2024 Life Logs, Day 234: Still Juggling
Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Weather: Sunny, Cool; High Temp 69, Low 56 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview, Falmouth, MA
I spent the day at Heather and Jed’s, just being the adult on the premises so kids could be kids. I was there “just in case”. Ollie had his friend Simon over to play. Just after noon, Sam went to work at Corner Cycle and Jonah got home from soccer practice. All I needed to do was make sure everybody ate lunch. So, I had a lot of time to get some Encore work done and just relax. Or so I thought I would get to relax. But just as I got to the relax part, I got a call from Autumn Care. The head nurse was informing me that based on the doctor’s decision yesterday that my sister cannot put weight on that right leg for another four weeks her Medicare Advantage will probably not pay for four more weeks of rehab. I’ve known this was a possibility, but I didn’t think it would happen this soon and that we would only get a 48-hour notice. I suddenly got the wake up call that I need to know way more about my sister’s Medicare Advantage plan and how to appeal a decision if I don’t agree. I drove home quickly to get my computer so I could look up her plan online. But just as I was starting to do the research, I got another call from Autumn care. This time they informed that my sister had been exposed to Covid last night from one of the aides. She tested negative and they will continue testing every other day until she is clear. But this meant I needed to start letting people know. I had to contact Home Helpers who sends the companions to be with Patsy on a daily basis, and I needed to let Brian and Tommy know as they drop in to see her often each week. I was too late as Brian had just left after being with Patsy for a couple of hours and Tommy arrived about the time I sent the text and didn’t see it until he left. Then it was time to take Ollie to his horseback riding lesson. Once we got there, I spent more time contacting people. And before I knew it, Ollie was riding by at the end of his lesson.
I have spent the evening watching the third night of the Democratic National Convention while familiarizing myself with the 291 page Evidence of Coverage booklet published by Blue Cross-Blue Shield of North Carolina for its Medicare Advantage members. Forty-one of those pages make up a Medical Benefits Chart that I need to memorize. And of the ten chapters in this booklet, one whole chapter answers questions like “What do you do if you have a problem or complaint with a coverage decision?” I need to commit those answers to memory as well so that when the time comes, I can be ready to go to bat for my sister.
But for the rest of the night, I am going to relax and watch the remainder of tonight’s speeches at the Democratic National Convention. And then tomorrow afternoon, all of the Goldstones and I are going on a whale watch. So, no juggling tomorrow. Just having fun.
