Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Shit Hit The Fan

I don't know if I can blog now or what.

Mr F came home and said that his job is no longer covering our health insurance.

That is a serious problem.

#1 without warning they have deducted the full premium from our paycheck.

#2 we can not pay our bills now as the insurance premium is higher than we can afford. Period.

#3 Kid has a preexisting condition and getting a cheaper health plan may not be a possibility.

#4 We would never have accepted a job without health coverage.

#5 Did I mention NO WARNING.

31 comments:

justme said...

how can they do that ?? wtf......

Mrs Furious said...

Feener,
That is what I fucking want to know?

And let's just stay sticking up for us is not Mr F's strong suit.

My demands are that they reimburse this month and give us one more month until we can get insurance coverage we can afford.

Robin said...

oh. my. God.

What in the hell?

syl said...

Did they cut everyone??? How can they do that? WTF?! This is why people unionize. Ugh. Well, Mrs. F....maybe those other options that were coming up just look better and better. Thank god there are things on the horizon. Hang in there....

SV said...

Was there a contract signed when given employment outlining benefits?

I can't believe it. I can't imagine how mad you must be right now. I'm steaming - just reading it!

TUWABVB said...

This can't be allowed! I mean, I don't know the laws surrounding health care, but this is ridiculous. And to take it out immeidately and you don't have time to prepare?

As far as Kid, maybe you can keep Mr. F and Kid on that policy and you and Baby can find something cheaper?

I'm so sorry...I'm totally praying for you. Keep us posted.

Amy said...

Oh. My. Shit.

wootini said...

WHAT????! That is OUTRAGEOUS. No notice??

My husband's work has been slowly phasing out family coverage (still covering the employee) but over the past TWO YEARS. Not just up and out of the blue one day with no notice.

That is unbelievable. Your proposed demands are perfectly reasonable.

I CANNOT BELIEVE they took it out of his paycheck with no notice!!!!

Healthcare reform cannot come soon enough for this country. The situation as it stands today is patently absurd.

HC said...

That is BULLSHIT. How can they do that?

I immediatly started trying to find out if there's child coverage in your state and came up with this...

http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dma/healthchoice/index.htm

Not sure how much it will help, but it's worth a look. I used a state funded program similar to this when I had big medical bills up in Mass and it was a godsend.

Hang in there -- you're going to get through this.

CRUSTY MOM-E said...

I'm sorry. it just seems to keep getting worse and worse.

sigh.

Thoughts to you.

Mrs Furious said...

Well here is the deal:
In late Nov they told the employees (excluding Mr F & one other guy who have families and they are both the two highest level employees) that they would lose coverage this month. They all got several months to secure new coverage or pay the full premium. We were specifically told our premium would remain covered. BUT they ended up not covering it along with everyone else. No notice. And are not directly responding about when/if they'll reimburse us or not. Total screw job.


Haley,
Thank you... we make too much to qualify... sadly not by freaking much.

Andrea said...

this sucks I cant believe they can do this.

Claire said...

I want to say "Unbelieveable!!!" but but not after the week I am having - they laid off 20 people at my newspaper on Monday - one of them my immediate boss - and then Tues. two key people on my team - no one can figure out the criteria they use to eliminate positions - oh yeah and those of us still here we get a reduced work week - tick tock a giant clock is ticking somewhere!

Heather said...

OMG what are you going to do?

Are you going to rent out your house and downsize into an apartment?

Did you sell the Volvo??

Good god.

katieo said...

Can you talk to a lawyer? (I mean like one in the family anywhere? or friend?)

sometimes a little friendly letter with a lawyer's letterhead can go A LONG way. At least maybe buy you some time to figure out other coverage. (???) Or at the very least get the premium refunded?

I am SO sorry.

Mr Furious said...

Thanks for the well-wishes and shared righteous anger, everyone. This situation certainly fucking blows. And while I am hopeful this insurance issue can be addressed and reversed to our previous sucky-but-paid-for healthplan, this whole thing has been a bucket of cold water in the face regarding the prospects with this job and Asheville.

Now even our best-case scenario is back to our previous financial tightrope walk, but with significantly less security, and a complete shattering of my confidence in the company and any long-term future there.

Unknown said...

Not sure if this will help or not...but when I was in MI they had a program esp. for kids whose parents did not have health or dental insurance but had jobs so they were above the annual income levels for typical state assistance. The program had a small annual fee (much lower than normal health incurance coverage ) and a small copay for each office visit (I think it was $5 for dental, not sure what medical was). For dental, they were covered at 100%.
Here in NY they have a similar program for dental, so I am sure they have something for medical as well. They usually aren't published programs so you have to call around and find out. On the brighter side, another reason to move to NY:)

Julie said...

What?!!!

God, I am so sorry about this. The level of uncertainty with the job, too, Mr. F must be brutal.

I wish I could do more than pray for you. That's all I got.

It's just so wrong.

Christy said...

I am so, so sorry. Not just because of the insurance but because you picked up your lives to move there for this job only to be treated subpar.

I worked for Satan himself and even this is below some of the shenanigans he would pull with people's paychecks.

Elizabeth said...

That's just bastardly. Underhanded and wrong. No kidding Mr. F on the confidence shattering.

Are they even interested in retaining you? (I mean are they deliberately trying to get you to leave or are they just being assholes? because... I imagine they JUST went through a lot of trouble to hire you, and now they're screwing you out of the things they said they'd give you in order to get you to take the job. I think that made sense)

Can you just tell them that you wouldn't have taken the job had this been the situation and... I don't know...

Kiki said...

I'm calling my sister, Heather, tomorrow. Her husband has a job that puts him in touch with lots of amazing people....maybe he knows something...

I'm sick about this for you! Sick! Unless Mr F wants to work in retail I can't help in that department, but I'm praying and keeping you guys in my thoughts!!

Shirls said...

I'm so sorry

Jennifer said...

That is just plain not right. There are so many things, on so many levels that is not right about this. FUCK!

The hits just keep coming.

Michelle said...

OMG!

That's just crazy!

Superdads work has us paying as well.

I am just being positive that things will improve. You know Superdad made 500.00 last month. Yes, for the WHOLE month.

I just don't want to get into panic mode!

Are you guys coming next week? We can sit around and take our minds off things. :)

Jaime said...

OMG...I can't believe that. I'm so sorry!

Try to see if you can get a lawyer to review your potential case here:
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/employment.html

It's worth a shot.

Mrs Furious said...

Thanks for all the comments. I will try and return them all today (eventually).


Komal,
Thanks for the tip. I will try and see what I can dig up. I'm thinking maybe the HeadStart would have that info... I'll call.

Mrs Furious said...

Elizabeth,
Yes ... they moved us here. They paid 9000 to move us. We absolutely took that as a sign that they would meet their terms... both have the means to... but also wanted us here.

Unknown said...

I just sent you an email on a program I found in NC that is equivalent to the ones I have seen in MI and NY. Check it out.

Teresa said...

That is just plain awful. I can image how stressed you must be. ((Please take care))

michelline said...

What timing. And the Tennessee Representative Zach Wamp just said "Listen, health care is a privilege" and then "I was just about to finish to say, that for some people it's a right,” Wamp said, “but for everyone, frankly, it's not necessarily a right. Some people choose not to pay."

This man is EVIL. Here's the link to the article.

Can you believe he would say something like this?? You guys don't deserve that.

I'm so sorry this is happening to you. Hugs!

P.O.M. said...

Oh Fuck.
The same thing happened to me last month while i'm in the middle of trying to buy a condo (been renting for a kagillion years). The fucking economy sucks. I'm sorry.

I am applying online for some po-duck insurance because it's 1/5 of the price of the one my work said I can "take over the payments" on. WTF is the world coming to?

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