h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not happy right now. Can you tell?

I'd been jumping through the hoops to get MediCal, and got the Notice of Action. Now, I knew I was going to not have the full coverage right now, because that has to wait on my birth certificate arriving (which it should any day now) but Tom and Faith should've been fine, and I'd at least be covered for emergencies and pregnancy-related stuff. Well, while we're poor enough to get it, our share-of-cost (meaning the amount we have to pay per month before the MediCal kicks in) is just above half our income, which is quite a bit below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is the cutoff for eligibility. Wonderful. So, until I actually go into the hospital to have Notepad, we might as well not even have bothered with all the paperwork. Even better, my worker (who admittedly is new) messed up by saying that our income was the same in July and August as it was for September, which it was not--I don't work those 2 months, so I don't get paid. In fact, those 2 months, we've a couple hundred dollars below the poverty level. Now, I've got a pile of bills (most unopened) sitting in my folder that were waiting for the MediCal to come through to be turned in and taken care of--most from August--which now we're responsible for. We're still working on paying back the overdraft from the summer. I'm hoping that at least clearing up the July/August mistake will help some. I'm not holding my breath, though.

And, joy of joys, I get to explain all this to Tom tonight.

OK, I'm still not holding my breath, but the person my worker referred my questions to is working on seeing if she can fix August for me, and put me on full coverage, since I'm working on getting proof of citizenship.

(I knew starting to head out the door to check the mail would make the phone ring!)

Here's hoping things will get sorted. I'd hate to have to go through all that just to get medical care, whilst pregnant.

Thanks hon. Though if *you* managed to get pregnant, you'd have no further financial difficulties

I would cross my fingers for you, Amy, but the amount of typos I make is bad enough as it is.

OK, that went better than it could have.

It also helped give me a bit of a reality check--we're not going to starve. One advantage of Tom's working with Our Daily Bread Ministries is that we have access to a food pantry. We may get a little *bored* but we'll not starve. And it's getting to be the time of year that making a huge pot of soup and eating it for a week/until we get tired of it and freezing the rest is an attractive option The thrift store is also starting to do very well, so that should help.

I'll be calling tomorrow to see what the normal appointment cost is--while I have bills for the last ultrasound and such, I don't think I have any just from my midwife. That will help put things into perspective, as well.

It looks like we'll be moving into a bigger apartment here in this same complex, so that, too, should help drastically with costs. Must call V to be sure, but the security deposit *should* be covered, and, even if it's not, it'll be much less than moving into an entirely new place.

Tuesday 14th October 2008

Dearest Amy.

Well. Your not-to-be-depressed letter took me back fifty five years when I was feeling the same strain. One baby, another one on the way, sixteen months between them, and not a penny in the bank.

You show so much courage my dear, and you will get through it. I have a remark which sounds flippant but is really not meant to be.

"Join the club".

I have had overdrafts etc. etc. all my life - still have.

I reckon that we are the world's optomists! (whispers.... {"please ..do not say this to an economist!")

But you have a lovely husband, you hav a lovely daughter and another babe on the way, you have a home, and a larger one in the offing. You are a true pioneer and really will conitnue to use your strength and your Faith to get you over this nasty hump.

Could you once again send me your addy and phone number. I am sorry I am so forgetful and dilatory person, but I do mean to file everything and it is something that I always intend to do but only occasionally get around to doing. !Actually there is a very good word to describe me- that is

I am a procrastinaor
I am a
I am
I........

And I shall probably always be a p............. !

With ever so much affectionate love to you all

Your very loving Christiane
AlsoRan80

I'm a procrastinator too, as well as a pack rat. So, don't hold your breath waiting for me to get my house uncluttered.

There's an email on its way, dear

For me?

Er, um, well, no... AR had requested one, so I meant her... *squirm*

It's all right, Amy. There's a distinct risk that if you sent me an email, I would send you a corny pun. Maybe that would scare Notepad. So, it's okay if you don't.

I may send you one just to get a pun

Good news! The hospital has a financial aid program that we qualify for, so after I get the form filled out, our hospital bills will be fully covered, anyway. Not sure about August's ultrasound bill, but I'll find out about that tomorrow.

I'm glad to hear that you'll be covered.

Even better news--at least from July-October, we will now have $0 share-of-cost. So I'll be running around taking care of bills today, and trying to schedule things before the end of this month (I was told that there was no guarantee that the $0 share-of cost would continue after this month)

Fantastic, and here's hoping they're just as generous for the next few months.

California sounds like a great state.