So this week (Fri) is our baby shower for little Scarlet. I am really excited about getting together with all our friends. I feel like it’s getting so close to baby time! :)

I read on Kristi’s blog that she’s “only” 35 weeks. “Only” … hehehe if I had that outlook it would be great…way to go on the patience. I am 33 weeks and a couple of days… and I am saying, “wow, I am already 33 weeks!” I am in the last “set” of weeks before the baby comes. I am delivering at 38 or 39 weeks on the weekend since it’s going to be scheduled in advance. That’s March 22nd or 29th. The 22nd is the day before Easter – that would be kind of neat. But of course if I can go till the 29th it’s better.

I am already wanting to get the crib set up (well we need a mattress – eek – the crib mattress we have is on Aidan’s toddler bed) and all that stuff. If I look at it in weekends there isn’t a lot of time in my brain. I think I need it to be that way though. This is no glowing time hehe – I am ready to be done with all the medical crud. So maybe I have an excuse for being impatient and counting down the days/weeks like I am? huh? sympathy anyone? hehehe…

Small gripe (small because I try to be nice on my blog and try not be a trouble maker hehehe) re the medical stuff….

I am so incredibly irritated at my company (on the corporate level, not the local level) and the way they changed medical benefits for 2008. During open enrollment we who had the HMO chose this other plan since “HMO” wasn’t on the list anymore (which they assured us was the same; ie an HMO with a new name – HA). Nope – talked to several people – at the insurance company, etc… my company no longer offers an HMO – they are all different levels of PPO. I spoke with someone at corporate who said, “no you’re not on a PPO”… um well Cigna says otherwise. They named the plans off for me and the one that matches what my company calls it is what I am correctly enrolled for – no mistake. My company just chooses to call it a different product name.

Know what that means for me? Someone who has a great health network and had no need for a PPO because the service didn’t suck? Yah it means I am now in the poor house. I am on disability – paying my own premiums for myself and Aidan each month. My prescription co-pay has gone up SO much. For example, it used to cost be $40 total to fill my 30-day insulin supply (2 kinds of insulin – $20 per box). Now it’s 25% of the total cost up to $60 per prescription. Um … insulin is REALLY expensive – so that means I am at the $60 rung for each. So that’s $40 to $120 – imagine my surprise when I went to fill my January prescription! And that’s just one prescription. Each thing (needles, test strips, lancets, etc…) is each their own prescription.

And now it’s going to cost me A LOT more to have the baby that it would have in 2007.

Why did they do this I ask? If people want a PPO, go for it, have fun, enjoy. But I needed my HMO prices, and with my network (St Jude rocks) I got great service. If I needed a referral – it took less than a day. So the big selling point to me is supposed to be “oh now you don’t need referrals”… yah I kind of didn’t deal with that before really. So if people choose a network that is a pain and they are praying for a PPO… they can elect to have one. But I shouldn’t be forced into one.

Nick’s open enrollment is right when I am having the baby and I am not brave enough to try and switch at such a crucial time. Plus until I actually have the baby, I don’t have a qualifying event through my work to cancel that insurance and we can’t afford both.

Oh and the other fun part – I tried to sign up for the life insurance through my work and I got DENIED! They ask if you’re prego – can’t they freaking read and put 2 and 2 together. Of course I weigh more and have diabetes right now – I noted it was because of pregnancy. But noooo I was denied as a risk. So what, diabetics can’t have life insurance? What’s the effing point? That (I assume/hope) is not my company but the insurance company obviously. But blah, this is medical insurance company CRAP.

Did I say I was nice on my blog? hehehe – I digress.

I am spending hundreds of dollars a month that I don’t have on medical expenses and that’s WITH insurance. I know there are so many w/o insurance – hey I used to be uninsured. But geeeeeze since I have it, I feel like it should be going better for me.

You know just 2 1/2 short years ago when I had Aidan – it cost me $300. Now it’s going to cost me at least $1000 plus other weirdo fees. I had my weekly appts that were $10/week and my prescriptions were very inexpensive. Now my weekly appts are $20. And I still don’t understand how my diabetes due to pregnancy (GDM – Gestational Diabetes Met.) doesn’t qualify as prenatal care… wouldn’t be going if I wasn’t pregnant. Whatever. Different insurance (different company technically). And they were nice enough at the company to not make me send a monthly payment for my premiums while I wasn’t working – they just took it out of my pay check in little bits when I got back. Ahh times are-a-changin’.

And I have Cigna telling my OB that my fetal monitoring isn’t covered (which put me to tears because when I say we have no money, I mean it… some bills aren’t gonna get paid because of the medical bills specifically)… but when I call Cigna they say, “well that hospital is in your network so it should be”… um should be? Can you check exactly?! FETAL monitoring – um again very non-stretching it – that’s prenatal care my friends. Prenatal care is supposed to be ZERO out of pocket for me, even on the new crap plan.

So who knows. I get something from my insurance company every few days because I guess they send me something every time I go to the doctor. What a waste of paper. And it’s confusing. The “patient responsibility” part – some of it I’ve already paid. And they’ve said my ambulance was covered but now they’re saying it’s not. It was in 2007 but not in 2008. That’s another $1400.

So I am on a “better” medical plan (HA) but waaaay less is covered. I am paying more in premiums… but again, waaay less is covered.

I am putting off being on the phone with Cigna yet again all day until next week. I need a break! :)

Ok, back to the excited – I really am excited!! :) I just have to ignore the money thing, there ain’t nothin I can do. We are really buckling down with our grocery expenses and trying to cut corners anywhere we can to get a little back but there’s not a lot of cuts. Car payments, etc… not much we can do now, hehe. So it’s out of my hands – I can’t not take care of my medical stuff, hehe. So it’s all going to be ok. All I care about is having a healthy baby and recovering from my C-section. And then it’s back to work darnit, so I can pay for daycare and pre-school when Aidan goes, LOL!! :)

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