Tuesday, December 24, 2013

How to get home health care covered while you still go work every day

It turns out to be a very complicated problem. Not for its own sake. But for the sake of the health insurance company and all of its rules. Now my health insurance is Premera Blue Cross Microsoft, which means it's Microsoft with Premera administrating the plan. But there are still rules to be followed. Like the requirements surrounding home health care (which I clearly need) which I had no problem getting when I was in Building 25. The rest of my group was in Building 86, but 86's inaccessibility last year was legendary. But after half a year and half a million dollars, Building 86 was completely accessible, not just for me but for everyone else working there. And to tell you the truth, it was just in time. Because a lot of being a Senior Program Manager in World Readiness requires real face time -- with champions, with team members, with management. For "influence without authority" to be successful, that face time is required. So now that the building is accessible, everything is good now, right? Well, almost. I have to go to work every day to get the job done. But going to work every day makes me ineligible for home health care. There is no justice to be had here. Or is there? My neurologist is recommending that I work from home. I know that I can't, so AMA (against medical advice), I have to keep going in. The Multiple Sclerosis advocate at Premera Blue Cross says that under these circumstances I may well be eligible for home health care coverage! 😉 At this point, it doesn't matter. If they ultimately decide to cover it, they'll just be paid a little more. Right now I simply pay them out of pocket. And they aren't complaining. Maybe next time I will tell you the good news about the iBOT 4000 wheelchair.... 😊😉😊😉

Monday, December 23, 2013

Blogging appropriately...

Having a Blog is a huge responsibility, especially when you are blogging through your employer. I have found myself crossing the line on many occasions, in large part because I was seldom working from an organized schedule. I like to contrast myself with friend and colleague Raymond Chen, who writes blogs for his Blog many months in advance. I think it might drive me crazy to try that, since the temptation to re-visit and edit and change is simply *overwhelming*. Lacking the discipline of a Chen, I guess I just need (if I ever want my original Blog to return) to have a separate place for blogs too far off topic. I have decided to make it *this* place, where I can Sort the rest of it all Out. We'll see what happens from here... Michael Kaplan