Couch 208: The Practical Couch

I hope your appointment goes well @@!

So fun times this morning, I didn't get paid. For some unknown reason I received a paper check today instead of direct deposit. At least I got it today and didn't have to wait.

I see a lot of couchies hurting tonight, I wish you all peace.

I hope it goes well on Tuesday.

I would have panicked if my direct deposit didn't hit my bank. I hope you get it straightened out but glad you got a check right away

I have to have two normal, but what I consider violating procedures done next week. Not looking forward to either one! I talked about it with L today. She told me to understand that I am in control and that I get to make the decision whether or not to do them. And if I decide to do them, it's because the pros outweigh the cons. Still, I'm scared.

I'm kind of in just a sad mood. I don't know why. I'm feeling extra clingy/needy towards L. I just want to be with her.

I did! Started making plans to put off my bills, checking credit card balances to see how much was available, kicked myself that it takes so long to transfer from my savings into my checking, the whole time until I was able to get in touch with HR. The whole thing threw me for a loop, thank goodness I didn't have to go that far lol.

We still don't know why it happened. That's the part that makes me scratch my head. I'm sure it will be fine next payday but I probably won't sleep the night before for stressing about it.

Hey Couch! Long time no see.

I am upset right now bc my employer changed insurance companies this year to Cigna, and my T isn't covered. She said to not worry and she does sliding scale, but I am worried anyway. I bet it can't be as low as my co-pay is now. I'm too scared to see if my GP and Pdoc are covered. I also just spent 10 minutes reading one negative review after another on how bad Cigna is as an insurance company. They routinely deny claims and are terrible at customer service. UGH.

All insurance companies get terrible aggregate reviews with the same complaints in my experience. I mean, they’re insurance companies. Most Americans at some point have thought they’re synonymous with evil.

True, but it seems this one is bottom of the barrel. I don't know, but it scares me.

We’ve had Cigna literally for a couple decades now. I really can’t complain. They have covered everything we’ve needed and my husband is expensive. They covered all our mental health also without problems. Much depends on what plan your company has.

That is very weird! Somebody seriously effed up. I wonder how many other checks got printed instead of direct deposited? This is what used to keep ME up at night! And probably slumber kitty now!

I love your granny! And im glad youre feeling better!

Hi Couch,

Relieved to report that I don't have to worry about crying in front of my boss at tomorrow's work event, as she has to attend another event. That removes a tiny amount of the 'Yuck!', but most of it is still there. I may be asking for pocket riders.

Thanks - I love granny too! She is stubborn and opinionated but she wants the best for everyone. I had to suppress a laugh when she told me she was going to drive down and pick me up. She hates driving on highways and in traffic and won't even drive down the busiest road in her city - meanwhile, I live in a large, metropolitan area that has horrendous traffic and the busy street in her city is like the slowest traffic area in mine She'd never actually do it but I was touched that she threatened to

Hugs, hope it works out financially. I'd check to see if you have any out-of-network mental health benefits. Ours (not Cigna) will cover 60% of T and p-doc visits for out of network (which both of mine are). If you get that, maybe she can adjust your rate a bit lower, so then it would work out about the same? If not, hope she's willing to work with you to charge you something you can afford. She probably would have been getting paid considerably less than her full, self-pay fee from the insurance company anyway (T and I were just talking about this the other day). So her reducing her fee for you wouldn't be as much of a loss to her as it might seem.

Hope that makes some sort of sense!

Hello Couch Folks,
I slept really hard last night. Apparently it was needed. Busy weekend ahead. Today my sisters and I are taking my mom to lunch and wine tasting for her birthday. We did that for her last year and she had a good time so we are doing it again this year. Tomorrow I’m getting together with a friend I haven’t seen in a very long time (like a few years). We are getting breakfast then doing some shopping. At some point this weekend errands and laundry will get done to. (Well, my laundry) I make H wash his own laundry.

Now it’s time to shower and go to the store to buy a new sweater to wear today. H didn’t see my hair yet. I went to the hair dresser on Thursday night and got it cut into a shorter pixie. However, even though I’ve received nothing but compliments I’m sure H will dislike it. He usually hates when my hair is cut shorter but I just tell him it’s my head and if he doesn’t like it then shut up because I don’t care.

Anyway. Onward!

Husbands should do their own laundry imo. They are not children.

I am caught in the weekend morning dilemma of should I stay in bed, since I’m still sleepy, or get up, because I am hungry.

My husband and son do their own laundry!

My H always hates it when I cut my hair (I'm going to do it soon) - but I have really thin hair and it looks thicker and is easier when it's short. I tell my H the same thing.

Have the cat bring you breakfast.

Cheers to not letting the husbands control what we do!

I feel like I've been having one thing after another hit me financially. I can't say that I've just been unlucky, but it still sucks. First there was the $600 the old apartment place charged. Then I got a speeding ticket - that was another $263. My old car got impounded, so instead of being able to sell it to the scrapyard as I had planned, I had to let the towing place have it to pay off the storage fees, and also pay them $125.

I also found out this week that I've been paying $42/session for therapy. Apparently the therapist switched the billing code to the 60 minute billing code even though she does 50 minute sessions. I mean, technically the billing code can be used starting at 53 minutes, but it just sucks for me. I get why she has done this. Insurance now covers 100% of what she bills under the "allowable amount" whereas before they only said 80% was allowable. So she gets paid about $30 more. The reason this affects me is that I have to pay a $25 copay plus 20% coinsurance. It's only $6 more per session, which I know doesn't sound like a lot, but it means I will be spending 4.3 - 5.5% more of my monthly income - meaning I will now be spending 30.5 - 38% of my monthly income for therapy, depending on how many weeks there are in a month.

And Christmas is coming up... so gifts will need to be purchased.

I am trying to do work, but new cat is occupying her bed on my work table and I keep getting distracted by watching her sunning herself, washing herself, and chewing on her tail. She seems to be at peak cat contentment just now.

I would do laundry in exchange for dusting and floors.

What about wives? I do most of my wife's laundry. She usually does dishes and cleans the bathroom, though, which are both tasks I hate much more than laundry.