I suppose having the doctor commit fraud would save the HR person the trouble of actually doing his or her job. jeesh.

ETA: Boobies are being discussed here, and internet porn in Natter. It's a good balance.

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and so I burst into tears. It seemed the thing to do, and it wasn't faked, but I went with it because I thought it might help. And it did.

I'm sorry you were brought to tears, but am glad it worked for you, Fay.

And, yes, granted I'd indicated that I would renew when pressed to say some 3 weeks ago - I ticked a box that said I would be returning. (I didn't date it or sign it, and I did angst over it, because I didn't want to lie when I knew I was in two minds - but in the end I made the decision to safeguard a job in the hand, type of thing, and I do think that that's a rather dirty trick.)

You know what? This isn't a dirty trick so much as working within the systems in place. When I was expecting Benjamin, I knew that, barring catastrophe, I would not return to work. I loved my immediate boss, and considered her a friend, and still could not tell her. I could not tell her, because there is no barring of catastrophes, and if I'd lost my baby late on, or delivered a stillborn child, or a child who needed special care which we'd only be able to afford if I continued to work, that I would need my job. If the system was such that I could have revealed all, and kept my job securely until I was prepared to give it up, I certainly would have revealed all. But that's not what you're dealing with. And when you indicated you would renew, nobody asked you if that was set in stone--that's the purpose of the actual renewal.

And I'm not breaking my contract. Damn it. I shouldn't have to feel like this. I shouldn't be scared that he's going to try to stab me in the back, but at the end of last year he sacked three people on the last day of term, and he's just - he's a bad guy. He really is. Damn it.

That's right. You are not. If the questionaire which asked you if you intended to renew put forth every possible circumstance you might find yourself in, and if you'd renew under those conditions, and had you not renewed, under conditions where you'd indicated you would renew, that would perhaps be a different matter. You gave your answer based on the best information you had at the time (that is--no better opportunity).

Screw 'em.

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And see, every single one of my prenatal visits was covered. Every. Single. One. And no co-pay even. And all those were were routine exams. I would have rather had co-pays for them and co-pays for Em. God I hate insurance companies.

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ask your doctor to code the office visit as something other than a routine exam

A lot of Doctors do this routinely to get around idiotic insurance stuff.

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Aimee, it may not be that your doctor's office has to lie to get Em's visits coded. They may be making a coding error. It happens all the time. Call your insurance, and ask what sort of well baby care is covered, ask them for the diagnosis and procedure codes of the covered care. Then, call your doctor's office, and tell them why the insurance is rejecting and what they will cover.

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Screw 'em.

Yep. They've dicked with you plenty, and you've been on the up and up with them. They got more than their money's worth with you. And you're leaving because they suck. That's that.

They suck. You rock. Next year they do without you. That's punishment enough. Like the people in Purgatory who glimpse heaven but can't get there. They'll think back fondly on their Fay-ful days and sigh and think, "Shit. I really fucked that one up."

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I know. And I did ask, but leave it to me to find the 3 remaining ethical pediatricians in BUrbank.

t disclaimer: not all pediatricians lack ethics.

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What, specifically, does your insurer say is covered in way of well baby care? (I used to be quite involved in this in my old job, which is why I'm being such a pill--because I've seldom seen insurers refuse well baby care, and really do think there might be an error in billing procedure).

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Call your insurance, and ask what sort of well baby care is covered,

I did. They cover up to $100. Per year. That's it. I went through that the first appointment after we got out of the hospital. They'll cover the vaccines and a $20 administration fee for the baby to get them. That's it. THey suck.

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Sorry. Xpost. They do suck.

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