The Kids Have Medical...Finally!
I just could not stand using the same old Medical Coverage Title one more time - and this works because at least something has finally changed in the status! The kids truly and honestly have health care and it only took 5 months and about as many visits to the VZP office.
When we last left off, I had been to VZP with all the forms and received the news that I would have to go back again on the 13th...giving their own specialist time to look over the forms and approve them and to pay up. I was all set to head off first thing in the morning with only one child to deal with and get this all taken care of. However, as some of you know Alex has been sick all week and yesterday was the first day she attempted going back to school. Sometime after 11am I received a call from the school letting me know that I should plan on picking Alex up at 1pm...a full day was proving too much for her after 3 days of sitting on her butt playing video games on her computer. Thinking I would still have time to get down and take care of things before getting her, I decided to get myself and Logan ready for the excursion. Then it dawns on me what time I would actually be arriving at VZP - lunchtime. Okay, change of plans. I would now be going down with both kids in tow...both sick at this point, so maybe this would be a sign to them of how much we needed a plan!
At 1pm Logan and I arrive at Alex's school - she really does not feel all that well and missed us terribly. She then mentions that she wants a nap. Boy do I feel like the World's Worst Mom when I tell her that we have to run an errand first but then she can nap to her hearts content. Of course, with the mention of having somewhere to go, Alex is no longer tired but asking for each and every detail of what we need to do... Where are we going? Tram or Metro or walking? Why are we going to VZP? Do you have any snacks for me? So the last one was not really related but proves that she must have been feeling okay enough if she was looking for food!
Due to the fact that Alex now prefers trams to metro trains, we head over and wait a few short minutes for any of the 3 trams that will take us down to the Dejvicka rotary and Vitezne namesti where the office is located. As we walk to the building Alex asks whether or not the lift will be ready...I tell her not to hold her breath! Up the 3 flights of stairs we trek, get our number from the machine - 30 - and have a seat. A few minutes later our number appears on the LCD panel and in we go...I look like I am suffering from the Plague due to the brisk gate up the stairs with the stroller and my backpack, Logan has a lovely medley of colors pouring out of his nose, and Alex sounds like she will hack up a lung at any moment. Do we need health care or what?!?!
I get the woman from the first time there - limited English but at least she has some conversational ability - and she knows that we are expected. She asks for our last name and begins searching through the first of 5 stacks on this side desk, each about 2 feet high. Now, here is where knowing English words and knowing English in general would be a big help. Alexandria and Logan's files are the top two on a certain stack but because she does not know how to spell either of their first or last names, she starts going through each and every pile. I tell her politely that they are on the top of Stack 4...she picks up Alex's, puts it aside, grabs Logan's, and heads for her desk. One child, correct? Ahhh - No. There are 2 kids with me, 2 Hodson files, and when I entered I said I was here to finish up with the children's (plural) coverage. Oh God - back to the stacks she goes and begins the search once more...tossing Alex's aside once again. Okay, having had enough of this I assist her in finding the folder by picking it up and handing it to her. Two files, two children...looks like we are ready to get the show on the road.
We all move to her desk and start going through yet more paperwork that needs to be created and signed. As if searching for our files was not painful enough, I am now treated to a display of typing abilities that can only be compared to a blind monkey trying to enter the Gettysburg Address with someone else's toes! Hunt and peck does not even begin to describe this slow and dreadful process. After a few mistakes on my name...let's face it, Pamela is a hard one to get right, we are onto the printing out and signing of this new stack of forms. Thank God this is my last time here for the kids.
Or is it?
She tells me I now need to pay. Great, I came prepared and pull a wad of 2000 cz banknotes out of my purse. I am greeted with a startled look - "You do not pay here. No - we will give you forms and you need to go make the deposit at our bank. They will then give you a receipt showing us payment has been made, and you will return here. Only this time, you just need to knock...do not take a ticket". All I can think is that there just has to be a camera somewhere and we have been chosen as the test family for the Praha version of Funniest Videos or something. There is no way this insane process would fly in the States and I have just about had it with all this running around...especially with sick kids in tow and those stupid stairs to look forward to again! She hands me the forms and I am rewarded with seeing that they could not even make it the slightest bit easier by using the bank in the same building...oh no, we need to take a walk to the next intersection on this busy rotary. So off we go...down the stairs, out the building, across the street, and into one of the many banks that have no English speakers on staff. No problem, I wave my forms and am told to go to the one and only teller line. We are the 5th in line and patiently wait our turn. We get to the window 15 minutes later and the woman quickly processes my deposit, provides me with two receipts (one for each form), and we are on our way back to VZP all within 30 minutes.
As we enter the VZP waiting room, the woman I am dealing with is trying to leave the office but waves us in...most likely because both kids have no had it with this little adventure by now and she may be feeling sorry for me. In we go, I hand over the receipts, she attaches everything to the individual folders, prints out a few more things for me to sign, then prints out my receipts for the payment, gives me copies of their contracts (all in Czech), gives me a list of doctors from Praha 1 through Praha 10 that I am free to choose on my own accord, and then the moment we have all been waiting for occurs...she hands me two plastic-encased medical cards for the children. Oh Glory Be and Saints be Praised...the kids have Plan Cards. I almost weep because I honestly never thought I would live to see this moment!
Now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I am almost ready to undertake the entire process once more when my journey into obtaining coverage for myself begins next week...
When we last left off, I had been to VZP with all the forms and received the news that I would have to go back again on the 13th...giving their own specialist time to look over the forms and approve them and to pay up. I was all set to head off first thing in the morning with only one child to deal with and get this all taken care of. However, as some of you know Alex has been sick all week and yesterday was the first day she attempted going back to school. Sometime after 11am I received a call from the school letting me know that I should plan on picking Alex up at 1pm...a full day was proving too much for her after 3 days of sitting on her butt playing video games on her computer. Thinking I would still have time to get down and take care of things before getting her, I decided to get myself and Logan ready for the excursion. Then it dawns on me what time I would actually be arriving at VZP - lunchtime. Okay, change of plans. I would now be going down with both kids in tow...both sick at this point, so maybe this would be a sign to them of how much we needed a plan!
At 1pm Logan and I arrive at Alex's school - she really does not feel all that well and missed us terribly. She then mentions that she wants a nap. Boy do I feel like the World's Worst Mom when I tell her that we have to run an errand first but then she can nap to her hearts content. Of course, with the mention of having somewhere to go, Alex is no longer tired but asking for each and every detail of what we need to do... Where are we going? Tram or Metro or walking? Why are we going to VZP? Do you have any snacks for me? So the last one was not really related but proves that she must have been feeling okay enough if she was looking for food!
Due to the fact that Alex now prefers trams to metro trains, we head over and wait a few short minutes for any of the 3 trams that will take us down to the Dejvicka rotary and Vitezne namesti where the office is located. As we walk to the building Alex asks whether or not the lift will be ready...I tell her not to hold her breath! Up the 3 flights of stairs we trek, get our number from the machine - 30 - and have a seat. A few minutes later our number appears on the LCD panel and in we go...I look like I am suffering from the Plague due to the brisk gate up the stairs with the stroller and my backpack, Logan has a lovely medley of colors pouring out of his nose, and Alex sounds like she will hack up a lung at any moment. Do we need health care or what?!?!
I get the woman from the first time there - limited English but at least she has some conversational ability - and she knows that we are expected. She asks for our last name and begins searching through the first of 5 stacks on this side desk, each about 2 feet high. Now, here is where knowing English words and knowing English in general would be a big help. Alexandria and Logan's files are the top two on a certain stack but because she does not know how to spell either of their first or last names, she starts going through each and every pile. I tell her politely that they are on the top of Stack 4...she picks up Alex's, puts it aside, grabs Logan's, and heads for her desk. One child, correct? Ahhh - No. There are 2 kids with me, 2 Hodson files, and when I entered I said I was here to finish up with the children's (plural) coverage. Oh God - back to the stacks she goes and begins the search once more...tossing Alex's aside once again. Okay, having had enough of this I assist her in finding the folder by picking it up and handing it to her. Two files, two children...looks like we are ready to get the show on the road.
We all move to her desk and start going through yet more paperwork that needs to be created and signed. As if searching for our files was not painful enough, I am now treated to a display of typing abilities that can only be compared to a blind monkey trying to enter the Gettysburg Address with someone else's toes! Hunt and peck does not even begin to describe this slow and dreadful process. After a few mistakes on my name...let's face it, Pamela is a hard one to get right, we are onto the printing out and signing of this new stack of forms. Thank God this is my last time here for the kids.
Or is it?
She tells me I now need to pay. Great, I came prepared and pull a wad of 2000 cz banknotes out of my purse. I am greeted with a startled look - "You do not pay here. No - we will give you forms and you need to go make the deposit at our bank. They will then give you a receipt showing us payment has been made, and you will return here. Only this time, you just need to knock...do not take a ticket". All I can think is that there just has to be a camera somewhere and we have been chosen as the test family for the Praha version of Funniest Videos or something. There is no way this insane process would fly in the States and I have just about had it with all this running around...especially with sick kids in tow and those stupid stairs to look forward to again! She hands me the forms and I am rewarded with seeing that they could not even make it the slightest bit easier by using the bank in the same building...oh no, we need to take a walk to the next intersection on this busy rotary. So off we go...down the stairs, out the building, across the street, and into one of the many banks that have no English speakers on staff. No problem, I wave my forms and am told to go to the one and only teller line. We are the 5th in line and patiently wait our turn. We get to the window 15 minutes later and the woman quickly processes my deposit, provides me with two receipts (one for each form), and we are on our way back to VZP all within 30 minutes.
As we enter the VZP waiting room, the woman I am dealing with is trying to leave the office but waves us in...most likely because both kids have no had it with this little adventure by now and she may be feeling sorry for me. In we go, I hand over the receipts, she attaches everything to the individual folders, prints out a few more things for me to sign, then prints out my receipts for the payment, gives me copies of their contracts (all in Czech), gives me a list of doctors from Praha 1 through Praha 10 that I am free to choose on my own accord, and then the moment we have all been waiting for occurs...she hands me two plastic-encased medical cards for the children. Oh Glory Be and Saints be Praised...the kids have Plan Cards. I almost weep because I honestly never thought I would live to see this moment!
Now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I am almost ready to undertake the entire process once more when my journey into obtaining coverage for myself begins next week...
posted by Pam at
6:02 AM
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