The Path I Traveled.
A Testimony.
In the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 45, Verse 2. It is written: “I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron.” (KJB).
Introduction. For several years, my husband has struggled with several major health issues such as heart and artery disease and out-of-control diabetes. These have progressed with debilitating side effects. He developed orthostatic hypotension (plummeting blood pressure with certain motions resulting in falls) and vascular dementia.
The Journey Begins.
July 2020. Richard woke one
morning quite confused. He refused to
eat or drink anything. He refused to take his morning medications or allow me
to give him insulin. I begged. I
pleaded. I argued. I cried. Nothing got
through. He was non-communicative.
After trying to get his cooperation for several hours, I called our VA
doctor.
ER. I told
Richard the doctor ordered me to take him to the ER. He got up, grabbed his walker, went outside,
and got into the truck without comment, argument, or struggle. I was shocked. I expected resistance and even refusal.
When asked by the ER doctor why he wouldn't eat or drink or take his meds this morning, he had replied that everything was different. He didn't know where he was when he woke up. I had not known that he was disorientated. The doctor asked if I could care for him at home. I replied that yes, I could, if he cooperated. The doctor responded “Well, he didn't cooperate this morning, did he?!!” However, there was no medical reason for the ER doctor to admit Richard to the hospital. He did not know what to do. He left us alone in the room to discuss it. Rich wanted to go home. I stood by the bed, put my hands on the railing and said, “Honey, I am not at peace leaving you here; but neither am I at peace taking you home. I don’t know what to do.” He repeated he wanted to go home. I bowed my head and began praying aloud. I told my Father I didn’t know what to do. We needed wisdom. We needed peace. And I asked Him to intervene for us.
My heavenly Father had gone ahead of us and straightened out
a very tough rough way on this path. The
ER doctor had consulted with the hospital doctor, who looked at Richard’s
records, talked with several of Richard’s doctors (i.e. cardiologist, etc.) and
made that decision. That burden was
lifted from us – from me. Oh, what a
great God Rich and I serve, and what a loving, caring heavenly Father we have. Richard was even okay with this decision.
Nursing Home. Richard was admitted for observation and assessment. Even though Covid-19 was making its ravaging rounds, I could visit him every day while he was in the hospital. After a few days it was determined he needed to be placed in a healthcare facility. And the doctor so ordered. Again, the burden of this decision was lifted from me. I did not make this decision. It was made for me. I praise God for that. I do not know as though I emotionally could have made it. And another very crooked, rough way was straightened out for me by my heavenly Father.
This was during the outbreak of COVID-19. Facilities were not accepting new patients. God was at work and the hospital social worker found one facility which would accept him. It was not too far from our home. Another crooked way was made straight by my Father.
Finances. Ah,
yes! Finances. This would be the next
mountain I would encounter on this path. Richard’s retirement benefits
healthcare insurance would not pay for long-term nursing home care. I was advised to apply for Medicaid. To do
this, I had to have a New York State approved Power- of-Attorney, signed and
notarized form. The one we had from out
of state did not meet this State’s criteria.
However, our request was accepted. Another concern was that
Richard would be in his right mind, alert, have comprehension and be able to
sign the document. We were taken to a
general meeting area at the appointed time. We stayed six feet apart. The receptionist told me the attorney
couldn’t make it but his representative was on her way, and even though her
name was not on the list, she would be allowed in. When she arrived the signing, process
began. She left with the form. She would notarize it at the office, and I could
pick it up on my way home.
First, an attorney, someone from our past who remembered Richard’s ministry, came along side to help us across this snag on our path. Second, visitation was secured for the meeting to sign the document. Third, Richard was in good form, alert, with comprehension and ability to sign his name. Fourth, all this occurred before the facility was forced into lockdown crisis.
Bank Records. In my meeting with the facility finance
officer, I was told Medicaid required five years of banking records for each. I
called our bank and requested these copies. There would be a fee. When I went to pick them up the next day, the
receptionist told me they didn’t make the copies because of the cost: $150.00
each set. $300.00 total. I had to have them. I had no choice. I went back the following day to pick up the
copies. She smiled and said the cost for my records had been waived, and the
cost for Richard’s records was only $25.00.
I was amazed. I asked how she could do that. She said, “I know people.” I thought to
myself, “I know God – and He did this.”
My Prescription Coverage. I called the prescription company associated
with Richard’s retiree healthcare plan.
I was assured they had not received any information or instructions for
my disenrollment for prescriptions. I was told one prescription was to be
processed on November 28th and shipped out that same day. I didn’t quite trust this information.
She did! And, oh, I was so impressed! She had called the company. She had called the healthcare insurance company. She had called the prescription company. She had called the Union! She had wanted to see what could be done to keep me on the plan. She suggested I might want to call the Union, if he was an hourly employee, and see if there was anything it could do for me (I chose not to go that route: Richard was an hourly employee, but not a union member and did not pay union dues – it would not be right). She gave me the name and phone number of an agent, highly recommended by her agency, who she knows, who works with plans and exceptions, deeply knowledgeable and trustworthy. She had told him my predicament without giving my name, and suggested I call and make an appointment with him. So, I did.
My appointment with the healthcare insurance agent was
scheduled for November 24th..
We will see what there is out there.
But in this, too, I know God has a plan for me – for us. He was even then preparing the way.
My New Ride. During one phone conversation with Richard, he asked me to do something for him. I agreed to if I could. He requested me to look for a more economical vehicle, one easier for me to get in and out of, less expensive to operate and insure, and to sell our 2015 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck. I did not want to do this. I decided I would not do this. It would be paid off within the next year and I would drive it until either it died, or I died. I despised shopping for vehicles. I had never done it alone and was not going to start now. It was a dead issue as far as I was concerned.
The next evening after work, my son entered my room and asked
if Dad and I had discussed replacing the truck.
I was astounded. Speechless. I
hadn’t said a word to anyone. I just
looked at him. Then I told him of our conversation just the night before. I told my son I knew this was a God-ordained
thing; so, yes, we would consider replacing the truck. He told me his son, my
grandson, wanted to buy the truck. I laughed. At God’s humor. At His joy. I was thrilled.
Several things had to happen. I had to secure a loan in my own name to purchase a vehicle in my own name. I had to get the payoff amount for the truck and talk to our insurance agent. The Power-of- Attorney was necessary in this transaction because the truck was in Richard’s name as was the loan, insurance and registration. My grandson also had to secure a loan to purchase the truck. I called the bank Monday morning. Within twenty minutes of speaking with a loan officer, I was pre-approved for a loan. I couldn’t believe it. And it was not contingent upon the truck being paid off. My grandson was approved for his loan. Everything was in place.
My son did all the searching, leg work, phone calling, test driving – everything required when purchasing a vehicle, things I did not know about or know how to do. Once the vehicle was found and the required information sent from the dealership to the loan officer, loan papers were signed via email, and Insurance was put in place. All this was accomplished within a matter of, I think, less than two weeks.
November 13.2020. Friday: On this date I paid off the truck loan. Then I went to the dealership and paid for my “new” 2019 Dodge Caravan – my new ride.
Then it was a matter of relaying all this to Richard. I did
not know if he would remember our having had this conversation or his asking me
to replace the truck with another vehicle. Prior to calling him, I prayed for
guidance and wisdom to say the right things without giving him too much
information so he would not get confused.
I told him the story, starting with his having asked me to shop around for a vehicle, and I verbally walked him through it all, and ended with telling him that today I paid off the truck. It was sold. I also told him I picked up a check to deliver to the dealership for my new vehicle. I described the particulars of my loan, and the vehicle, and told him I would be picking it up in the morning. He was happy about all these events, impressed with my accomplishments, and thankful for our son's help with all of it.
He said he wanted our son and possibly our grandson to go
through everything in the truck, even the underfloor storage to make sure
everything was out of the truck before it changed hands. I said, “So now here's a surprise: the rest
of the story: a wonderful thing. Our grandson bought the truck!” [Silence for a few seconds] Then he
said, “You're kidding!” I said,”
Nope! He got a loan and handed me the
check.” Richard said that he felt really
good about it, and was immensely proud of me and my accomplishments. [This truck had been Richard’s pride and
joy. He had been so proud of it and had
genuinely enjoyed driving it and, more recently, riding in it. Our children knew how much this truck meant
to him. When our daughter saw a posted picture of my new vehicle, she called
and said, “You sold the truck?!” I said,
“Yup!” She said, “Mom, that truck meant
everything to dad!” She settled and was happy when she heard the rest of the
story. For Richard to have asked me to replace “his” truck for something easier
for me was huge!]
When I got home with my new car, I was surprised to find my
daughter-in-law waiting for me. There was a craft show in a nearby town my
daughter-in-law wished to go to that morning, but she waited for me to return
from the dealership so I could go with her.
We took my new vehicle! It was a
great day!
Medicaid Application. Thursday, November 19, 2020. I received a phone call from the nursing home business office. Richard’s Medicaid had finally been approved. All medical expenses will be covered. There may be a charge for his prescription coverage of about $33.00 per month, but this may be covered as well. This approval was retroactive to August 1st. There is to be a refund of his Medicare healthcare deduction on his SS income as of August 1, 2020 through, I believe, November, and it will no longer be deducted from his SS income.
My New Medical Healthcare Plan. November 24th. This was the appointment with the healthcare insurance agent. I reviewed plans and prescription coverages with the agent. I asked questions. He showed me the plan that best fit my situation and healthcare needs. The monthly premium was unbelievable. I expected an exorbitant premium amount for a personal plan. And this plan included prescriptions. One fallback: prescription medications are placed on Tiers. A Tier 3 medicine has a one-time annual cost of $300.00. I have one such medication.
I told the agent about my prescription conversations. He asked me to call them right then and confirm the information. I did. They did. The medication to be processed and shipped on the 28th (November) was this medication. He advised me to let it ride and see if it really would come through.
Now this was important. If this medication did not come through, I would have to have it prescribed in December and pay the $300 annual one-time a year fee. If it came through, I wouldn’t have to pay the $300 in December and then again in 2021.
I received a letter from the former prescription
company: my coverage for prescription
medications was to end November 30th.
I received a confirmation email that the prescription medication did process and ship on November 28th! It really did process and I really did receive it. Just under the wire!
