Mama’s got cough medicine with codeine!  Sleep will be mine!!! Bwahahaha!

I just received a bill for $1250 from my doctor’s office. For 2006!!! Yes, it was a batch of bills that was 2 years late. Odd thing, it didn’t show any insurance payments. So I did what anyone would do and called to question it.

First, the billing lady was nothing but attitude and well, that’s just rude. It’s not like I’m trying to skip out on a bill. This is the first that I’d even heard of it. Second, she tells me that the insurance company denied it because of my “student status”. Huh? I haven’t been a student since ’02 and even then, it was grad school as an adult, not a dependent. She proceeds to tell me that I need to settle things with my insurance company or pay up – again, nothing but attitude.

So of course, I called my insurance company (luckily, they hadn’t yet closed for the day). I explain to them the situation, they double check the claim dates and tell me that each claim was denied because the last name was missing. Huh? I think what might have happened, is that they have my (at least back in ’06) as having a hyphenated name. Whereas my hubs listed me on his insurance using only my married name. Needless to say, billing lady was still a bitch and insurance folks were very helpful.

On a related note…I finally broke down and bough a sinus rinsing thingie (not a neti pot, but a squeeze bottle contraption). I figured I was beginning to have far too many sinus infections for my tastes. Then there was the fact that I seemed to have a continual post-nasal thing going on (I’m big on the TMI today – sorry). Let me just say, it’s not the most uncomfortable thing and I’m sure it will get easier as I get used to it – but man, not what I expected. It’s not nearly as shocking as pool water up the nose (that just burns), but still odd. That said, I do feel a bit better already. Now if I could manage to get rid of my sickie-head, dazed feeling I’ll be doing much better.

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Update from the billing lady:  turns out the person she spoke to said my claims were denied because they didn’t have a gender down for me.  Huh?  A pelvic examine and basic female-bloodwork was denied!!!  Meanwhile the folks I spoke with at the insurance company said again, that it was denied because the last name was missing/incorrect (he even pulled up an image to verify what was given).   Whatever.

I’m home.  I got home late – and I do mean late, like 3:30AM kind of late, on Friday.  Overall, the trip went well and was quite uneventful.  I was able to get my father set up on every service possible (or at least we applied for those services).  I spent mass amounts of money getting him stocked up on food and other things that he needed around the house.  And I was lucky enough to be able to meet not only one of his doctors (at least until he gets on Medicaid), but also his physical therapist.  So basically, I did all that I was able to do.

I was also lucky enough to be able to visit with friends.  Which of course, was exactly what I needed in the midst of all this chaos.  So that part was great. And I got a couple of fun photos while I was away.  I’ll post those once I get a chance.

Now, I’m just lying about like a slug, trying to shake this wracking cough and cold that I seem to have picked up (my understanding is that it’s taken at least GA, CO and NM by storm – all the shelves of cough medicine are empty it’s so bad).  And as great as it is to be home, I’m just a little saddened that I can’t kiss my husband since I don’t want to give it to him.  But the boys are sticking close and offering up snuggles, so that’s nice.