance for others, while I myself may need to do without.

And now, with a new perception of myself as less than Joan d’Arc taking on injustice, I find I must do further battle with the powers of government. Our property tax bill on a 33 year-old car went up 350% because of a new valuation.

You know, we’re all hurting, but somehow, I just wouldn’t think of screwing somebody else so they can hurt too and believe it would make me feel better.