I hope I’m not jinxing myself, but it looks like I’m having 2 successes thanks to having time to persist and negotiate.
1. My long-time-coming blinds company finally admitted their error and is remaking the last 2 blinds. If I hadn’t had time to keep insisting (in a calm teacher voice) that it was their professional responsibility to do them right, I know I would have given up.
2. The company DH worked for contributes a whopping $94.42 a month per retiree for insurance reimbursement. I messed something up, my mistake, when I moved and the carrier has insisted for 7 months that I’m losing the benefit. I have spent over 20 hours on the phone, written letters & emails, and cried. Finally, about 3 weeks ago, I gave up. I just couldn’t keep running into their brick wall. Yesterday an agent called me, said there are other retirees in the same boat, and did I have time to fix it? You bet! We spent 1.25 hrs and, knock wood, I think it’s fixed. I won’t know for sure for a few weeks, but I’m optimistic. If I’d been working, I wouldn’t have been able to do all my protesting or been able to take the call.
I’m so grateful to be retired. Please hope with me that both situations are fully resolved. Thanks for reading.
I so agree with you that it is a definite plus in retirement to have the time to doggedly and diligently pursue anything that crops up. In my state, the medical plan is changing for public employee retirees from a state Medicare benefit plan that will be no longeroffered to Aetna Advantage. I will not be Medicare eligible till next July, yet I am receiving all the mailings about it when I should still be in the state plan for current employees and non-Medicare eligible employees until Medicare kicks in next July. Others who are in my situation are not getting these mailings, and I am concerned they will switch me over incorrectly (they made a mistake with my dental insurance when they were first processing my application, so I know they make errors). Because I am retired and have the time, I will be calling Aetna on Monday and if they can't help me, I will be able to bite the bullet and stay on the phone waiting to talk to someone from the state pension and benefit office. Definitely could not do that if I were teaching! I hope the insurance situation in particular works out. Fingers crossed for you...
NJ Teacher, keep at it. That’s exactly what happened to me. I was never notified of a problem, I just happened to notice something new in my online account. And I tried for 7 months to get it fixed. I still have my fingers crossed. Good luck to you.
I never realized you were retired. I can't wait to have time to do basic remodels!!!! ( To be totally honest, I can't wait to have OCD cleaning time, to clean until this place sparkles once again!)
All I want is new carpet, tile, and maybe the bathroom redone. I hope your issues are resolved. It is good you have that calm teacher voice to help you along w/ the time! I think I am going to be so relieved to be out of the classroom and get more life things done!
Now I see where The Trunch has been hiding too. She hasn't been on the vent board for ages!!! Candy to all!
I am just retired this year and don’t know how I got everything done at home while I was still teaching. I am up with my kids past 9:30 doing homework etc. My son needs extra support. I used to be so stressed out because I had my own work to do. After I was done with them at 9:30, I would then have to go through any of their paperwork that needed to be signed, filled out etc. I too miss colleagues and students, but I’m so grateful I am able to be home while my children are 11 and 14. It’s great to go shopping in the day and make phone calls and communicate with my children’s teachers at any time. Maybe I could’ve benefited from staying a little longer financially, but I have no regrets because it’s a gift to be home for my children without all the other responsibilities of work.
Amiga 13,
I'm sure things will eventually work out; hang in there! I'm trying to do the same with working to get signatures on the petition to fight the government theft of our SS simply because we were teachers - you'd think we'd be rewarded for teaching our youth and preparing them for the future, but NO (!), we're penalized!! To sign the petition go to: edadvocacy.nea.org. If you need any further help please post a message to me. Thanks, if we can get the WEP and GPO repealed we will ALL benefit financially!
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10-20-2018, 06:42 PM
I think I am going to be so relieved to be out of the classroom and get more life things done! 
