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- Melanie
It was a banner morning in the Mod Household.
The toilet clogged, and my hair was eaten by a small appliance.
Don't try to Emjoi in a rush, folks. That's all I'm gonna say.
In other fabulous news, I (and others) received a great big "Fuck you!" from my place of employ in the form of another substantial health insurance increase. The "Fuck you!" part comes in the form of the attached memo from the Director of Human Resources, which reads in part,
"We received a very substantial increase in our rates due to the excessive usage of the benefits provided during the last plan year. Medical and pharmaceutical services were utilized in such great volume, that their cost exceeded the annual premiums paid to Oxford Health Plans. Unless we start using reasonable and proper judgement in utilizing the plan, the premiums will skyrocket again when we renew our contract next year(italics mine)."
So I shouldn't have gone to the doctor last year when I had food poisoning, or after my car accident when my chest looked like it had been hit with a battering ram? I guess I shouldn't go for that baseline mammogram at 35 instead of 40, since I'm adopted and haven't a clue about my medical history. My husband, who has not even used our health plan since he's been on it, should continue to practice non-use, and not have those chest pains he periodically gets checked out once and for all? I should go off the pill and get pregnant so I can A) stop working and sit around eating bonbons all day instead of contributing to the workforce at this fine institute of higher learning, and B) reduce the volume of those aforementioned pharmaceutical services...oh, wait! Thaaaat's right - my birth control pills aren't even covered under our fabulous (but understandably overwhelmed) insurance plan! That $455 I pay each year so I won't get pregnant and deprive you of the pleasure of my company I pay out of pocket! On top of the premiums which went up approximately 18% this year, after an increase of approximately 40% last year, a big two months after I'd finally been eligible for the health plan. Talk about your sticker shock. Makes that 3% cost of living increase I got last year look better and better.
Funny thing is, we just received a newsletter from Oxford extolling the virtues of "wellness care." As in, going to the doctor when you are not sick. Never mind early detection of any potentially fatal illnesses. 'Cause if you do something like that, it would constitute not "using reasonable and proper judgement in utilizing the plan." Never mind that Oxford recommends it. They obviously don't know what they're talking about.
So, here's one right back at my employers...
FUCK. YOU.*sigh* One step forward, you know the rest. I'm now eligible to make payroll contributions to TIAA-CREF, 5% of which are matched by my employer. Considering the dismal state of our retirement portfolio, I'd be an idiot to pass on the chance to squeeze additional money out of Da Man. But between this and the health insurance, my paycheck's gonna shrink quite a bit. Now of all times of the year, when Huz is teaching less for the summer.
That belt sure does pinch when you tighten it.
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a very fine cat indeed - Friday, Jan. 17, 2014
happy new year! - Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013
this is where i am - Saturday, Jun. 30, 2012
this is how it is - Friday, Feb. 24, 2012
a very late last year's wrap-up - Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012
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