Mamma Mia
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
My Inner Jukebox gave me a tune as I rounded the first corner of my Vespers Walk this evening. “Mama Mia.” That was a puzzle, as I only know the title, not any of the words. I continued walking, listening to the wordless music continue. At dinner, I Googled the lyrics:
“I’ve been cheated by you since I don’t know whey
So I made up my mind, it must come to an end
Look at me now, will I ever learn?…”
The first three lines fit. I just retired and today I spent a couple of hours filling out forms to terminate my providership with several health insurance companies. In fact, my Vespers Walk took me to the Post Office to mail the Medicare form.
“I don’t know how, but I suddenly lose control
There’s a fire within my soul
And I can hear a bell ring
(One more look) and I forget everything, whoa
“Mamma mia, here I go again
My, My, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My, my, just how much I’ve missed you?
“I’ve been angry and sad about things that you do
I can’t count all the times that I’ve told you we’re through…”
I’ll bet most people have had these moments with their employer or whoever pays them for their work. Frustrated, quitting seems justified in the heat of the moment. Usually cooler heads prevail, particularly as the bills don’t quit coming. I quit the clinic after repeated billing snafus deflated my paycheck and the billing department insisted the deadline to rebill had passed. In my private practice, I had a sense of control, successfully submitting my own billing for years. And if I screwed myself over, I only had myself to blame.
But billing technology changed with COVID and suddenly, it became impossible to do all my own billing. Hiring a billing company seemed to be the answer. And nothing being perfect, difficulties arose and some payments were lost forever. In my career, I’ve definitely had a Mamma Mia relationship with the US Health Insurance industry. And today, I just broke up with them! The forms are completed and emailed and snail mailed. After decades of a Mamma mia relationship, I walked away.
“Mamma mia, here I go again
My, My, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My, my, just how much I’ve missed you?
I can honestly say, I don’t miss you, Mamma mia! Now I will continue my relationship with the US Health Care industry through Medicare, which is a far sight better than my years purchasing private health insurance. Out of 4 decade career in the pastorate of a church, Hospice care and as a Psychologist, 31 of those years I paid for private insurance. Now, one year into Medicare coverage, I am pleased with the price and the services covered.
But, I can’t say I’ll miss my Mamma mia billing relationship!