Wednesday

6fsn

@banana468 we aren't allowed to leave the kids either. If possible ask someone if they can just stand there for a second if not take the hand slap. We swap kid watching in the car a ton when it gets really cold. 

sparklepants41

Currently battling Cigna because my doctor requested two extra weeks leave for me due to hemorrhaging, high BP, and prolonged abdominal pain. Cigna being Cigna just arbitrarily denied that request, so with what little free time I have, I have been playing the middle man with my doctor's office and Cigna to get the additional paperwork filled out and faxed over to the claims manager at Cigna. 

And I've been having cell coverage issues with Verizon at home where all of a sudden I only have 2 bars and calls keep failing. Verizon has acknowledged that there's a problem with their many towers in the area, but their "fix" is for me to use WiFi calling on my phone. Um. They want me to pay for their service, but use my XFinity WiFi to actually be able to use the wireless service I pay for. WTF.

mrsconn23

OMG @sparklepants41.   Boo to all that fuckery.   Have a cocktail! 

MissKittyDanger

@sparklepants41 what's Cigna? I'm guessing it's a company who approves time off?

mrsconn23

MissKittyDanger said:

@sparklepants41 what's Cigna? I'm guessing it's a company who approves time off?

One of the largest insurance companies in the US.  I have them for my insurance.  

sparklepants41

mrsconn23 said:

MissKittyDanger said:

@sparklepants41 what's Cigna? I'm guessing it's a company who approves time off?

One of the largest insurance companies in the US.  I have them for my insurance.  

They're the insurance company my company uses for Short-Term Disability (for maternity leave). H's company has them for health insurance (we were on his plan last year before my company got a health insurance plan that didn't suck). They suck for maternity leave too. 

MissKittyDanger

sparklepants41 said:

mrsconn23 said:

MissKittyDanger said:

@sparklepants41 what's Cigna? I'm guessing it's a company who approves time off?

One of the largest insurance companies in the US.  I have them for my insurance.  

They're the insurance company my company uses for Short-Term Disability (for maternity leave). H's company has them for health insurance (we were on his plan last year before my company got a health insurance plan that didn't suck). They suck for maternity leave too. 

Jeez what a nightmare

CharmedPam

sparklepants41 said:

Currently battling Cigna because my doctor requested two extra weeks leave for me due to hemorrhaging, high BP, and prolonged abdominal pain. Cigna being Cigna just arbitrarily denied that request, so with what little free time I have, I have been playing the middle man with my doctor's office and Cigna to get the additional paperwork filled out and faxed over to the claims manager at Cigna. 

And I've been having cell coverage issues with Verizon at home where all of a sudden I only have 2 bars and calls keep failing. Verizon has acknowledged that there's a problem with their many towers in the area, but their "fix" is for me to use WiFi calling on my phone. Um. They want me to pay for their service, but use my XFinity WiFi to actually be able to use the wireless service I pay for. WTF.

  
I can't even start on insurance companies and mat leave in the US!  We used to use Cigna and I never had a problem with them.  I'm on H's healthcare which IS good but I hear it's going to get really shitty in a short period of time.

banana468

@6fsn, most of the time when I've encountered this it's not morning rush so I can call and say "Hey can you come take my kid?" 

I'm rolling my eyes at the verbal and I'm friendly enough with the director that she knows it's not a big deal in the big picture.   I'm not an abandoning parent and generally don't break the rules so I'm not terribly concerned. 

@sparklepants41, good luck.   I dealt with Colonial when my request to go on disability early was denied and luckily I was able to get it to go through after processing paperwork.   I think a lot of these companies just have a process where any out of the norm request gets denied first just to see who will fight for it. 

kvruns

@sparklepants41 if you have an EAP through you or your H's work they might be able to help be the middle man getting it straightened out so you don't have to.  FWIW my STD claim was messed up because I had a C-section but my Dr's office reported it as vaginal instead and then I had to keep calling to get it figured out. 

short+sassy

banana468 said:

@6fsn, most of the time when I've encountered this it's not morning rush so I can call and say "Hey can you come take my kid?" 

I'm rolling my eyes at the verbal and I'm friendly enough with the director that she knows it's not a big deal in the big picture.   I'm not an abandoning parent and generally don't break the rules so I'm not terribly concerned. 

@sparklepants41, good luck.   I dealt with Colonial when my request to go on disability early was denied and luckily I was able to get it to go through after processing paperwork.   I think a lot of these companies just have a process where any out of the norm request gets denied first just to see who will fight for it. 

Bingo!  I think that is exactly what happens.

I've heard the Social Security Administration largely does the same thing for people applying for SS Disability payments.  Or whatever gov't. agency handles that.

I had a friend in college who clearly had a disability from food poisoning (it paralyzed her stomach).  But it took her about one year of multiple appeals after rejections, a mountain of red tape and paperwork, and the services of an attorney before she was finally approved to receive SS-D payments. 

sparklepants41

@kvruns what's an EAP???

@banana468 you're so right - they just knee-jerk deny all claims to see who will actually fight. Like traffic court, but shittier lol. It frustrates me that these insurance companies have people in decision making positions who have zero medical education whatsoever. 

banana468

sparklepants41 said:

@kvruns what's an EAP???

@banana468 you're so right - they just knee-jerk deny all claims to see who will actually fight. Like traffic court, but shittier lol. It frustrates me that these insurance companies have people in decision making positions who have zero medical education whatsoever. 

I was annoyed too.   Luckily I was able to get the OB's office to resubmit something and I was able to get my week paid.

It annoyed me to no end.   My company didn't offer a maternity plan and by the end of my pregnancy I walked with a limp due to the pressure I was getting.   It SUUUCKED.   And since you need to be out for a week before you get paid, I also wanted to get it on the books right away. 

Good luck.   I hate our insurance system. 

GBCK

EAP = employee assistance plan.
THey are invaluable and can be amazeballs.  I used helpnet at one of my jobs
http://www.helpneteap.com/home

CMGragain

Here is a story:  Yesterday morning I was in the kitchen and a large, burly man was at my front door.  It was early in the morning, my husband wasn't home, and I wasn't dressed, so I didn't answer the door.  He left a note demanding to repossess my C-pap machine which I have been using for 10 months.  No notice from the company.  No warning.
DH was furious.  He called the company, Medicare, and our secondary insurance provider.  Someone had dropped the ball with the paperwork.  It is all a mistake.  It will take a few days to fix.
So, what if I had answered the door?  A little old bald lady in a house robe?  I am really shaken up by this.

sparklepants41

GBCK said:

EAP = employee assistance plan.
THey are invaluable and can be amazeballs.  I used helpnet at one of my jobs
http://www.helpneteap.com/home

Thank you! We don't have one. We should - we're a large enough company that stresses the importance of home and family and "work life balance" - but we don't. Arrgh. 

banana468

CMGragain said:

Here is a story:  Yesterday morning I was in the kitchen and a large, burly man was at my front door.  It was early in the morning, my husband wasn't home, and I wasn't dressed, so I didn't answer the door.  He left a note demanding to repossess my C-pap machine which I have been using for 10 months.  No notice from the company.  No warning.
DH was furious.  He called the company, Medicare, and our secondary insurance provider.  Someone had dropped the ball with the paperwork.  It is all a mistake.  It will take a few days to fix.
So, what if I had answered the door?  A little old bald lady in a house robe?  I am really shaken up by this.

So where were they sending invoices and notification all this time?   The guy managed to find your house but they can't manage to address an envelope?    

Oh I hope your DH left them with an inability to sit when he was done! 

CMGragain

I believe the words "trespassing" and "lawyer" were mentioned.  My costs should be 100% covered by Medicare and my other health insurance.  We never received a bill.
Ha!  Would they like to see medical bills?  I have incurred hundreds of thousands $$$$ this year alone - all covered, now that I am 65+ with supplemental insurance.

cupcait927

sparklepants41 said:

GBCK said:

EAP = employee assistance plan.
THey are invaluable and can be amazeballs.  I used helpnet at one of my jobs
http://www.helpneteap.com/home

Thank you! We don't have one. We should - we're a large enough company that stresses the importance of home and family and "work life balance" - but we don't. Arrgh. 

Do you have LTD (long term disability) through your job? Sometimes LTD will have EAP as part of the plan.

sparklepants41

cupcait927 said:

sparklepants41 said:

GBCK said:

EAP = employee assistance plan.
THey are invaluable and can be amazeballs.  I used helpnet at one of my jobs
http://www.helpneteap.com/home

Thank you! We don't have one. We should - we're a large enough company that stresses the importance of home and family and "work life balance" - but we don't. Arrgh. 

Do you have LTD (long term disability) through your job? Sometimes LTD will have EAP as part of the plan.

Would I be able to use EAP for LTD if I'm only on short term disability?

cupcait927

sparklepants41 said:

cupcait927 said:

sparklepants41 said:

GBCK said:

EAP = employee assistance plan.
THey are invaluable and can be amazeballs.  I used helpnet at one of my jobs
http://www.helpneteap.com/home

Thank you! We don't have one. We should - we're a large enough company that stresses the importance of home and family and "work life balance" - but we don't. Arrgh. 

Do you have LTD (long term disability) through your job? Sometimes LTD will have EAP as part of the plan.

Would I be able to use EAP for LTD if I'm only on short term disability?

Yes, you don't need to be on LTD to take advantage of any EAP services that your LTD carrier provides. It's just an added service from the carrier, not part of the LTD benefit itself. Like a perk if that makes sense. I

sparklepants41

cupcait927 said:

sparklepants41 said:

cupcait927 said:

sparklepants41 said:

GBCK said:

EAP = employee assistance plan.
THey are invaluable and can be amazeballs.  I used helpnet at one of my jobs
http://www.helpneteap.com/home

Thank you! We don't have one. We should - we're a large enough company that stresses the importance of home and family and "work life balance" - but we don't. Arrgh. 

Do you have LTD (long term disability) through your job? Sometimes LTD will have EAP as part of the plan.

Would I be able to use EAP for LTD if I'm only on short term disability?

Yes, you don't need to be on LTD to take advantage of any EAP services that your LTD carrier provides. It's just an added service from the carrier, not part of the LTD benefit itself. Like a perk if that makes sense. I

That does make sense - thanks!! I'll have to look into it!!

kvruns

Many times the insurance company will include an EAP for the company if the company has several lines of coverage (ex: life, LTD, STD) with that carrier. It isn't always advertised that well so it is worth looking into - you could ask your HR department if they have anything like that. 

sparklepants41

kvruns said:

Many times the insurance company will include an EAP for the company if the company has several lines of coverage (ex: life, LTD, STD) with that carrier. It isn't always advertised that well so it is worth looking into - you could ask your HR department if they have anything like that. 

That's a really good idea!! I have to talk to HR tomorrow anyways so I will ask then!!