Goodbye Pennie, Hello Neighbor & Lesson Learned

Can I get something off my chest?  When I applied for Medicare Advantage a couple weeks ago, I was told when the card arrives to call Pennie (Pa Health Insurance Marketplace) and disenroll from my current Insurance plan, but ensure it lasts until Sept 30.  Medicare doesn't begin until October 1.

I got my updated Advantage card yesterday, so I called Pennie.  I spent the next 11 minutes identifying myself by answering 'Yes', 'No' or punching various numbers on my phone.  It was trying my patience, but I get it--they REALLY want to ensure someone isn't posing as me.  I finally get a computer voice saying "The next agent will respond to your call.  There is a current wait time of 7 minutes."

Cue the godawful wait music.  TWENTY TWO MINUTES LATER, Abu from 'The Simpsons' says (in the heaviest Hindi accent possible) "Hlu entarrour fooro dodos if yor su-chill shoity."  

I said "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?  I can't understand you."  He repeated it.  I repeat myself.  I get the same nonsensical response.  I said "This isn't working, can I speak to someone else?"  I hear more gobbledygook.  I said "I'm sorry I don't mean to be rude but I CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOU."   He begins speaking in tongues again.  I sadly hang up.

I realize we all need to eat, we all need to live, most of us need to work.  But for a customer service line for Pennsylvanians who pretty much speak English only, why must they outsource it to people with the heaviest accents this side of Bangladesh?  I worked with several people from India in my career, have had several doctors too.  They all had accents, but spoke well and were easy to talk to.   

I called Pennie back a couple hours later, went thru the same 10 minutes of AI prompts, was told there was a 1 hour wait time, would I like to be called back, I said yes.  AI said "Great, you will be called back within one hour."   No one called back.  I eventually figured out what to do on the Pennie website.  SO GLAD I AM DONE WITH PENNIE.

A couple mornings ago, I was sitting here watching tv when I began hearing chainsaws outside.  I looked out my living room window and saw one of those white trucks with a giant arm on the back, stretched up to the sky.  Someone was cutting the top branches off the tree across the street.

I've lived in my apartment 8 1/2 years and have never seen the second house across the street from me.  It had giant hedges that separated the houses, and a tremendous tree in front that hid the house and went way above the rooftop.

It took 9 hours to chop everything down.  (They returned the next day and got rid of that remaining trunk and pile of wood.)  

I realize this isn't a good picture, it's reflecting my vertical blind.  I should've taken one of the sidewalk below while it was going on.  It was lined with people in my neighborhood, all holding their phones out, taking pictures.

Last night when I was taking my trash downstairs, I ran into the transgender person who lives in the first floor apartment across from that house.  He was standing outside smoking and asked me if I noticed the trees were gone.  Er... yes.  

He wasn't happy.  He pointed behind us and said "That's my window.  I hope they enjoy the view."  😐

Finally, I recently saw a story where a man was found dead, face down on his kitchen floor.  When they rolled him over, they discovered a kitchen knife and a box of (thawed) frozen hamburger patties.  

Apparently he'd been trying to pry one free, only to force his knife too hard and pushed the blade into his chest.  I'm sorry, I know this was a grisly thing to share but it was a real wake up call.  I'm a big fan of these frozen hamburgers, and often do the same thing.  I've learned my lesson.

I suppose my reading room is now my writing room

One nice thing about writing a personal blog is the ability to go back and find things I've shared, when my own memory is fuzzy.  For instance, on May 24 I posted a blog titled "A Big Setback" where my daily discomfort level from long covid had really escalated, and I was letting everyone know I may not be around for awhile.

Looking back, I was wrestling with a lot of oral inflammation and only eating very bland things when my gallbladder ruptured 2 weeks later on June 7.  That week in the hospital, after the two surgeries and on a liquid diet, I had to keep asking for low sodium broths because my covid-related BMS (burning mouth syndrome) was making me hypersensitive to any spices or salt.  

A week or so after I returned home on June 20, the symptoms began to let up.  And when my friend Kim went with me to Mercy Hospital for a post surgery follow-up on June 25, my covid symptoms had greatly reduced.  I confided to Kim I was feeling pretty optimistic.  I posted a photo of us on my blog, and my sister told me I looked like my old self.

Of course, the long covid symptoms returned that weekend.  They lasted a week, winked out a couple days (allowing me to meet up with some friends from the senior center for lunch, my first outing in 8 months) then returned again on July 17.  

These last couple weeks have been tough.  Lots of inflammation in the eyes, burning in the left side of head and mouth, and that heavy, strange smell of diesel fuel and decayed flowers. 

For the past year, I've been avoiding all videos and articles pertaining to long covid.  But these past couple weeks left me wondering if there's any kind of answers yet.  Nope.  Medical experts claim the US has 10 million documented cases, the UK has 2 million.  They said the real numbers are probably double that.  They also claim LC comes with 300 different symptoms and remissions are common, giving many sufferers false hope.  

Most sufferers remain in isolation, and say they've lost their jobs, family, friends.  At least I can't lose my social security.  Still, I read my blogger friends weekly adventures and wonder when I'll be back out there again.  

My senior center has a restaurant outing on August 12; I asked to be included, fingers crossed...

When I was first hit with this in early 2024, I had a busy calendar and hated the thought of canceling anything, especially a Titanic exhibit.  I never dreamed I'd still be missing out on things 2 1/2 years later.  

For now at least, I'm blessed to still have people in my life I enjoy spending time with on the phone.  My friend Diana in West Virginia, my sister Shawn, my friend Pen who I've known since grade school, my dear friend Kim (who I refer to as Kimba, she's a two-time cancer survivor and white lion).  They've all spent hours with me on the phone, and I would be lost without them.

To the readers out there who read my posts and leave comments, thank you.  You really matter too.  I feel bad, I came in here to do some reading on my tablet and the next thing you know... I need to wrap this up, my bottom is numb.  Until next time. 😌

Medicare Advantage is here--and it's a small world after all

Here it is, my "Welcome to Medicare" letter from UPMC Health Plan and Medicare Advantage card.  Two weeks ago I spoke with Virginia, an independent Medicare agent and it couldn't have gone better.  

Virginia said I could come to her office, she could come to my home, or we could have a Google Chat (like Facetime) on our tablets.   

I elected to do the online meetup, though I still ran in the bathroom and shaved and combed my hair before we got things started. 👨

She asked me how old I was, I said I was turning 65 in 3 months.  She told me the first thing I had to do was go to Medicare.gov and enroll.  She could walk me thru it, but we wouldn't be able to continue until I got my card in the mail.

I said I applied for Social Security in January, which automatically enrolled me in Medicare and I already got my card a couple weeks ago; did she need the number?  She said "I have a feeling you're going to be my easiest client today."

I told her I had several Medicare Advantage plans already selected from 3 different insurance carriers:  Aetna, Highmark, UPMC.  She asked if I had any recent medical history and I said boy, do I.  Two operations in June, one on my liver's bile ducts and then a gallbladder removal.

She asked if I knew how much my out of pocket costs were, after insurance.  I told her $880.00 (including ambulance).  We determined that Medicare thru UPMC was closest to my current insurance plan--and my familiarity with UPMC hospitals made them the preferred choice, so I wound up going with UPMC for Life HMO Premier Rx.

After we did the electronic signatures and everything, Virginia asked about my ice pack (I was occasionally holding against the side of my face) and asked if I was suffering with a migraine or allergies.  I told her I had long covid, a chronic inflammatory condition.  She said "I'm so sorry!  My sister-in-law has long covid!"

That's when the conversation got interesting.  Her sister-in-law got LC in 2022 and was forced to take a leave of absence from her job as a school teacher.  After 2 years, she was hardly any better but was close to 60 so she retired early instead.  

Like myself, Virginia's sister-in-law gets hopeful days here and there, but the relapses just keep coming.  She doesn't see an end in sight.  I told Virginia it does feel hopeless at times but you have to believe it will end sooner or later.

One thing I appreciated, Virginia complained her glasses were bothering her nose and she had to get a new pair soon.  I said I did too, mine fit fine but were 8 years old.  After we hung up, she called me right back and told me to hold off on those glasses a little bit longer, I'd be getting a Flex Spend card soon I can use towards them.  Works for me.

Well, I almost didn't blog about this (it's boring, I know).  But I'm glad I did---when I was inspecting my Medicare card to see what to gray-out before sharing, I noticed it said "NO PCP SELECTED" on it and I did give them my new PCP, Dr. Cole.  I just called and reported this, they said "Someone messed up, you'll get a new card in 10 days."   Not exactly a great start, UPMC!

Here's Dr. Cole's photo.  He's a handsome devil, but very smart and very kind.  I like him a lot.