Day 351: Insurance

Daylight robbery made simple.

Insured “through the teeth” due to her pre-existing medical condition, Kat continues to suffer from her post-Katrina, post-exile, post-return health insurance woes.

The nice lady asks me “Why didn’t you give the information on time?” And I explain that I have. I gave it, I don’t know why it wasn’t entered, and I’m willing to do whatever I need to do on my end to clear this up.

Then the nice lady asks me “Why didn’t this claim get reported?” And I say I have no idea; I did everything I was asked to do, and was promised it would all be cleared up.  Since Katrina/Rita, I’ve started inserting the hurricane cards in this part of the routine. This lady has a decidedly-MidWestern accent.  I say, with an exasperated, slight Southern twang that “Gosh, I just don’t know. Evah since Katrina, things have been such a mess down he-ar. I just had no clue there there’r any problems on yowr end. I’m SO sowr-rah.” Works like a charm. Eat your heart out, Scarlett. Georgia ain’t got nothing on a Cajun lilt.

Then the nice lady asks me “Are you sure you are covered on these plans?” And I say, Yes (though paranoia is starting to set in and I’m not sure I am or not) …

And, so it goes.  Michael Homan‘s and Lisa‘s home insurance messes blow my mind, and I wonder how Allstate and State Farm can go on TV with straight faces and state that you’re in good hands with your good neighbor.  All is fine as long as you keep coughing up the dough and pray you’re never in a postion to ask for money from them.  Essentially, our reward for staying healthy and never getting in an accident (even if it’s not our fault) is offering some company thousands of dollars over the course of our lifetimes.  In other words, government-mandated theft.

Insurance = I’ve paid in all of my life; now, give me the money or I’m coming after you, so help me Yahweh.  Kuwait and India don’t require mandatory insurance.  If a tree falls on your house in a cyclone, you get the tree cut down and patch up your house.  If you rear-end a car, you pay up and move on.

Fighting the insurance company is brutal, too.  Many give up after a while, taking the high ground and cutting their losses.  Not Kat or me, we’re with Khan.

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