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Home > Finally, an answer from the heatlhcare exchange

Finally, an answer from the heatlhcare exchange

March 4th, 2015 at 06:42 am

Sometimes when I am super stressed out about something I don't post about it here on the forum. It's just too upsetting to even put down on paper.

My issues with the CT healthcare exchange fell into this category, simply because in early February they mailed me an incorrect 1095A form, a new tax form that shows how much $$ in healthcare subsidies I received in 2014.

I paid for the insurance for the 1st 4 months of the year, while the form indicated I paid for it for 11 months of the year. The reason why this is problematic is because as you may know from reading my blog, my contract job turned perm mid year and I exceeded the income limit that allows you to keep the subsidies you got. I knew I'd have to repay the subsidies for those 4 months ($1400) but I certainly didn't want to have to shell out $3,850 when I never had insurance with them past April.

For a month I've been trying to straighten this out, but the healthcare exchange is apparently so busy that I had wait times on hold for upwards of 45 minutes and it seemed like their phone recordings were especially designed to prevent people from getting thru to talk to a live person.

It became even more upsetting when, about 2 weeks ago, I talked to someone there who argued with me and said basically it was my fault because I didn't cancel the insurance. I DID cancel but they didn't get the phone message or my scribbled note on a premium bill, etc. The fact is, I didn't pay any premiums past April, not did I make any claims. Yet he's trying to tell me they would treat me as an active policyholder. It was nuts.

I left him a message yesterday saying if I didn't even hear back from him or get the revised 1095 form i would write a detailed complaint letter to the CEO of the healthcare exchange, copy the CT commissioner of Dept of Public Health, which oversees the healthcare exchange and, if I needed to, I would call my state representative (because they sometimes get involved with wierd little things like this where you basically run out of options).

I don't even know if the guy listens to his messages. He was completely ignoring my requests for a call-back.

But lo and behold, when I got thru to someone else today, she said their records indicate my form was corrected as of yesterday. She couldn't tell what the corrected form says but I will assume it's correct now. HOPEFULLY I will get it in 7 to 10 business days and then I can finally finish my federal tax return and start the state return.

I feel like such a cloud has been lifted (partially) from my shoulders. I was feeling so anxious about this, knowing the clock was ticking on the tax return and fearing the state would never get its act together.

I am working from home today, after having already worked at home Monday, and it looks like I'll probably work from home tomorrow.

We had rain last night turning to ice and now it's warming up. I shoveled all the very wet slush off my driveway and threw some de-icer down but I'm really exhausted, and I'd like to get out there again mid-day and try to get more melted stuff off the driveway or it will refreeze tonight. I was getting a few little painful spasms in my back, which doesn't usually happen.

It seems my dad may be moving in with my sister this spring. Not exactly in her home, but in a fairly spacious 1-bedroom loft style apartment over her garage/barn. I personally don't think it's a great idea, although I love the idea of him living so much closer to us rather than 3 hours away on the Jersey shore. Becus to get to the apartment there's a double flight of OUTSIDE stairs to the apartment, which I'm sure would be treacherous in this kind of weather and my dad is not at all steady on his feet. He is 82 now. I think the stairs have a roof over them, but still.

He is not sure he will like it becus he doesn't know anyone here, so his plan is to just move with a minimum number of items and stay here for a few months but still periodically go back to check in on his house on the shore.

I told him I want to help with the move; i have plenty of time off to do so. I was also a little miffed that neither he or my sister told me about this; i learned it thru my half brother when i wished him a happy birthday.

The other issue with my dad moving is that I don't think he would pass the eye exam with DMV, so he'd have to risk keeping his out of state plates on his car and hope no one noticed. I brought this up with him and he said he thought he could pass the exam. This, after telling me last time his left eye is pretty much "useless." With just one eye you've got to figure he has no depth perception, and they do test for that herein CT. I know I nearly flunked the depth perception part of the test myself when I took the test many years ago.

It would almost be better, if my dad was intent on moving, to find a little place of his own, one level, that better suited his needs. Of course, he's got that now where he lives, on the Jersey shore. He's made many improvements over the years and it's perfect for him.

I suspect one reason, perhaps a big reason, my sister would like to have my dad living there is because she's tried to have renters living there and has had problems with tenants there and stopped renting it out becus she was tired of the issues. And she could certainly use the extra income. I think she overextended herself when she bought her house and she doesn't make a huge income. At the time she made the purchase, I think she was really counting on the extra rental income to get by.

Even at 82, my dad, bless him, is still a bit of an adventurer, maybe even a dreamer, and I'm not sure he has really thought fully about how problematic those stairs will be. I don't think it would make much difference if I pointed this out to him; both he and my sister are the kind of people who will do what they want and forge ahead. My sister bought this old stone house with 3 acres so she could farm it to her heart's content. And coming from a stone house previously, that's all she would live in. She loved the rustic feel of it. However, this house had a lot of things to be fixed; she doesn't share much with me, but i can tell by just looking at it that much of the maintenance has not been addressed. It's really unkempt and downtrodden looking. So here she is so unhelpful when it comes to helping my mom, who has Alzheimers, and now she's invited my dad to live up there with her so she can boost her income. And hasn't said a word about it to me.

3 Responses to “Finally, an answer from the heatlhcare exchange”

  1. VS_ozgirl Says:

    Let's just hope that if he does live with her that she will take him under her wing and look out for needs. Also, if it doesn't work out, he's already moved away from the Jersey Shore, he can always look for a suitable place close to you guys

  2. LittleMissSplendid Says:

    Wow what a doozy that healthcare form has caused. I'm crossing my fingers hoping you get it correct asap.

  3. frugaltexan75 Says:

    I hope the corrected form arrives quickly!

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