Duct Tape Party...long day vent

RandomlyEvil

So, today the bf and I went out to Atlantic City to take care of getting me signed up for Medicaid and get a few other things taken care of...We were up at 6am (I am by no means a morning person) and we just got home.  I am so exhausted.  Today was such a headache.

I won't even get into the other stuff we took care of, the biggest reason we went out there was for the Medicaid...and that turned out to be the biggest headache.  I was almost in tears a couple times because I was getting so frustrated.  We got to the office, signed in...and then had to wait for an hour and a half for them to give me two peices of paper.  They said I needed to read over them, fill them out, make copies, and then bring them back another day with all of the information required.  Nope, sorry lady, I was smart and called a few times to make sure that I already had all the information I needed, because the trip there was about 45 minutes to an hour long and my bf had to take off work to make it (the office closes before he gets off work usually)...we were getting it taken care of today.

So...we get the forms filled out, we made copies downstairs in the library, and I go back upstairs.  I ask if I need to sign back in or not and the lady said I had to go make more copies of all of my information that I brought with me (something they did not tell me before I made the first set of copies) and then I would have to bring them back up and wait to turn them in.  I was trying to stay calm and I told her I had a few questions about one of the forms.  She came back with 'oh you want to actually speak to someone?"...  Err...yes...yes I do.  Wellll...guess what?  All the people that could have helped me had just gone to lunch and they'd be gone for at least another hour.  She suggested that I come back again another day in the early early morning when it was less busy.  I explained that I couldn't do that and that I would just wait to see if I could talk to someone after they got back from lunch.

By this point my bf was getting pissy with everything and starting to act like a jerk.  I was getting frustrated with him because he had an attitude and I was about to just throw all of the paperwork and just walk out.  I was tired, frustrated, and almost in tears.  I just wanted to get a few questions answered so I could get the damn papers filed.

We sat and waited for about half an hour and all the sudden a woman that had seen us there two and a half hours earlier came out and asked what we were still waiting on.  We told her what was going on (we were not the only people that were upset with the receptionist and some of the sh't she was pulling) and she went to get someone to help me (I wanted to hug her...I really did).

Pretty soon an older lady comes out and takes me back to answer my questions and help me get some thing figured out...She was super helpful and probably the only reason I didn't leave totally bald (I was seriously pulling my hair out by that point).  We got the papers filled out and she told me that she would submit the application and that it would be a couple weeks before I heard from anyone....

Oh crap.

I explained that I couldn't exactly wait a couple weeks, because of how far along I am and I asked if there was any temporary insurance card or something that they could give me (she told me I would technically be covered because the insurance would backdate).  Nope, no temporary card (I really had my hopes up, I know a couple ladies on here said that sometimes they do this) but she was going to do what she could to rush things through.  She told me she would get the app signed today and hopefully I would hear from her by the beginning of next week.  Okay, great!

BUT (of course) I won't get the state issued card for "a couple weeks".  There's nothing she could do about that, and i understand that...but it still made me want to cry again. 

She gave me her name and told me she would be getting ahold of me and she would do what she could to rush things through, which I didn't stop thanking her for, and I left...still wanting to cry or hit something or cry while I hit something...

Sooo...anyway...long story short (yeah, I know, too late)...I will get backdated care if something happens, but I can't get in to see a doctor or anything until I get my state issued card, which could take a couple weeks...Which means I am duct taping my crotch and avoiding anything that might send me into labor (aside from stress, obviously) because I am deathly afraid of something happening before I get that card.

kristeljade

If you are pre-registering at a hospital, or in any case really, they should be able to just contact the office and verify that you are waiting on a card, so you should be set as soon as it goes through.  I know every state is different, but I would definitely ask them as soon as you hear that it has gone through.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

dewitthm

When I went in and applied for Medicaid, after I turned in all the "necessary" paperwork (they really need to see DH's divorce decree from 3 years ago and his bankruptcy discharge from 7 years ago? Really?), they approved it right there and gave me my Medicaid number. I didn't get the card for a few weeks, but as long as I had that number, dr. offices' had no issues with setting up appointments and billing stuff. Maybe you can ask to get your number ahead of time...just a thought. Good luck! (and I know this is absolutely retarded to say...but) Don't stress out about it too much.

sam19

I'm sorry you had so much trouble. That definitely sounds stressful. I'm just curious but why did you wait so long to apply?

I would call back the medicaid office and ask what your case number is or insurance number so that you can still go to the doctors without having a card.

RandomlyEvil

dewitthm:

When I went in and applied for Medicaid, after I turned in all the "necessary" paperwork (they really need to see DH's divorce decree from 3 years ago and his bankruptcy discharge from 7 years ago? Really?), they approved it right there and gave me my Medicaid number. I didn't get the card for a few weeks, but as long as I had that number, dr. offices' had no issues with setting up appointments and billing stuff. Maybe you can ask to get your number ahead of time...just a thought. Good luck! (and I know this is absolutely retarded to say...but) Don't stress out about it too much.

Yeah, she said that some people might accept my case number, which will be on the information she sends me (I should get it by next week sometime).  I am really hoping so.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed and waiting for that letter from her.  That's when I will ask a few more questions and milk her for all the information I can get.  Hopefully local doctors will accept the case number until I get the card in the mail.  I really need to refill a script and get in to see a doc again.

And yes, some of the paperwork they need to see is absolutely ridiculous.  Everytime we called they were telling us three or four more things we needed to bring in...then they didn't even need copies of half of the sh't!  Omg that irked me hardcore!

RandomlyEvil

sam19:

I'm sorry you had so much trouble. That definitely sounds stressful. I'm just curious but why did you wait so long to apply?

I would call back the medicaid office and ask what your case number is or insurance number so that you can still go to the doctors without having a card.

I just found out last week that my old insurance expired five months before it was supposed to...I've spent pretty much every day since trying to gather all the information I needed to turn in and I couldn't make it to AC until today.

Trust me, if it was an option, this would not be happening right now.