Pick myself up, dust myself off...

After all the analysis, all the tearing of hair, all the frustration, I finally got accepted by the insurance company that I chose – but, get this, I screwed it up. I chose a decent plan with a major company. I knew from the way that their doctor search engine was set up that different plans had different networks. But I had searched a few times, and I did a dumb thing: I assumed. I know that to assume makes an ass out of me (I’ll leave you out of this), but I did it. I assumed that since my other searches had found two hospitals in CollegeTown in the plans, there would be at least one in the plan I ended up with.

In my defense, the assuming happened on a sub-conscious level. It wasn’t until I got the policy in the mail and looked at the brochure of network hospitals that my stomach dropped out and I realized that I had never looked up this specific plan’s network. Regardless, though, I had to start over again. There are a few doctors in the network here, but no hospital and no gynecologists. Out-of-network visits have a much higher deductible and only 50% coverage after the deductible. After I got done crying, I would occasionally wail to the husband “I am soooo stupid!” until he finally got tired of it, pointed out that I kept pointing out that the whole thing is slanted in favor of the companies, and asked, “Do you really think you’re that much smarter than everyone else?” To which I say: well, no, not exactly, except that yes, kind of. It’s not really that I thought I was smarter; it’s that I worked so hard on it. Working part-time left me able to focus a great deal of time and attention on this decision. It’s sort of pathetic that after all that I still screwed it up.

I’m trying to stop thinking that way though. I am focusing on being angry again. Fortunately, I have 30 days to cancel the plan without charges, as long as I don’t make any claims. I’m using that to get reinsured. I picked a different company, filled out another app, and this time got a call from the company minutes after clicking the “Submit to our will” button. (They only write the first word; the rest is implied.) The very nice woman who called transferred me to a surly woman in underwriting, who tried to give me fibrocystic breast disorder in my computer file, and if I had it in the file, I may as well have it in my boobs. Other than that though, things seemed to go smoothly, though I did get that question about whether there is a lump in my breast again. I am hoping to hear back soon, and with luck, I’ll be properly insured by next week. Cross your fingers that I stay healthy and unharmed between now and then.