The Big Health Insurance Drama of 2012

Hmmm, little did we know how much we were about to spend on this hospital stay....

I know that many people write about what 2012 looked like for them and what their hopes and plans are for 2013.  I was going to do that, but in all honesty, the one topic that kept coming up over and over again for Paul and I was health insurance.

Many of you have seen posts of mine on Facebook about Evie not having health insurance.  It was definitely one LONG year of praying and stressing about her health and counting down the months, weeks, days, and hours until January 1, 2013.   I have been waiting to blog about this until all was well and taken care of, so without further ado....our big Health Insurance Drama of 2012.

Evie was born November 11, 2011.  All was good.  I had an emergency c-section, but other than that, things were no big deal.  In January I brought Evie in for her 2 month check up only for them to inform me that she was not in their system.  Rather shocked, we did some calling around, and realized Paul and I completely missed enrolling her in our group plan.  By all means, feel free to call us idiots.  We know.  We could not believe that we let this slip our minds.  We figured we would get it all worked out and it would be no big deal.  HA!

You dummies!

Over the next couple of weeks it was made very clear to us that since we missed our 30 day enrollment period to add her, we could not add her until the next enrollment period that wouldn't become effective until January 1st, 2013.  The only way we could make a change is if Paul was fired and rehired, we had another child (HA!), or we divorced and remarried.  Not going to lie--we actually entertained the idea of getting divorced and remarried in order to add her.

During this time I was an anxious mess. I felt like an awful mother.  I felt so guilty.  Thankfully, Paul and I never went after each other during this time with the blame game.  Neither of us pointed fingers, but instead we took it one step at a time and worked together to figure out a solution.  We finally accepted that Evie was not going to be able to be added onto our group plan, so the next step was figuring out how to find her insurance elsewhere.

We first looked into getting her on her own individual plan, but it turns out that if you are under the age of 18 you cannot do this.  Therefore, I was going to leave our group plan to get onto my own insurance and add Evie under me.  Easy, right?  Nope.  I was denied by one insurance company because they said they could only offer insurance to me if they were a last resort, and since I would be voluntarily leaving my group plan they could not be considered a last resort.  We tried to explain that they were our last resort for getting insurance for our infant, but that did not change their decision.

I was denied from two other insurance companies due to my health history.  The items they listed were the facts that I had a c-section, I suffered from migraines, and I had a history of bladder infections (this issue only arises after I give birth).  In general, I am a very healthy person, so I was shocked that I was denied health insurance because of these items.  Paul and I began to wonder how anyone gets insurance without a group plan!

I should add that I did call the state of Michigan to look into MiChild.  Unfortunately, and fortunately really, we did not qualify for this based off of our income.  I asked them if they had any other suggestions and they could not give us much.  They gave me information about another company I could look at that offered insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.  I looked into it, but my "conditions" weren't severe enough, AND I have to be without 6 months before I can even began to be insured through them.

So, here we sat.  Evie could not be added to our group plan, but could not be on her own individual plan.  I could not get insurance outside of the group plan in order to add her to mine, and MiChild wasn't going to work either.  All in all, we were willing to pay out of pocket to make sure our daughter had health insurance and we still hit dead ends.

We began to call our congressmen and send emails and letters.  We called the Insurance Commissioner of Michigan.  We tried to advocate for SOMETHING for ANYTHING.  We did find that they tried to help us, but even they were running into dead ends and road blocks.

During this time we had to start figuring out how and where we would be getting her well-child visits and immunizations.  For one, we had a hefty hospital bill to pay off for her.  In case you were wondering---those basinets that are in the rooms are $1000 a day.  Just saying.

We are part of Grand Valley Health Plan and they worked great with us on trying to figure out how to get Evie some coverage.  They have something called PrimeCare, which allows us to pay for 4 visits at a time at a discounted rate.  We had to do this twice during the year, but it was well worth it, and gave me a huge sense of peace.  We went through all 8 of our visits between well-child appointments and basic appointments for when Evie became sick.  As far as immunizations, I went to the Health Department, and because we had zero insurance for her I only had to pay the minimum amount for each injection.  Nonetheless, this was still very expensive.

Thankfully, Evie never had anything serious happen to her.  I definitely thought twice before putting her into any nursery, and once she started moving I felt like a helicopter parent because I was so scared of her falling and needing stitches or getting a concussion.  Anyone that knows me knows that I don't tend to get overly worried about these things, but this year was an entirely different perspective.  My mind also went to the awful thought of her having cancer or some other terrible disease.  Not likely, but still was something I thought about.  The fear of Evie getting sick or hurt and not being able to give her proper health care was petrifying to me.  Thankfully, my MAJOR anxiety was in those first few months, and then I was able to relax a bit and focused on praying nothing awful would happen to her.

I know this was our fault and we were so stupid to miss enrolling Evie, however, I am still really disappointed that we weren't left with any options for her.  This was definitely a costly mistake for us, but I fear how much more costly it could have been if Evie needed a hospitalization or major testing.  Money should not be an issue when it comes to health care for your child, but I learned this year that it definitely is thought about when you don't have insurance.

So, all in all, the biggest lesson we learned and want others to learn from us is NOT TO MISS THE 30 DAY ENROLLMENT period.  Paul and I have made it very clear that when we have our next child we are going to be trying to fill out the enrollment form in the hospital!

This year we were happy to ring in the new year with great friends, but even more so, when that ball dropped Paul and I gave each other a kiss and we both breathed a HUGE sigh of relief.  This was one new year that we had been anticipating for a very long time.  We had made it.

Happy New Year from the Thompson family, especially this little healthy cutie!!

(Kate Krueger Photography)

My New Favorite Necklace

Ann Troast Photography

(Left to Right:  Stacy, Me, My Mom, Jill, Cricket)

I am so thankful for the relationship I have with my mother and my sisters (sister in law included).   This year I wanted to do something special to convey in some small way how much they all mean to me.  So, I decided to get us all matching necklaces.  Originally, I had really wanted all of us to get matching tattoos, but I wasn't sure if we would all be game for that, so I settled on the necklaces.

Ann Troast Photography

Recently, I discovered that my old college roommate has been making jewelry.  She does awesome work, and I knew she was the perfect person to go to make these necklaces.  I obviously love to support anything handmade, and especially someone like me who does it as a little side business.

I contacted Val from V's Jewels, and shared with her a design I had seen on Etsy.  Basically, I wanted a cross with our birthstones and an anchor.  I wanted it to symbolize how each of us are anchored together through Christ.    Val loved the idea and went to work right away brainstorming and ordering supplies.  The final product is better than I imagined and I LOVE it.  She did an amazing job.

I include my sister-in-law in on this as well because she is just as much a sister to me as my two actual sisters.  She has been with my brother since I was in high school and stuck by him when he was in the worst of his alcohol addiction.  Thankfully, he is almost 6 years sober (whoop, whoop)!

Along with the necklaces,  I wanted to include a poem to explain their meaning, as well as convey to them what they each mean to me.  You can read it below:

To my favorite women

A small gift for you

To honor our love

And all we’ve been through.

At the bottom you’ll find

Five stones hung on

They represent us

And our very close bond

The anchor shows

How solid we are

Though waters get rough

We don’t move too far

 The cross, as you see

It rests on our heart

With God as our center

We won’t fall apart

Through Christ’s awesome love

We are anchored together

In the good and the bad

And all of life’s weather.

So, thanks each of you

And how much you care

What God has given us

Is extraordinarily rare.

A HUGE thank-you to Val for making such an amazing and meaningful piece of jewelry for each of us.  Please head over to her Facebook page and show her some love, and order from her!  She is awesome to work with and makes beautiful stuff.  You really cannot beat something that is handmade from someone who truly loves her craft.

Merry Christmas 2012 (this is your official Thompson Christmas Card)

Kate Krueger Photography

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  And, while I am at it....Happy New Year!

This year has been one amazing year for our family.  Nothing extraordinary happened, but nothing awful either.  It has been a year of normal...and I really liked that.

I know this is the time that people chat about what everyone in the family is doing, so I figured I better make this the best digital Christmas card out there and follow suit to keep up with the real cards :-)

Ann Troast Photography

Paul is still working at Meijer.  I love them.  Not all of his days are amazing, and there are certain areas that cause him huge headaches, but all in all Meijer is a fabulous company.  I appreciate their interest in our family, and I really love getting that 10% discount on general merchandise :-)

Aside from Meijer, Paul also works for our church, Cornerstone, in Caledonia.  He is the Worship Tech Manager.  I don't really know what all of that means except that he spends a lot of time setting up the stage, tearing down the stage, setting lights, and making sure all things "techy" work smoothly.  This is definitely Paul's creative outlet and he has a huge passion for the worship arts.

I am still a homemaker.  Most days are great, but somedays can seem monotonous and rather unimportant.  The saying "Long Days. Short Years" can be far too true with a three year old and a one year old.  I try to remind myself that fixing dinner, picking up toys, and doing laundry are definitely important in this world and really if no one did them this house would be a disaster with naked, hungry, and cranky people!  I truly do love being home with my girls.  I love doing art projects with Belle, and singing and dancing with Evie.

I am still busy with crocheting.  I had put it down after having Evie and have gotten back into it.  It is my therapy and it has become my misson.  Rosie's Cozies has still been a huge success in blessing premature babies and their families, and it was even a great way to push me to finish my first ever 5k this year!  I promise I did not expect to check that off of my list in 2012.   I wish I had more time to write patterns, but in the meantime I love starting new projects and trying new things.

Ann Troast Photography

Kate Krueger Photography

Belle began preschool this past year and it is the cutest thing ever.  She comes back with new stories of what she learned and new songs I love to hear.  I had to have a good laugh when I found out she had to sit in time out because she was talking too much at circle time.  Alas, the poor girl is just like her mother!  It has been quite the year figuring out her sleeping issues, potty training, and other such woes of this age, but it has been such a joy watching her go from a toddler to a little girl.  She equally melts my heart and makes me crazy every day.

Ann Troast Photography

Kate Krueger Photography

Evie.  Oh, Evie.  This past year she went from a laid-back baby into this busy, into everything, curious little toddler!  It is hard to get mad at a face like hers with those curls all over her head.  I think Belle is going to have a run for her money with a little sister like Evie.  She started walking just after Thanksgiving and has been on the move ever since.  Verbally, she will say "buh-bye," "hi," "no," and mimics us often.  She is really good at "ah-choo!'  Evie has turned into quite the snuggler and I eat every minute of it up. She will rest her head right into your neck and cozy up.  Melts. My. Heart.

Anyone who reads this blog knows I have no shame in sharing my struggles and frustrations, and I am thankful for those of you who have offered encouragement, prayer, and just honest empathy.  I am equally thankful for those of you who share in my praises and my accomplishments and cheer me on.

Overall, 2012 has treated us well.  We have been blessed with amazing family and fabulous friends.  God is good.  God is good.  God. Is. Good.

Ann Troast Photography

Ann Troast Photography

Kate Krueger Photography

Broken

This past few days have been a load of emotions.  All of the Connecticut stuff has been weighing heavily on me.  The day the news came out I cried, and I cried, and I cried.  I watched intently on the news and my heart ached.  I hurt so bad inside for those families who have lost their babies.  I imagined what the first responders may have witnessed and I just felt broken and helpless.

I have verged on anger, sorrow, and guilt.  I am angry at Adam Lanza.  I am angry at sin.  I am angry at the awful state of our human nature.  And quite honestly, I have been angry at God.  I know God has plans far greater than I can understand, but I am mad.  I am so mad for those parents who will have unopened Christmas gifts under their tree.  I imagined that if that happened to Belle I would come home to her half eaten bowl of cereal left on the counter, her pjs on the floor where she took them off, her room full of toys she hadn't put away, and multiple traces of her left for me to ache and yearn for.  I can only imagine the pain those families have and I am angry.

Obviously, the sorrow feelings are there every time I think through the events.  I put myself in the shoes of the families who have lost those babies, and I just grieve.  I hurt for them as a mother who wants to keep their children safe from all harm and to protect them.  When I put myself in their shoes I almost can't even let my mind go there because it is too horrific for me to imagine.  

And then there is the guilt.  We went to my side of the family's Christmas party yesterday, and it was amazing.   We thoroughly enjoy each other and it is one of my favorite days of the year.  We have a table full of food, a tree with presents for all, and activities throughout the entire the day.  It is truly a time where we all enjoy each other and celebrate Christ.  I loved it.  Belle and Evie loved it.  However, when we left I got into the car and just cried.  I felt so much guilt that as I smiled, laughed, and celebrated, the parents from Newtown were struggling with the worst pain a parent could imagine.  I know it is okay for me to enjoy things, but there is just that side of me that can't seem to shake despite my enjoyment the emotional struggle in Connecticut.

So, now what?  Quite honestly, I am not a fan of Obama's politics, but tonight when he spoke I felt like we "got" each other.  Parent to parent.  Human to human.  Whether or not we agree on the political front, this is something we can all relate to.  We know what it feels like to love, to hurt, and to have empathy.  We all hurt and reel for those in Newtown.  As Obama quoted Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these'" and read each child's name I couldn't stop the tears.  

God's plans are greater than I can understand, and I hold on to that truth.  I truly believe God can redeem this awful awful awful event.  It doesn't mean the pain will go away, but I believe God can take this and use it in some way and somehow for good.  Last week Monday I attended a women's event at our church about miracles.  Miracles don't always come in the form we expect them to, but it doesn't mean they aren't happening.  No, God will not restore the 28 lost lives in Newton, but I believe in my deepest soul that there will be miracle after miracle in response to this event. 

In the meantime, I will still probably find myself crying and hurting for the families affected in Newtown.  I will still probably have many conversations with God begging Him to help me understand.  I will still feel those emotions of anger, sorrow, and guilt, but I hold on to God and hope if nothing else I always remember to hug my family tightly...and not ONLY after a tragic event like this.  

To those in Newtown, CT I pray for for you and I grieve for you.  May God comfort you and this nation surround you. 

Cardless Christmas

Sorry to all of those who may be waiting impatiently by your mailbox for our fabulous Christmas card, but you will be sorely disappointed.  This year I have decided to nix sending out a card.  This is for many reasons:

1. I am cheap.   Buying the cards and paying for postage just seemed like extra money I didn't want to spend this Christmas season.  
2. Each year I have to rummage through old emails and old cards to try to find all of the addresses I need to mail out our cards.  One year I actually had a stack of cards I did not send out because I hadn't found the address, and then my friend, Deedre, saw our Christmas card on our other friend, Liz's, refrigerator and wondered why in the world she didn't get a Christmas card that year.  Thank goodness she knows I am a disorganized space cadet and wasn't offended because she knew I was intending to mail hers out as soon as I found that darn address.
3. I know it doesn't take THAT much time to stuff and address the envelopes, but it is honestly time during the day I don't have with how crazy busy Evie is, and at the end of the day I don't really want to do much but relax on my couch.
4. I realized that people see stupid amounts of pictures and stories of my family daily on Facebook.  Yes, I am that girl who posts constantly because I really love to share my life with others and technology makes it SO convenient.  I have no shame and I totally own this trait of mine.  Therefore, I didn't know if people really needed to now see another picture of my over-shared family in their mailbox too.
5. Last year my sister, Jill, did a Christmas "card" via Facebook, and I felt it was genius and decided that was the way to go.

So, maybe it's kind of bah-humbug to not mail out Christmas cards, but I'd like to think that I am keeping up with the wave of the future and the changing of times (right?  right????).  With that said, be on the lookout for my Christmas "Card" Blog Post in the next couple of weeks.  If you really want to you can print off the picture and place it on your mantle with all of the cards that non-cheaplazydisorganized people send your way :-)