Much of the country has been blanketed with historic levels of snowfall which meteorologists cite as definitive proof of global warming because "everything is backward in a leap year."
In any event, the snow is so deep in Washington DC that, for the first time in over seven years, there are actually places where you can't see the bulls**t.
Only kidding! The steaming brown mounds can still easily be spotted at places like the State Department, which issued notification that their mandated production of the latest round of Hillary Clinton's felony-laden emails would be delayed by at least a month owing to the inclement weather.
Here at Hope n' Change, we're enjoying lovely Texas weather - but we know that many readers are quite literally out in the cold right now. To you, we say stay warm, stay safe, and take comfort from the knowledge that, for now at least, Obama is stuck spending time with his family instead of golfing.
UPDATE: HEALTH FREEZES OVER
For those of you following the continuing saga of the Jarlsberg family's Obamacare woes, here's the latest...
Daughter Jarlsberg was finally able to speak to someone about her erroneously cancelled insurance and had it magically reinstated by making a credit card payment over the phone to some functionary. Or so she thought. When she went to see her epilepsy specialist, her insurance card was again rejected.
She called Blue Cross and was told that her policy had never been reinstated, there was no record of her phone call, and that the transaction number she'd been given didn't exist. Oddly, the money she had paid over the phone was shown as a new balance in her account which hadn't been applied to any plan. Perhaps Blue Cross thought it was simply a tip for their excellent service.
Currently, there is some question about whether she's insured or not, and whether the hundreds of dollars of medical bills she's run up this month will be covered, reimbursed, or even applied to her deductible.
Meanwhile, the charming folks at Healthcare.gov are STILL sending threatening warnings about terminating the insurance of Stilton & Mrs. Jarlsberg unless they produce more "proof of income" than the four friggin' copies of every conceivable fiscal document they've produced already. A recent phone call to Healthcare.gov failed to confirm whether anyone has even received or looked at those records, and we were told to "call back in a few weeks if you still have a problem." And indeed we will!
Still, we should give credit to Healthcare.gov for being at least a little proactive. They recently sent us a PDF of what they described as a very, very important form that must be filed with our taxes under penalty of further healthcare: the 1095a.
The multi-page form was, of course, almost entirely blank. Honest. Here's a picture of the first page, which is labeled (in the meta data) as "Why Form-1095a Is Important."
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| At least we know who it's from. |
Amusingly, the Jarlsberg family is at least receiving bills from Blue Cross for our soon to be terminated policy. Although cryptically, the bills keep showing that Blue Cross owes us money. Fearing that this is a trap which will let them cancel our policy for non-payment, we're sending them a check for the exact amount of money that they claim we're owed.
Because dealing with all of this logically hasn't gotten us anywhere.
36 comments:
Hello,
When Obamacare first started, even though I don't need Obamacare, I tried to get enrolled so that I could talk intelligently about Obamacare with people I know who might need help with it.
I continued to try to enroll for a couple of months before giving up.
Eventually, I gave up.
By he way, I have an MBA (graduated in the top 5% of the class), I worked for NASA for several years (repairing the space ships - after they assembled them and they didn't work, they called on me to repair them), and have an IQ of 140.
I can't help but wonder whether the enrollment figures that they claim are actually bogus.
Just My Thoughts,
Bill Moore
Send all your correspondence as certified mail and request a returned receipt so that you have proof it was received by bcbs or the govt. in order to cut down on the be. Also, your credit card transaction statement should be further proof that your premium payment was received. Good luck. This sounds like a nightmare.
"Hillary Clinton's felony-laden emails would be delayed by at least a month owing to the inclement weather" -only fitting since Hillary started with a snow job!
Sorry to hear about the insurance hassles. Good luck in getting it all straightened out.
Sorry, it's not be. I meant be. Also, copies of cancelled payment checks would also help. Take screen shots or photocopies of your completed applications and all documents you send to the govt. for your records. Healthcare.gov is very messed up and the insurance companies are overwhelmed by all of the phone calls they are getting as well as the documents they have to process due to the new open enrollment period. :(
Why this keeps saying be instead of bs I have no idea. This is messed up, too.
In other words, Obamacare is working exactly as designed.
Here in Flagstaff we recieved over 3 feet of snow a week ago and schools and such were only closed for one day. No state of emergency. In fact, conditions are worse now because all the flatlanders from Phoenix are congesting our highways to come up and play in the white stuff.
Like Obama himself.
It's just not possible to be honestly this screwed-up. They're doing it on purpose.
All I can say is good luck. Filling out medical/insurance forms is not much fun, even when they result in the desired outcome actually happening.
@Bill- Letting me anywhere near a space craft with a tool would be a terrible idea, but that being said I'm pretty sure my IQ is on the good side of the bell curve. But intelligence is a useless weapon in the fight against a bureaucracy.
And I'm quite sure that the numbers for Obamacare enrollment are as fake as the numbers Barry produced for jobs being "created or saved" under his stimulus. For one thing, Obamacare throws people off their old policies and forces them to get new ones: at which point Barry takes credit for people "getting insurance" as if they never had it before. He also pads the numbers by adding people to the Medicaid rolls who would already have qualified but never bothered to do the paperwork (since they were already receiving treatment in emergency rooms, and didn't have fines to worry about). It's all bogus.
@Anonymous- I know from previous experience on my taxes that the government won't sign return receipts for mail, and that USPS "proof of delivery" can't be used as proof that they received anything. Even now, Healthcare.gov concedes the receipt of an envelope from me, but claims there was nothing in it (although there was when I double-taped it shut and added extra postage).
@Mike aka Proof- The State Department was only about 6 days from their delivery deadline; why not deliver all of the emails they (theoretically) had processed and just ask for an extension on whatever was left over? The answer, of course, is that the State Department wants to give Hillary as much political cover as possible before the primaries.
@Anonymous- I will say that Blue Cross has at least never expressed an iota of skepticism that it is Healthcare.gov that has screwed up everything. For that matter, many of the Healthcare.gov people I've spoken to take it for granted that their operation is FUBAR.
@pdwalker- Exactly!
@Geoff King- Snow is something which can largely be planned for and dealt with, although it's amazing how many communities completely freak out. But even in Washington DC, I'm pretty sure that the roads will be cleared in less than the month the State Department is claiming that their release of Hillary's records will be delayed.
@NemoMeImpuneLacessit- It seems like they're doing this on purpose, but I have great faith in the sheer stupidity and unworkability of large bureaucracies. I'll continue to operate under the theory that my family is simply roadkill on the Obamacare expressway until actual malice is proved.
@TrickyRicky- I don't mind filling out forms, I just hate having to translate them into Vietnamese, Tagalog, French Creole, and Urdu.
We have a theory- if the govt is shut down when our intrepid dee cee urinalist....ahhh...I mean journalist are off (holiday, week-end, major demonrat donor shindig) no crisis. but if the govt is shut down and they have to work- major crisis.
And this is the country that put a man on the moon, cured Polio, does heart transplants routinely, developed the smart phone, and on and on ....... So hearing about not only your fustercluck but that of many many more I can only conclude that alinsky's followers are alive and well in DC. Sad. Soon we will not even have the technology to cross the street let alone go to the moon.
In today's news: Obama says the thing that makes him happiest about his presidency ending next January is a chance to get out of what he calls the "the bubble." He says the bubble is "the hardest thing about the presidency."
Good grief! If we had known that, someone could have popped that bubble a long time ago. I know about a gazillion people who will be glad when his bubble is gone.
Don't give up on your insurance. It would even take God a while to get that mess sorted out!
What a hoot about HC's emails! Doesn't the State Dept. realize that most people can see right through their procrastination? They don't need to give us a snow job!
Best of luck to all. Same thing happened to me that happened to your daughter. They claim that they will (someday) refund the thousands we spent while our coverage had supposedly lapsed. It's been over 8 months, days spent on the phone, documentation scanned and emailed, then scanned and mailed, and a number of different processes.
The only faith I have is that healthcare.gov may start a revolution...
I'm seriously praying for your family. Geeeeeeeeeeez!
Stilt: It sounds like you have complete notes and records. Is there a Texas state insurance board and/or anyone in the State Attorney General office and Dept. of Commerce that are receiving and compiling these types of horror stories and might be able to help? Also inform all of your district elected state and federal representatives.
@Rod, RIGHT ON!!!!!!
Several years ago there was a blizzard in central Missouri which left 23" of snow on open level ground in our region, and more in drifts, all from one long storm that lasted about two days. The first group to open the rural roads in our area were the local farmers with their own large equipment who needed to get to their livestock, chicken & turkey houses, local jobs, etc. They also cleared our lane (for payment, but which was not required) because our little tractor was helpless in that much snow. So we could get indeed out in the neighborhood to check on others, etc. But those open roads didn't connect to town, about 8 miles away.
The STATE road crews didn't start coming by until late on second and on third day, taking it down in levels, and every time they came by they'd re-block the driveway outlets to the main road. TO THE POINT: NONE OF THIS MADE ANY NEWS.
@Stilton If you haven't seen this, thought it might bring a little levity to your situation, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxwot4sGTrM
I have gone on line and have found 1095a as a two page normal looking form. I could not find pdf forms as you describe. I am on your side but just saying....
@REM1875- I think it's also considered a "non-crisis" if the GOP can't be blamed.
@Fred Ciampi- As flawed as Obamacare overall is, the technology certainly exists to make Healthcare.gov's website and communications work correctly. But thanks to government "supervision" and contracting procedures, the system is an unworkable (and wildly overpriced) mess.
@chef621- I'll believe Obama wants to escape that "bubble" if he slips quietly into the political background next year. I'm not betting on it.
@Ned- I've had other relatives go through the same thing. It's nightmarish. I can't imagine going through this in the midst of an actual health emergency.
@dan- Thank you!
@Rod- Oh, I've got notes and records. But what do I say when notifying authorities: that I may or may not have insurance? That the problems may or may not have been fixed? I need something more concrete than these endless delays and complications to file an actionable complaint. But believe me, I'm not taking that off the table.
@robsan19- I've seen various versions of the Hitler speech, but not that one. Thanks for giving me a laugh!
@Anonymous- Yes, if you look online you can find the two page form. What I got was an email informing me that I had a message waiting at my Healthcare.gov account. That's where the 7-page PDF was lurking. The first 3 pages are blank, the next 2 pages are apparently the 1095a, and the final 2 pages are the warnings in multiple languages.
My concern is what the hell is on those blank pages that I should know about? According to the meta data, the topics on those pages are: "You must file a tax return," "Why form 1095-A is important," If there are zeroes printed in Part III, Column B during the months you had coverage," "Using the online tax tool," "Changes to your Form 1095-A information," "You also may get Form 1095-B or 1095-C," and "How to get help with your taxes."
And tragically, I'm still on antibiotics and can't drink.
Another delay of Hillary's email? Paint me surprised, not. Just write it off as another consequence of "climate change". Only 10 more months that she has to stretch this out, then it won't matter.
ObamaCare: Blank forms. Classic. Frankly @Stilton, nothing surprises me anymore. If you had said that this sort of insanity was going to happen 6 years ago, nobody would believe it. But then again, back then there were still people who bought that "you can keep your doctor" BS.
And again, let me point out that if this was under the former private paradigm and if @Stilton or his family were to suffer as a result of this level of incompetence, they'd be entitled to recompense from those responsible. But as the handiwork of the government, he has no recourse and and his family will likely remain as incoherent bits floating about a dysfunctional digital universe. The only thing real is the money that he's forced to continue to pay as tribute against even worse retribution by "the system".
Interestingly, I just received my 1095a this morning. Fortunately, mine had actual data on it. I guess I should feel blessed.
Soooo... by the average liberal's method of reasoning, Hillary's info can't be released because of the snowstorm, which was caused by global warming, which was caused by evil, money grabbing power plants, which are 100% owned by "richer than God" white conservatives. So we only have ourselves to blame, since we are all so stinking rich and white and are the main cause for DC being buried under a massive glacier. BUT!... I'm still convinced O'Liar is going to get somebody lined up to give us another 4-8 years of his "blessings," and sic the Injustice Department on Shrillary. Now we've heard that Bloomberg is contemplating a run. Coincidence?
Stilton,
Regarding your ongoing battle with the behemoth, you are obviously not following the "plan" as was intended by the fine folks that brought us O'Liarcare. You are over 25, so you are supposed to just die and quit being a burden on society. C'mon man!
Thought I'd let you know that there are options outside Obamacare.
Good news: I've been a licensed insurance agent for 20 years, and I'm licensed in Texas so I can help you out.
Bed news: Not everyone qualifies.
If you'd like more info, you can drop me a line on gmail, username Weirddave, and I'll try to point you in the right direction.
Thanks for a daily laugh in these troubled time. I was wondering: Is Lefty Lucy a stock photo? Every time you post one of her cartoons, I swear I've seen her somewhere before. Model? Actress? It's bugging me.
Weirddave, although we're really old now and on Medicare, we got a supplement through Aetna Health Insurance and used an insurance agent. It was a big help having someone point us in the right direction.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, I was still working when I turned 65 and didn't sign up for medicare until I retired a couple of years later. My wife and I got punished for not signing up at age 65 and must pay an additional $20+ plus per month each for eternity. And, I am a USMC veteran and get VA benefits but I rather go to my own doctor ... except for hearing aide. The VA does have the best audiologists in the business and they supply hearing aids now.
@Stilton. Just for giggles and grins, why not try submitting your letters and/or emails in Urdu or Chinese? It apparently couldn't hurt. At least you know that someone will actually have to read it. As an alternative, send it to @clintonemail.com. Maybe the Chinese will read it and forward it on.
@Anonymous said "Send all your correspondence as certified mail and request a returned receipt so that you have proof it was received by bcbs or the govt. in order to cut down on the be. Also, your credit card transaction statement should be further proof that your premium payment was received."
This is sane and prudent advice, and would be more than adequate in support of any normal commercial transaction. But this is not any "normal commercial transaction". He's dealing with a near-monopoly mega-healthcare provider intermeshed with a inept government bureaucracy. Nobody within this organization (if I may use that work loosely) is empowered to may any clarifying decisions over his entire case, much less aspects of it. They're only able to make entries in a database that gets processed by computer code written by 2nd or 3rd class programmers employed by a company that is owned by a college buddy of somebody on a no-bid contract. Once any aspect of a case is outside the limited paradigms imagined by the program's creators, the data is corrupted and is likely to stay that way forever.
I think @pdwalker has a better grasp of the situation; "Obamacare is working exactly as designed." The goal was to destroy what was left of private insurance and care so that we'd eventually be forced to cry "Uncle!" for what the Progressives have wanted all along, "Single Payer". And we're almost there. If they can beat as fierce a conservative as our host, they can beat any of us.
@chef621, Obama will merely escape one bubble for another one. Doing $300,000-an-hour speech tours like the Clintons will assure that. The man has been in a bubble his entire adult life, and frankly I doubt he could survive outside one like the rest of us have to.
Good luck with that, @Ned.
They are asking on the web,. ”Why are there hundreds of thousands of non-essential government employees?”
That’s mostly supervisors and managers of course.
Been shoveling sunshine the past few days till my butt hurts, please don't hate me.
What the hell is a snow shovel?
Joseph ET Never were truer words written.
If ya just throw his political appointees into the mix. Affirmative Action failure in motion. Why promote on merit when there are so many PC factors to consider.
It is said that the post office has more stupervisors per employee than prisoners have guards per inmate.
When you need stupervisors to make sure the stupervisors who stupervise the other stupervisors are doing their job you might be headed in the wrong direction.
Another example of what happens when the government is the "responsible party" as opposed to a private entity:
Plaintiffs' lawyers wary of taking on Flint water scandal
"The water scandal in Flint, Michigan has many of the ingredients for a mass, class-action lawsuit: danger signs that may have been ignored, many thousands of potential victims, the possibility of lifelong health problems, and the alleged systemic failure of people in charge. But big-name, national plaintiffs' firms have yet to jump into the fray in Flint, which has a population of about 100,000.
What's holding them back, several lawyers said, is not the facts or the victims, but the prospective targets: The State of Michigan, the city of Flint, and officials at various levels of government. Special legal protections make it difficult to hold governments liable for damages, they said."
When a private concern does something that could be considered criminally incompetent, they can and likely will be held both criminally and civilly responsible. But when it's the government that is blatantly incompetent, you are out of luck. Nobody will be fired over the nonsense in Flint. In the private sector, companies caught misbehaving at this level are ultimately punished; if not by government then by customers and shareholders. It's all part of the checks and balance that keeps organizations in line. But when the government is both the offender and prosecutor, which side do you expect it to take?
Just something to remember the next time some Progressive argues that the government should take over one more aspect of your life...
@John the Econ- I'm hoping I'll get a paper 1095-A in the mail just to ease my worrying. And as you've pointed out repeatedly, no private company could get away with this kind of ineptitude and malfeasance.
@Colby Muenster- The dynamic of the Obamas vs the Clintons is interesting and I'm not sure how it's going to play out. Ideally I'd like to see both sides wipe out the other.
@Weirddave- Thanks for the offer. I'm so close to Medicare that it's my plan just to keep fighting this battle until I hit 65, after which I can start worrying about an entirely new set of arbitrary and unworkable rules.
Regarding Lefty Lucy seeming familiar, she's her own woman - though it seems like her "look" is pretty popular these days.
@Fred Ciampi- I'll take your advice and Mrs. J and myself will make a point of signing up for Medicare as soon as we're eligible. Which shouldn't be confused with enthusiasm (grin).
@NVRick- That's actually a pretty good idea, especially since Google lets you translate English to Urdu (and back again, in case anyone wants to decipher this message)... آپ کو اپنے ڈاکٹر کو پسند ہے تو ، آپ کو بھاڑ میں جاؤ کر رہے ہیں
@John the Econ- Good summation of the inherent hopelessness of the situation. I'm unable to deal with anyone who has either authority or accountability - a dangerous combination.
@Joseph ET- I'm not surprised so many government employees are "non-essential." What worries me is that the government considers so many citizens to be non-essential.
@REM1875- Here in Texas we've been enjoying nice weather, too. But I originally hail from the midwest and know what it's like to be snowed in. My sympathies to any and all who find themselves in that situation!
@John the Econ- Excellent point! The more the government does, the less control we have over the repercussions.
That Medicare thing is real, as near as I can tell - $20 a month for life for failing to sign up when they told you to. Even if you didn't know about the edict.
Sorry to read about the issues with Obamacare, but it does vary by state. I sent in the payments, but the "insurance provider" switched to a different address, so they didn't get the payments (apparently, they're so busy providing quality health care and making media ads that they don't know about things like "forwarding addresses").
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