Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse - Day 55

I would have written about this MUCH sooner, but these past few weeks have been so frustrating, difficult, ridiculous, crazy, trying, maddening, preposterous, strenuous, and challenging weeks of my life. Another of those, "This is the worst/hardest day of my life type of thing," but of a much different nature than the past few months when my mom was ill.

My mom has now been in the Skilled Nursing Facility/Rehabilitation Center (which will henceforth be known as the SNF) for 36 days, and has not been home in 55 days; so almost 2 months. It has gone by so slow yet so fast. We have been worried about her health and well-being (she is doing quite well), but nothing else really seemed to be happening that would cause any worry.

Then, on February 21^st, someone from the SNF called me and told me that my mom's insurance coverage would expire on the 23^rd and that I would be responsible for paying for her stay there since I was the primary...um, like the person that is responsible for everything. I was dumbfounded. Since I am on my parents' checking account, that's really no problem. I don't have to pay with my own money, but still, they're not millionaires! So it was either pay or be discharged. And a notice TWO DAY NOTICE???

I called Jeff and told him about the situation, while freaking out in my usual way. We both started looking up the terms of her insurance plan; him online from work, me at home with the pamphlets. At that time, my mom had been a resident there for almost 30 days. The terms of her insurance company stated that she had 100 days of coverage. We didn't know if that was for both the hospital and the SNF, or just the SNF. Here are her terms of coverage, as stated below:

You pay:

$0 each day for days 1-100 for a stay at a Skilled Nursing Facility.

No prior hospital stay is required.

You are covered for 100 days each benefit period.

Authorization rules may apply for services. Contact plan for details.

So, I called her insurance company many times and talked to many people. First call, woman #1...I told her about the situation. According to her, my mom had almost used up her 100 days. WTF? She hadn't even been in there for more than 30 days! I took this as the true and right answer, said okay, and hung up.

Something you have to know about me...I'm not a good conversationalist. I don't think well on my feet. I ABHOR making phone calls, especially ones with which I have no experience. So I'm very nervous and very agreeable, and I don't ask questions. I just pretty much say, "Okay, okay, uh-huh, okay, thank you, bye." I just wanna get off the phone as soon as possible. And then afterward I think to myself, "You idiot! That didn't make any sense! Why didn't you question that? Why didn't you catch that? Why didn't you ask her (question A) or (question B)? Ugh."

I called Jeff and told him what she said. He thought for a while, I thought for a while...no, it was more like he thought for a few minutes because he's a quicker thinker, and he said that the terms outline that she is GUARANTEED 100 days!!! So he wanted me to call back and get more clarification, and re-explain the situation if I got someone else. Of course I whined that I didn't want to call back, but I did.

Second call to the insurance company, Lady #2. I should call her clueless lady. She said she pretty much had no idea about anything, that her computer was slow, and she didn't know anything about the number of days my mom had left. I don't think she even had my mom's chart up on her window! Talk about incompetent!

Then I called Jeff back again...poor guy. I told him about this and you can probably guess what he told me to do...CALL BACK AGAIN! By this time I thought this was fucking ridiculous (which will henceforth be known as FR), so I was pissed off and pretty much WANTED to call.

Lady #3. She seemed very knowledgeable. I told her about the 100 days and such. She pulled up my mom's info on the computer and yes, my mom indeed had 100 days, starting from when she entered the SNF. I was so happy I started to cry on the phone. I thanked her profusely, got off of the phone, and called Jeff. I felt so relieved. The mess was all over. Now all I had to do was call the SNF in the morning and let them know what I found out from my mom's insurance company. Little did I know that they had other plans for us...