benefits that don't benefit

OK I probably shouldn’t complain about this because it’s a good thing I am happy and healthy, but every time I’ve been in a job with medical benefits, I see chunks of my pay check disappear every 2 weeks. When I know I am going to be out of the job soon, I make medical appointments so I can reaffirm, once again, that I am healthy.

Right before I handed in my resignation letter last November, I made sure that I would see the dentist, eye doctor, and “regular” doctor. Each one of these visits ending up costing me, even with my so called PPO plan. At the eye doctor, I had to pay for glasses, which is understandable since the lenses needed to be shaved down and the frames were the sassy Bebe “luscious” model. At the dentist, I had to pay extra for the 2 cavities she found. But this “regular” doctor visit, I’m just learning, is costing me the most! I just received notices, now 7 weeks after the visit, that lab work and the initial visit weren’t fully covered and they’re wanting almost $400?!?!??!!?

What the hell? Why did I let my paycheck dwindle if I was going to just have to pay for it anyway? I’m sure the insurance would have come in handy if I were seriously hurt [again thank goodness I haven't been], but the cost of these 3 routine checkups is absolutely ridiculous!

Can anyone explain this to me?

And can I shout out AMEN again for not being at that full-time job anymore!?! I’m making only a couple of hundred less teaching 2 sections and I’m barely on campus more than 15 hours a week, including the time for my own coursework. That’s one thing about academe that I will forever appreciate!

Enough bitching, I need to go call the insurance people for an explanation then finish reading Freud and feminist reactions to his case study of Dora.