Get the Most

My health benefits expire each year. This year they expire September 1st, as will the homey generic ointment in my medicine cabinet.  I am doing my best to cram into these last weeks all that I can take, health wise. My body is not the 4.0 it once was. I went to the Natural-path Doctor and start my cleanse tomorrow maybe Friday). I need support from more than Dr. Scholls it based on the tears and limping. I have one more massage left which is booked for next Tuesday, it will be  my 4th in 5 weeks. Last time I had this much rubbing was the summer of conception, 1987.  I used all my psychologist allowance in the first week of last September.

As a post secondary student I have no choice but to enroll in the extended health program.  I appreciate this patriarchal system. The coverage requires that I pay upfront and the send in the receipts and weeks later a check arrives. The check (which does not often cover the full costs) is meant to go back into my health budget but sometimes I forget and think it is free money. Free money should not be confused with someone else money, which can be fun too if there is no interest rate attached. So sometimes I am tempted to go for sushi or treat my guy to a movie.  So I signed up for the direct deposit at least there is a chance the money will be viewed as income and treated  as the  limited life energy that it represents.

There are downsides to the system. I seem to have tonnes of money for prescription drugs and very little for the dentist. Which is weird because everyone has teeth but not everyone has legitimate drug need. This tells me that there is a chance the insurance industry and drug companies have a deal, but what do I know?

Other disappointments include coverage for orthotics at the rate of $100 dollars per year when any legitimate pair of inserts run $400-$600. Thankfully my Podiatrist gave me a 4 month payment plan.  I had a tooth issue and it would cost $1400.00 including the crown to 'fix'. I read the insurance estimate incorrectly and the tooth ended up costing me $1200 and the insurance covered $200. Really, the dentist won on that. Again I asked for and got 6 months to pay for it.  If you ever want to see what a $1400 tooth looks like go down to your nearest Holt Renfew and pick out a decent bag or as a more conservative depiction consider a flight from Calgary to Victoria staying at the Hotel Empress for a few days and add a spa visit.  How about groceries for 10-12 weeks. Teeth maybe overrated but ignore them and much like the "change oil" light on a car you will respond now or you will respond later but you will respond.

There is coverage I will not use. I never had a ride in an ambulance or needed to have a semi-private room in a hospital though it was one hell of a Canada Day party. No need for Trusses, Crutches, Casts or Leg Braces, Artificial Limbs and Prosthetics although I feel a tremendous amount of pain still from last weeks hot yoga session.

I have thousands of dollars of prescription drug money that will likely be left on the table however I still have 7 days left.