Guess who spent an hour and a half early Friday evening dealing with red tape? It took longer than it might have because the first gal I was dealing with left for the weekend in the middle of the interaction and I had to start from scratch. Finally it was too late to get anything resolved before Monday.
Why would I even try to get something done that late in the week? It’s because of one of the bills I talked about in No Game For Control Freaks. It rose to the top of my Possibility List when we opened our mail shortly after 5 pm and read the provider is referring the bill to a collection agency. The bill was rejected the first time by our insurance company last year and was resubmitted January 15th. I’ve phoned several times since then and was told it hadn’t been processed yet. My preference would be to pay the provider and have my insurance company pay us. But no, that’s not allowed.
Another possibility would be to pay the provider and hope the people there would return the money when they get paid. But it, too, is a large corporation..the hold time before you can talk to a person there is usually about a half an hour. And I tried that strategy a few years ago with another large provider. I had been promised that they were very good about returning money, and I hate having bills hanging over our heads, so I paid the bill. Eventually my insurance company did pay the provider and the provider cashed the check. Unfortunately, it lost all record of the money. It took a year and a half and gazillions of phone calls to get the insurance company to provide a copy of the cashed check…understandably not their top priority… and for us to get our $248 back. I would prefer not to go through that again. At the time I told my husband I clearly don’t value my time too highly, but I stuck it out as a matter of principle. 🙂
So I’ll try again to get things resolved Monday.
Was It a Waste of Time?
I knew when I tackled the problem that late in the week it might not work, but I decided to try my best as soon as the provider’s warning came. It’s the old motto, “Play your part well and let go of the results.” For me the trick is to
- avoid feeling helpless,
- do what you can now,
- devise a strategy for next week and
- let it go until it’s time to take the next step.
So I refreshed my spirits with a hearty “Yea, Jean!” from my husband for keeping my sense of humor and not giving up, and I spent the rest of the evening doing more fun things. Life is too short to waste it on fretting. Easier said than done? Don’t forget, I’ve had a lot of practice.
Last week’s post was You Don’t Have to Leave Home to Have an Adventure. The truth is, even if you don’t want one it might just come in your door and bop you on the head anyway. 😉
What About You?
Have you had any uninvited adventures lately? If so, how did you handle them?
Hi Jean,
Sounds like an adventure that probably wasn’t a lot of fun on Friday night. Good for you on getting beyond it!
Lances last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day
Your comic is really good and funny!! It’s great that you can see the funny side of things! Isn’t that what life is about?
Evelyn Lims last blog post..How To Ground Yourself In 7 Ways
I’m sure your “adventure” was frustrating but I’m glad to read that you let it go, shifted gears and chose to have fun. I’m kind of the same. I think about what I can do and move on (even if that’s doing nothing about it for the weekend) rather than spend time focusing on what I can’t do, why something won’t work, or dwelling on the lack of assistance from others.
I hope all goes well for you this week and it gets settled easily.
PS. Love the comic!
Laurie | Express Yourself to Successs last blog post..Saturday Short Film: The Power of Mortality
Yes, the hardest part is letting go of the problem until the “next step”.
My uninvited “adventure-ha” yesterday was I started on my hike (in the mud)& my hip started hurting. Remembered I was suppose to take an Ibuprofen before hiking; also that I’d changed to a lighter jacket & my house key was in the one I took off. Went home & the hidden house key wasn’t there. That is at the place that the rat entered our house & ate everything. I know he took the key-really-because he took lots of things in the house for his nest.
I went to the neighbors to get a pill, but he didn’t answer. Could see lots of bottles of pills on the table. (He’s a Dr.) I know the code that opens the garage door because I water his plants when he’s gone. I went in & stole a pill. Had to take off my boots ’cause muddy. (Don’t get all judgmental here-my husband spends hours helping him with his computer.) Wouldn’t life be dull if I didn’t have these “adventures-ha”.
It took a year and a half after my mother-in-law died to unravel the insurance, medicare, nursing home, doctor bills. I feel your pain! Somehow finding some humor in it all does seem to help a bit.
I’m wondering if you could read my blog today – I’ve started something and would value feedback – thanks a bunch!
suzens last blog post..Lighting The Fires of Hope with Google
Lance,
I spent another hour and a half on it this morning, and it turns out the time Friday evening was well spent. I managed to get to someone today who promised to take responsibility for getting the claim processed correctly…including talking to the provider. I’ll check tomorrow to make sure he did, but it was gratifying to get beyond the usual run-around. It looks as if he might be able to put a note in our file explaining why similar claims should be approved right away. Again, we’ll see, but it sure was nice talking to him. 🙂
Evelyn
Thanks! I do my best to see the humor in situations like that.
Laurie,
Glad you liked the comic and thanks for the good wishes.
bikehikebabe,
Thanks for sharing your story. How did you get back in your house?
suZen,
I did read your post and liked it very much. I tried to leave a comment but your blog doesn’t like me again. 😉
How did I get back in my house? I sat on the doorstep ’til my husband came home which wasn’t long.
Lately there have been a few – I’ve enrolled in a government program to help me start my small business.
One of the highlights was the form for the business plan for the new business – asking for a history of the business! (I assure you I am not making this up!) There were a number of intense discussions to try to get them to tell me what they wanted – “like pulling teeth” is the phrase that springs to mind.
Fortunately I have friends who help me debrief these conversations and a sense of humour sure does help.
Evan, Not fun for you but hilarious otherwise!
Life in general has turned into one of these humor-no-longer-optional runs! My wife and I have the most stable situation of most of the extended family members facing all kinds of fallout from life right now, the economy knocking over people’s livelihoods like dominoes for awhile.
Can you spell “target?” My wife and I were talking last night about making sure that everyone else steps up to every plate they can. Then we sit back and laugh a bit! And enjoy nephews and granddaughters along with all the adults they bring with them. 🙂
bikehikebabe,
I’m glad it wasn’t long. I locked myself out of the apartment once, but it was earlier in the day. I went to the library until my husband got home that afternoon. We had just gotten back from vacation, which is why things were a bit chaotic, and I had a class to prepare. So it worked out just fine.
Evan,
Yes, the one thing government is good at is red tape.
I once worked for a scientific research lab that was funded by the government. The new head of the agency in charge of us was an ex-admiral. He decided scientists were too free-wheeling, not disciplined enough. He started requiring a list of things we would accomplish in the next six months… including any major breakthroughs. Yeah, sure. That’s exactly how innovation works. 😉
Conrad,
I love your attitude. “Humor is not optional.” Amen to that.
Good luck to all of you.
well, I’m not fond of those businesses both gov’t and other who have this new phone system where a disembodied ?female voice tells me “I can understand what you say….” then goes on to suggest different number I can push on the phone keypad – gets annoyed when it doesn’t understand simple commands from me!
and as for the automated voice that tells me
#1 for accounts
#2 for sales
and carries on through 5 numbers – none of which seem to apply….so I have to start again thinking outside the square.
Just yesterday, I decided that getting a blue tooth adapter for my Dragon Naturally Software might be a good idea….but I couldn’t decide if I needed to upgrade to version 10. So scouting around the website – I finally found the ’email contact details’ and sent a message.
(automatic reply….we got it etc)
This morning a reply Dear Customer…..then goes on to say you need to email someone in Australia! Boy, that guy needs his head read – I’m in NZ and I linked onto contact at website for NZ!!!
After more fiddling about with Australia, discover I can only send 1000 characters so have to put the whole darn saga into a word.doc and attach it.
(received automated reply….that they had it and would be back in touch as I was a valued customer!)
Nope, I’ve not spoken this into the computer because I’m not sure if it would work all that well….and right now to use Dragon Naturally Speaking, I cannot do it fast as I need to re-train some things!! :-)…….and the current headphone gadget has a plastic junction thing that ends up hurting my ear! hence the idea of getting the blue tooth gadget
Cathy in NZ, As little as I understand about the computer stuff, it still all makes sense & is fun to read. Needs his “head read” is great! Better than head examined.
Jean, I got locked out on our balcony, in the winter wearing a mini skirt & blouse. After 2 hours my piano student came & let me in.
Cathy,
Thanks for sharing your story. I sympathize…tech support does leave something to be desired, to put it mildly! At least they didn’t have you reformat your machine and reload everything. That’s happened to us a few times. It never did any good, but it kept us busy for several hours. 😉
I was interested that you’re using Dragon Naturally Speaking. I tried it years ago and decided I can type much faster than I can talk, even if the program never made a mistake. When you get it trained please let me know if you like it.
bikehikebabe,
Thank goodness you were teaching the piano! I’ll bet you were glad to see that student.
I had an uninvited adventure, if one can call it, last week alright. I am trying to come out of it to the best of my ability, and posts like this is, are just the medicines that I need. Thank you Jean.
rummusers last blog post..Never Born, Never Died, Just Visited This Planet. – Osho.
rummuser,
Bless you…I’ve been thinking of you a lot. I know you will do just fine, but losing a spouse is a great blow. I often wonder how I would cope if Andy dies first.
Can I ever relate… My problem is I get going and won’t quit until sometimes I so worked up that I’ve made a fool of myself. Your post reminds me of how important it is to pull back away from the “unexpected adventure” and take a deep breath. It’s that old space between stimulus and response from Psych 101. I have a rule that I never tackle something as a matter of principle, because I usually get stung. (But I don’t always play by my own rules.)
B. Wildes last blog post..The Barbie-Turns-50 Birthday Bash
Wow! I can so relate to B. Wilde’s last comment. I don’t always play by my own rules either!
I should listen to myself more often. But, then, I should shut up more often. It’s a dilemma!
Conrads last blog post..Manchester: The First Apartment
B. Wilde and Conrad,
I cheerfully admit I had a bout of “life-shouldn’t-be-this-way-itis” on this one. But I’m lucky enough to have an inner life coach that asks questions like, “Why are you generating more emotional energy than you need to deal with this?” and “How can you play your part well and enjoy the process?” In this case I spent another hour and a half Monday finding out what the hangup was. It turns out the insurer needed more information that the provider hadn’t provided. I found this out by talking to a supervisor, so I sent him the information and he promised to expedite the matter, which means it might be resolved in 14 business days. So when this happens again I’ll make sure they have all the information they need instead of letting the matter fall into a crack.
What helped most emotionally was drawing this cartoon for Sunday evening’s post:
The gal in the cartoon is my new role model.
So sorry you have had to be dealing with this. Insurance and medical bills are the absolute worst. I am thankful for how fortunate I’ve been in my situation because we haven’t had too many of these scenarios when we really could have. I love your cartoons. I had no idea you were a cartoonist. But that must be helpful too because without humor it would be all too easy to let things eat away at us. I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers in hopes that this gets resolved soon. 🙂
teeni,
Thanks. In fact my husband and I are mostly healthy. Most of the bills are for vaccines and diagnostic tests. We shake our heads when we wonder what it would be like if we were really sick. I’m trying to set up a system that’s as easy as possible for us.
Insurance red tape is onerous, but my guess is dealing with the government would be even worse. The first time I paid taxes I got two letters from the State of California. One said thanks for the money, what was it supposed to be for? The second threatened to come after me for not paying my taxes. Their system was incapable of seeing the connection between the two. I did get to a person who helped me. 😉
i have reached a stalemate with the software company…..but I now actually have a phone number for the NZ customer service which I plan to call Monday! Hopefully, I can get some answers….and service!
the other problem that happens with gov’t departments Jean is……excess paper sent enough to wallpaper the littlest room in most houses.
Student loans come under Studylink who is apparently tied to Work & Income (gov’t dept) but when you deal with one they insist they are different, but interesting they both know your nitty gritty details. Both make sure they leave a paper trail from A – Z and beyond…..at the end of each year of your student loan they transfer the balance onto the Inland Revenue Dept (also gov’t) who then create yet more paper for you….in the end, I just file anything that doesn’t seem to be a ‘clone’ from somewhere else!!
Cathy,
😉 Ah, yes. The paperwork..what to save and what can be safely tossed. We try to organize all of our papers and save them for a while. If we wait long enough the decision usually becomes easier. Thanks for bringing this up.
Glad you seem to be making some progress. Please keep us informed.
An uninvited adventure? My neighbors have barking dogs. I think that’s uninvited to say the least. We took action, contacted the correct people after countless attempts to get them to quiet the dogs themselves and now they are moving. Yeah. It’s not that I don’t like dogs I don’t like owners who leave their dogs in the back yard unattended with nothing to do but bark.
Tess,
I agree about dogs…to me the owners were irresponsible to the poor dogs as well as to you neighbors. I’m glad you took action and will be getting some relief.
Didn’t quite make the right connection even with NZ distributer of the Dragon…..even that woman got it a bit wrong!
However, have made some progress….finally took the bull by the horns and ordered the bluetooth wireless accessory, paid by visa AND then within an hour found myself on “back order”…..so I await the next thing in the string 🙂
1 step forward, 2 steps back!
Cathy,
Yes, I too am learning the value of patience! Thanks for keeping us informed about your adventure. 😉
wow. this post was like a roller coaster for me.
(i love your cartoons, by the way… you are very talented.)
reading this two years late and have friends now from their own blogs & your blog… dear bhb who always makes me laugh! and cathy whom i admire so much… and darling rummy who wrote so movingly about losing urmeela. such a beautiful post.
as to what i’ve learned from this one…
relax. keep a sense of humour at the ridiculousness (is that a word?) of the corporate system. (as i write this… the country is full of protesters protesting the huge corporations and wall street.) so maybe humour is a moot point at this point!
smiles anyway,
tammy j
tammy,
Thank you for coming by here and for all your other comments. I’m having trouble with eyestrain right now, but am gradually reading them all. 🙂