The system might be effed up, but there are people in it who can be pretty awesome. Not long after my last (April 11th) post, I received a voicemail about my health insurance application with the state. I’d gotten fed up with the Healthcare.gov website and applied to my state’s program directly; when I finally received coverage under my birth name I didn’t ask any questions.
Anyways, I called the person back hoping he could resolve my name change over the phone. We played phone tag a couple of times, but within about 2 hours he said he had taken care of it. I received a piece of paper a couple of days later saying I, [my married name], do indeed have health insurance through the state. That man saved me a trip I really didn’t want to take. He’s my hero!
And it gets better. My and Fox’s primary care provider (PCP) is a short walk from our home. It’s a small practice shared by a couple of doctors, a nurse practitioner, and a friendly-professional staff. I didn’t get to see the doctor who’s listed as my PCP, but that’s okay because I really like the nurse practitioner. She prescribed an anti-inflammatory for my upper body pain and suggested I have a sleep study done to see if I have sleep apnea; they should call me by Thursday to set up an appointment. I asked to have blood work done; the nurse who drew my blood was courteous, respected me and my knowledge of my own body, and caused me minimal pain. I left feeling quite good about the whole experience.
The one downside is that I’m still not sure if I need a referral to see a psychiatrist; the nurse practitioner didn’t think I should but suggested I call my insurance to be sure. If I need one I just need to call the PCP and the staff will get me a referral, no problem. Well, that’s a relief!
a day with depression 