coming at me from all angles

Change has been hitting me hard this month.

I have lost Medicaid's medical assistance with my Medicare Part B premium.

Remember that I was waiting for my application to be reviewed?

It turns out the problem had been that the person in charge at Medicare had not assigned my application to a caseworker.

I found out when I called the caseworker who handled my previous application for medical benefits.

She immediately contacted her boss, who made sure someone was assigned toot suite, and their decision came within a day of all that.

That decision had been "no", unfortunately.

Not because of my monthly income, mind - that is $500 below the maximum allowed threshold for Medicaid.

No, the problem is with the little amounts in my two IRAs, the amounts I cannot access because those certificates are not yet at their maturity date.

Georgia still regards that as cash assets... even though they aren't. 

That denial of medical assistance through Medicaid means I've also lost anything that the Dual Advantage Medicare plan would have paid.

So, not only am I will I continue to be out the $185 for the monthly premium, as I have been since May when I was waiting for the application to be reviewed, but I'm also on the hook for the $300 for the teeth cleaning.

I spent 45 minutes on the phone with my UHC Healthcare Navigator, Teal, about all of this hot mess and my upcoming dental visits for the cavities.

She tried to find remedies for me, but most of those sources are geared for helping children, not seniors.

However, she did hook me up with Lisa at UHC so I could get out of that Dual Advantage plan and into something better.

Lisa has me set up with the Patriot plan, the one I've been on for the past two years, but with a difference.

This one pays more of my monthly premium, though it will not have the over-the-counter perks I've had in the past.

Still, that trade-off is to my financial benefit.

She also had me sign up for the dental rider that will pay for my trip to the dentist in September.

I already know the charge for those two fillings will be almost $700; the cost of the dental rider is $54 per month and can be canceled at any time.

So, after I get the fillings installed and that bill paid by the rider, I'll cancel and only be out the two months of cost for the rider.

It's still going to be money flowing out of my pocket, but just a dribble, not a torrent.

Better, but not great.

That leads to the letter I received yesterday from the VA.

It told me my PCP, NP Susan Barker, has retired.

Not that she "is retiring", but that she has retired.

I cried when I told that to my nutritionist at our meeting today.

The letter did not say who will be my new PCP.

Nor do I know the status of the Community Care Authorizations that I've been awaiting for my mammogram and my cardiologist.

Hardest of all has been the lack of notification directly from Ms. Barker.

I had my 6-month appointment with her just last week, on the 22nd.

She had not mentioned her retirement at all.

She did hustle me out to get the Referral For Services form from Dr. Cobb's office... but she said nothing about her no longer being at the VA Center.

I'm very sad about her leaving.

Very sad.

At least AMC has a 2 PM screening with Wolf, Snake, Shark, Tarantula, and Piranha in their latest caper.

I hope that will help lift my spirits.