Usually, I avoid conflict at all costs. Usually, I just want everyone to get along. I am by nature, an encourager. I will go to great lengths to make sure that everyone is happy. I shove my own feelings down and push anger to the side. I can smile and move on with the best of them. But if you mess with one of my kids, or my students, or my friends… woe be to you. I become a warrior.
Today I had to go into warrior mode. My opponent? The insurance company. I know what you are thinking, David vs. Goliath. And you are right I am a little pion in comparison to the massive machine of big insurance. However, that did not hinder me today. Today I was on the phone for two hours talking to a host of “representatives” who each told me a different thing. Hannah needs medicine for her trip. She will be gone for 6 months. To get 6 months of medicine it takes prior authorization, a vacation override and an act of congress. I am smart however, and I knew this would not be an easy task, so I started in October. My logic was that if I needed the medicine in January, a four month head start would be sufficient. Little did I know what lie ahead. So far I have talked to probably 12 “representatives”, 2 managers, and 3 “resolution specialists.” Triple that number for the number of months I have been making these calls. I wanted to comment on the need to have “resolution specialists” but that would not make them any smarter, so I decided against it. I found instead, the more effective way to get their attention (in order to get to the top specialist) is to say “I filed a complaint with the insurance commissioner.” What a difference. After 3 months of run around calls to a whole host of offices, today I got to talk to 3 resolution specialists in one day! Hurray for me! Is the issue resolved you ask? Not to my knowledge. They say so, but they always say so to get me off of the phone. In the meantime, my daughter’s flight leaves on Wednesday. We are without the needed medicine to this point.
Let me just say, do not get between a mama bear and her cub. I am known, in some circles, for my tenacity. It is my intention to make the lives of said resolution specialists miserable until I get what I want. I will methodically, systematically, disassemble their run-around game, one resolution specialist at a time. In the end, we will have her medicine if one of them has to fly it to her to “resolve” the issue. I feel better now.
Thank you for letting me vent. (That is my peace-loving voice in case you missed it.)