Money isn't everything

Except when it is all you've got.......but I have to learn to relax more about it.  I'm going to actually have about $100 more per month starting next month which is so exciting.  Or it was until Cleveland Clinic ate it.

I love the clinic.  I really do.  The care there is incredibly good, I like the organization's philosophy and they really emulate what good healthcare should be like--efficient, available to all, responsible and accurate.  When the Affordable Care Act was partially based on how Cleveland Clinic works they made a great decision.

But there is the other side....the financial department.  I used to have no issues there.  Even the first year or so I was on charity care went easily.  But somehow billing in 2013 got very, very messed up.  I qualfied for 100% free care by nearly $20,000/year income.  But they were paying 93%, 77% or not at all.  I called and called as well as talking to financial counselors in person and was told it was fixed and it never was.  Finally I went to the ombudsman in May and everything was resolved 100% by July.  Or so they said.

Tonight my phone rang.  I rarely answer if I don't know who is calling but went ahead this time.  Good thing since it was a bill collector who has tried calling me 5 times but didn't leave a message or send a letter.  I guess I'm supposed to intuit who is calling and why.  They demanded $76 for a date of service back in April 2013.  On my May 2014 statement, which shows all the messed up amounts, that date had been paid at 93% and I owed $14 which I didn't really owe.  So I've been told the amount was cancelled, it hasn't been on my bills, it wasn't put in the payment in full plan I set up after everything was "fixed".  They just randomly have me owing them all that money which I do not have.  

I am very, very upset about this.  I know it can be corrected but I have worked so hard to ensure this was all taken care of and I also have worked extremely hard to increase my credit score as far as possible over the last 6 years.  And it finally IS good after being really bad (524 at the lowest) because I used to miss payments accidentally.  I haven't missed a payment on anything in years.  Dr. Mind helped with that and I worked really hard at it and I also live on a tightly constructed budget that keeps things in line.  Usually.  Today I paid for an eye exam co-pay plus the co-pay on new glasses (yay! I hate these frames and have had them for 3 years) and that was my stretch for this month, especially since we're going to the beach next month and I will need to board my cats and pay for food and stuff.

I also am terrified that I am going to have more bills show up this way.  In the new ombudsman letter I requested proof that everything is taken care of in the form of a letter stating I was on 100% charity care for the period of whatever to whenever.  So hopefully this never happens again but I absolutely was sure it couldn't happen now because I took care of everything.  

I'm already exhausted and stressed from watching my mom's boisterous dogs (both little more than puppies and they are ACTIVE) and I really need a few very quiet days and full nights of sleep (they get me up a few hours after I finally fall asleep and the night I took valium was horrible because I was so groggy in the morning but they wouldn't let me nap.  

I also need the same kind of financial care that Cleveland clinic gives in healthcare.  It begins to feel like they are making it hard to be on charity care so you shut up and pay---or you "accidentally" get billed a random $76 because someone doesn't take your claims as seriously when they handle them.  Or something like that.  I'm sure it's not true but it is hard to not feel like that.

I'm also cold.  My mom's windows are pretty much brand new but they leak cold air.  I think they weren't installed correctly.  I made myself hot chocolate and now feel like I had too much sweet.  I'm trying a new thing with spinach/fruit smoothies every day to see if that might help me lose some weight and I think I should have stuck with tea until the smoothie was a lot more digested.  They are very filling.  But stress turns me into a chocolate monster and it seemed like a good idea.  Oh well.  At least I still had the smoothie even if I did have something bad after it.  I'd be warm if I went to bed but I can't do that or the dogs will get me up even earlier.  At least they are sleeping now and one is on my feet so they are warm anyway.  The other would be happy to lay on my cold arms but then I couldn't use the computer or do anything else; he's a big guy. 

My anxiety level has quadrupled in the last week.  Hopefully it goes back down soon.  I need to deal with a few things that are making me anxious and I think it will get better from that.  I keep thinking over and over about all the mistakes I made when I was working.  I know it is because I am going to be retiring my license and am emotional about that but it's really obsessive and annoying to think about small mistakes from 5 years ago, and to do that  a lot.

Anyway, until next time when hopefully I'll be a little calmer.

I'll be so much better tomorrow night when I get to sleep in my own quiet bed.  Getting up with the cat once or twice is easy compared to this.