Paperwork barriers...




Full disclosure: I didn't watch the SOTU last night. I turned on the baking show, and promptly fell asleep before 8pm. I woke up in my chair all sorts of irritated that I missed the ending of the season, and here I was, already launched into a new season. I went to bed. And I slept til almost 7am. I can't recall being this needful of sleep in a long time, but here we are. 

Yes, here we are: 5 degrees and snowing. Again. It's really no surprise I'm tired. This winter is taking its toll on me. 

You know what is not taking its toll? The dentist. I had a good (deep) cleaning yesterday, and I'm satisfied. I postponed getting new films done, because I have to pay for all of this out of pocket. Ouch. I then send the claim for to my insurance company, who will clearly reject it, because I don't have dental insurance. That, however, is how this stupid game gets played. Once I have the denial in hand, only then can I send it off to G's insurance, who will then reimburse me for part of what I paid (because they will feel that 214.00 for a cleaning is outrageous). This will take months. And we'll start all over again in September, when I'll have a cleaning and x-rays done; 467.00 for that visit. Ugh. 

The hoops we have to jump are absurd. I had to do similar gyrations with my glasses, too; I have limited eye exam coverage on my insurance (one exam every other year), so I got that part. G's insurance covers up to 200.00 on eye glasses; again with the insurance round-robin. Only that time, my insurance has nothing to fill out for a claim for them to even deny it, so we were stuck for a bit. I had to provide a copy of my insurance coverage breakdown to G's insurance company for them to come through with the reimbursement. What a mess. American health care, and it is only getting harder. 

I may be going to the post office today to get my Passcard renewed. Y'know, before I can't vote legally. They don't take appointments, so it's a matter of hit or miss, and stand and wait. How friggin' convenient. I've been voting since I turned 18; now, I have to prove I exist beyond the legal identification I already had to jump through hoops for (I have the Real ID drivers' license-- that took two trips and a pile of paperwork). 

Being a citizen of a country that has such barriers in place to allow for the easy and free exercising of one's rights and responsibilities is hard. Add to that the legally allowed layers of hell for health care, and the ridiculous shenanigans for other things like getting a student's FAFSA done and so on... it's just so unnecessary. Buying a house is a huge paperwork nightmare, too. 

Why is it all so hard? If we are the most affluent "free society" on the planet, why is everything set up to make people feel unworthy and unwanted? We must grovel, or we don't get the crumbs. 

A lot of things to think about. 

Have a good day, stay warm, and hold your loved ones close.

C

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