3 things: health insurance, job training, holiday angst

[edenfalling]

1. This afternoon I applied for health insurance via New York's state health exchange website. Turns out I am eligible for Medicaid -- big surprise, given my current finances. I have written down the number to call when I get another job and am not, you know, slowly eating up my savings.

I had to call my current insurance provider to get some information the exchange wanted but which was not printed on my insurance card. That was kind of annoying, but the operator I got was very nice and helpful so aside from the terrible crackly hold music, the experience was largely painless.

I am not completely clear on how my newly acquired Medicaid is meant to work. Presumably I get a card in the mail or something, and then have to make sure I only go to health providers who accept Medicaid? I dunno, if I haven't received anything by January I'll call until I find someone who will explain stuff coherently.

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2. Today is my first training session for the receptionist-by-any-other-name job. There are three of them -- Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, each 6-9pm out near the mall. So I can catch the #13 bus there, but I'll have to take the #30 bus back and then walk a mile from the Commons to my house because the #13 makes its last inbound trip at 6:30pm. Oh well, walking is good for me. I think this scenario will hold for any shifts I get at either of the mall-adjacent offices. The one down on S. Meadow St., on the other hand, may be trickier. I mean, I could walk there and back, but it would take roughly 45 minutes each way. And there is a bus, but I'd have to walk into town to catch it, and I'm not sure when the last inbound trip is on that route.

I'm nervous, of course. New things are always a little fraught. But hey, I am an intelligent person and I give good customer service. Everything will work out fine. (Also, they are paying me for the training. The pay is peanuts, but still. Earned income!)

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3. I am still thrashing my way through the maze of "oh god presents, what do???" but I have at least learned several things NOT to buy for various people, because other people have already bought the items in question. So, you know, progress! *sigh*

Comments

[redwolf]

Am mostly done with presents, aside from a couple of odds and ends.

Mum's easy; I just ask her. Sister on the other hand will whine that it's way too far off up until Xmas/birthday/whatever event morning. She seems to think this is cute, when I see it as disrespectful for not giving people enough time to track down what she wants. I now deal with her crap by telling her that if I don't get a suggestion, she'll be getting a goat (via the Oxfam site). That seems to prod her into action.

I should also mention she's the world's worst gift giver. I've never met anyone more clueless (flaky co-worker comes a close second). I have been with her in a shop and can see the tiny hamster spinning its wheels in what passed for deep thought and have headed her off with a firm "Do not buy that item", several times, which I thought was extremely clear. I was wrong. She seemed baffled that I threw the item at her and told her to sod off at Xmas that year.

Ah, family. Can't live with them. Can't quietly murder them over Xmas dinner and bury the remains in the backyard.

Customer service? I do not envy you. For a brief time I was ensconced near one of the call centre teams and I can't believe the patience they have for dealing with insanity. I am in awe of your willingness to cheerfully handle the wacky. But after years of dealing with the gems that vomit forth from the Pit of Voles, you'll handle it in stride.

[edenfalling]

My sister has a knack for presents -- she can see an item and think, correctly, "Oh, Liz would enjoy this!" or ask herself, "What would Liz want?" and come up with an accurate answer. Some people can do that. My parents and I cannot... but we KNOW we can't, so we have a long-established pattern of writing up wish lists and sharing them around in late November/early December. This does minimize happy surprises, but we figure eliminating unpleasant surprises is worth the trade-off. :-)

I am fairly good at customer service jobs, which still surprises me since I am very strongly introverted. And having worked retail for 8.5 years, it's not like I don't know what to expect...

[aishuu.livejournal.com]

I can explain NY Medicaid to you! It's my specialty as a paralegal (when I'm allowed to work, gosh damned injuries...).

Medicaid isn't just "Medicaid" in NYS anymore for people who aren't qualifying due to disability. Rather, it's the reimbursement system for income-tested individuals to select a health care plan that is set up by the state.

Your application should be sent to your residential county, which will then farm it out to the people handling managed care. You should receive a notice stating you are eligible for Medicaid in writing and explaining the program in more depth. Keep an eye out for any notice sent by Medicaid, because you usually only have 10 days to respond. Keep ALL notices received from Medicaid, because in my experience they $uck it up three out of ten times and you'll want documentation. You are entitled to the written notices.

What should happen is the notice should state you are eligible to be enrolled in a Medicaid managed-cared plan and they'll give you a number to call. This means Medicaid will pay the provider for your medical insurance.

You should have the option of selecting which managed care provider is right for you (depending on the county you are in, there may be a number of provider options). If you do not select a provider, you will be automatically enrolled in whatever random program they want to, so it's important to be proactive. Nothing like getting stuck in a managed care program that your doctor won't accept.

Make a list of which doctors/hospitals/lab tests/drugs are important to you and then do a check to see what insurance they accept. If you're on any medications, you'll want to check with your pharmacist as well.

For example, in Albany County (where I used to work from), CPDHP was popular and widely accepted. That company, CDPHP, will then issue you a health insurance card. You should also receive a NYS Benefits Card if you don't already have one (it's the one you see people using for food stamps, but also functions as a catchall for other benefits programs like Medicaid - this will NOT be the card you present to health care providers, but WILL have your Medicaid Number on it).

Qualifying for Medicaid might open up other benefits (Food Stamps, HEAP, etc.) if you're not already enrolled - it depends if you qualified for "straight" Medicaid or the expanded Medicaid through Obamacare.

Here's information on Medicaid Managed Care, which might help point you in the right direction:

https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/managed_care/mamctext.htm

Any questions? ;) I'm happy to email you privately if you want to discuss in more depth.

[edenfalling]

THANK YOU for all the info! I may contact you once I have received the notice.

[aishuu.livejournal.com]

Don't hesitate to ask - I'm happy to help a friend. If you're willing to discuss specifics of your situation, I can provide more pointed guidance. The system is challenging to get through RIGHT if you don't have experience.

[justicevoles.livejournal.com]

You know, I totally read that as "oh god *peasants*, what do???" and thought you were world-building again, before that didn't scan with the rest of the sentence and I had to backtrack.

Gratz on finding work. :D

[edenfalling]

Ha! :-)

It's only a part-time seasonal thing, but hey. Something is better than nothing, and being even partially employed makes me look more employable, you know?