G’s Letter of Approval says that he only has Medical until 1 year (technically, Nov. 1st), wherein he would be re-evaluated for coverage.
I called and asked our “social worker” today if she would look it up for us and tell us what the “situation” will be when it’s over. In the end, she said that according to our income, G will no longer qualify for Medical.
Kind of what I expected to hear! I actually wasn’t expecting to get it for G in the first place. Instead, I was expecting they would immediately send our info over to CA’s other program for people who don’t qualify for Medical, “Healthy Families”. The program sounds amazing. The salary limitations are pretty high (translation: even if BOTH Jesse and I worked, I don’t think we would break the bubble!), and the premium every month is next to nothing. I’m talking $20-30 a month. And it covers EVERYTHING. I mean, if G was still getting this coverage as a teenager, we’d be able to get him braces, FOR FREE. Or get him 14 root canals. Or completely cover 3 ambulance rides and a 2 week stay in the hospital!
Basically, it will be the best coverage of his life. For around $20/month. But we can’t get it until we are “disqualified” from Medical. Just a few more weeks! I started an application ahead of time, just to minimize a delay. Also, I can “pre-enroll” Baby SnowCone (although they might force Medical on us for the first year…not the worst thing, not the best thing).
Until we get rejected by Medical in a month, I was able to make G an appointment with a Dr. at the local Community Health Center, since it’s the only thing Medical offers in our area . He hasn’t had an appt. or checkup since May, so I’d say we’re about due, don’t ya think?
Also, I found a Dr. that accepts the Healthy Families insurance. She was actually an old pediatrician of mine, waayyyy back when. I talked to them on the phone, and and the receptionist said that each vaccination is a personal choice of the parent’s. Wahoo!
I know CA is going bankrupt, from all accounts. But, I have to admit, I like getting all these benefits! 🙂 And, since my parents make WAAYYY more than Obama thinks anyone but his family should, they pay tens of thousands of dollars every year to the government. Over half of their paycheck before they even SEE it, and then another 10 grand come April (that would make me want to SHOOT someone, I tell you). My mom says she feels a little better, knowing some of it is coming back to me 😉
And, even though all the paperwork, phone calls, etc. is a lot of work, when I add up how much $ we’re saving as a result, it’s kind of like I’m making an extra $800/month! Totally worth it!
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Pam Bartel says
Good work on your research, Kelly. By going through this process, you will be able to help those for whom this is difficult. Often, the poor are not educated enough to figure out all the paperwork, and they do not have caring mentors who will help them. I need to start the process of figuring out how to start collecting my Social Security next month. I am a bit nervous about it – being able to do the paperwork involved, etc. Thanks for taking time to talk about all these things on your blog. It helps us to know how to pray for you and others in similar situations. In other words, God is using your blog to bless me!
Kelly says
Aw, thanks Pam! I hope your spider bite got better? went away?
Beth says
Jackson and Avery are on Healthy Families and it’s awesome. It’s even cheaper if you sign up for automatic withdrawals. It’s under $20 a month for BOTH our kids. And yes, they have way better insurance than Justin and I do! 🙂
Kelly says
Beth, that’s so good to hear! It sounds too good to be true, so it’s nice to have someone say that they use it. Also, there are moments when I feel like a “bad mom” for being so poor…but the truth is, he’d be getting much less if we were any richer! Doesn’t make me wanna work more/harder though, so it’s a vicious cycle…:)