8.6.26

​We got a letter in the mail yesterday dated 7/28/26 stating Ethan’s health care coverage ended on 7/31/26. Cool. Nothing like giving us a heads up.

We need to refill some of Ethan’s medications. So it is kind of important. This is not the first time we have been in this situation.

I call the number on the letter we received. I explained the letter and that he no longer had insurance. She told me he can’t apply for insurance because it wasn’t open enrollment and followed it with “is there anything else I can help you with?”

Anything else you can help me with? You didn’t help me with anything.

“Because his insurance has ended, doesn’t that count as a qualifying event?” I asked, knowing full well it did.

“Yes.” Then there were crickets. I allowed her a moment to process.

“He can go to the NYS website and plans start as low as $600/month.”

That is more than he makes in a week. He certainly won’t be able to sustain paying for this.

I started asking more questions and was transferred to someone who actually knew the difference between their anus hole and a hole in the wall. These calls really have me exercise patience. I know losing my temper won’t serve anyone well, especially Ethan.

I was not able to complete the call because Ethan apparently needs to add me as a phone representative. This happens Everytime I call. Luckily this hotline is available until 8 pm to help us.

Of course Ethan is miffed about losing coverage again with little warning.

We had to delay ordering his medications for today but he has a few days left for that.

I get frustrated because I feel like this kid is being constantly kicked down and is trying to do the right thing by working full time despite feeling run down and tired with this stage 3b kidney disease.

Some days I just want to flip tables over and setting the world on fire…..i am so mad about it. Canada and Utah are already taking care of that for us.  But I am not barbaric so I refrain from those things.

When Ethan got home we tried again. This lady was nothing short of rude! I tried to explain why I was calling. She cut me off and had me spell my first and last name. She asked me my birthday. My address, finally she asked why I was calling. 

“I am trying to help my son find coverage.” She said the information that she previously demanded from me, was no good and had me give her his information sighing and breathing heavily because she was annoyed.

If she had shut her pie hole long enough for me to get two sentences out, she could have avoided that. Karma.

She yelled at me and said she could not talk to me. I gave the phone to Ethan. She asked for it. I think his stroke comes to life on these calls. He is slow to answer, is annoyed, short, doesn’t know the answers. 

She was asking him questions and he would repeat the question to me. I was say the answer and he would repeat it to her. She was getting pissed that I was answering questions….the very questions she was asking and he didn’t know the information.

He told her he wanted me to be his advocate and she said she had no idea what that meant….”do you mean your phone representative?” She asked

Of course that is what he meant you jerk!

“ yes”. He said…….Crickets……we sat in silence. 

Well he has 3 accounts. She was confused which account it was. I told her it was the one that expired 7/31/26.

She pulled up an account. “This account expired in 2023, is this it?” 

“No! The account just expired the end of July.”

“This account expired in 2025, is that it?” She asked like a dingbat.

She then shared the only other account expired last month. “YES!!!! That is the account.”

She huffed and puffed her way through it. 

“I am going to have to close these other two accounts.” Fine by me…Do what you have to do lady!

She then hung up on me and didn’t call back. Grrrrr!

I went to dinner with Avery, my mom and Gene. It was a yummy and delightful dinner. I enjoyed myself and even had ice cream.

I had to leave fairly abruptly to go deal with yet a third call regarding insurance.

I got a lady on the phone who was kind, polite and helped me with my problem. Ethan asked for me to be his representative and this lady had no issues with it.

She was helpful and delightful. Ethan has to wait a few days for his insurance card number and we will be back in business. I am likely going to call again tomorrow to see if they have assigned him a policy number yet?

What a fiasco. I am so thankful for people who are not rude. The last lady was so kind and was very helpful. She modeled how I want to impact the people I talk to on a day to day basis.

Better yet, we got Ethan’s health insurance and got it retroactive to 8/1/26. We may need to pay out of pocket for some meds over the next week or two but we will be able to submit them for reimbursement.

My assignment for tomorrow is to call again to make sure things transferred over to our insurance carrier of choice. More of his doctors participate with one insurance vs. others in this area. I need to make sure his doctors accept it. 

I am thankful that nonsense is over!