Down the Rabbit Hole

There really is a rabbit-hole and I have fallen into it and found myself in Wonderland. This is the land where “so many out-of-the-way things had happened lately, that Alice began to think that very few things indeed were really impossible.”

My first Wonderland adventure began with a call to Medicare customer service. (No jokes about oxymorons, please.) I spoke with a lovely woman named Ms. Glass (Through the Looking Glass? Just saying…)

Having been in customer service myself, I treat all representatives with a cheerful “We’re in this together,” attitude. After all, they are only passing along company policy.

My call was regarding a $254.00 amount on my bill, hanging on after my knee surgery. Ms. Glass was very efficient and explained this amount was due to “self-administered medication.”

Say what?

It appears when the night nurse brings you a pain pill, and you swallow it with a glass of water, that is “self-administered medication” and is not covered by Medicare. In my 24-hour stay, I had about twelve interactions where I took a pill.

This is as opposed to hospital-administered medications like intravaneous fluids, etc.

Well, I couldn’t help myself when Ms. Glass delivered this information. I whooped out loud. “Well, what is the alternative?” I asked. “Am I supposed to let the nurse jam it down my throat so it is hospital administered?”

Ms. Glass did not find this funny, although I am sure she is a delightful lady. She did thank me for laughing, however, and said that this is the point where most callers begin cursing her. Poor thing.

My next call was to the hospital, which immediately recognized the “self-administered medication” charge and said they write off 75 percent of it.

I was ready for a “Drink me” potion, but not the sort Alice tried.

A second Wonderland episode has to do with local politicians. No surprise there. Alice once mused, “The question is, whether you can make words mean different things.”

Wisconsin has a law that if a legislative position is vacated before May of the current year, then a special election must be held to fill the spots. Makes sense, right? Vacating before May means the position would be vacant for more than half the year, so a special election should be held.

There are two districts that have been unrepresented since December of 2017 and they are suing because they want the right to a special election.

Response? They do not need a special election because those spots were vacated in 2017 and not 2018.

Ms. Glass, meet the Governor of Wisconsin.

Curiouser and curiouser, I say.