Looks like America Has Forgotten the Pandemic
OK, I have covid. I am positive and doing ok. Now the next thing is to make sure my lovely bride of 45 years is also ok. We needed that especially since tomorrow she is to go do her duty as Gigi, babysitter to the two greatest grandchildren on earth. Yeah, I’m just a little biased.
So logically we have been trying to get her a test. This should be the easiest thing about this disease at this juncture. Should be. But of course, nothing is ever easy. It’s like the world has declared the pandemic is over.
At first, I thought it was easy. I got my wife an appointment at the local Walgreens. I got it yesterday for today because there are so few appointments available. It seems same-day testing is almost impossible. So easy, you think.
Today she shows up for her testing. First, there was no one scheduled at that Walgreens who could do the test for the time she was scheduled. So she was told to come back in an hour. So the wife has her first pissed-off moment on this covid test chase.
She comes home and then goes back to Walgreens at the new time. After having to wait once again in line, she finally gets to the window. It was then that she was told that her military Tricare insurance was out of network. This was after I had tried to verify that it was accepted earlier and was told it was. Of course, I should have seen this coming. So now my lovely wife comes home in an even more pissed-off mood. Not that I can blame her.
I had a similar problem about a month ago at that Walgreens. However, I had been tested just this weekend at another Walgreens without any problems. So weird. But it is still no surprise. My mother had a similar experience recently at her local Walgreens with her Tricare insurance. So maybe it’s just a Walgreens and Tricare issue.
Then as soon as she gets home, we are trying to get her a new appointment for today. I am finally able to get her an appointment for a test at a CVS. Not the one down the street mind you. But at least we could get it today. Or so we thought.
At the appointed time, my wife goes to CVS for the test. After again waiting in line, she was told that the ONE person who could do the test went home early. So now thrice pissed off, my wife calls me up to give me the latest news. I can hear the steam rupturing out of her ears.
I get off the phone with her and call one of Kroger’s Little Clinics. They too had no openings left for the day. No surprise. But the surprise came when the woman on the line took the time to search through their system to try to get my wife something today. She also tried to figure out any other providers she knew who might be able to see her today. But alas she too could not help. But it made my mind up for me.
My wife now has a test scheduled at Kroger’s Little Clinic for tomorrow. The delay will lead to some hard decisions on babysitting and work and a couple of other issues that are above my pay grade. Those I’ll leave up to the parties involved. After all, I am just grandpa, the joyful human toy of the greatest grandchildren on earth. Yep, my favorite job.
The good news is that I have been trying to figure out a place to get more of my primary healthcare taken care of. I may have found it. Maybe the Little Clinic may help me solve a big problem. But we’ll see. We’ve only used them once before. But after tomorrow, they just might become one of the first places we will look for help. Again we’ll see.
Of course, for any military member or retiree or their family members, we will all have to wait to see what new surprises and confusion will January 1, 2023, bring. I think the whole world will be playing catch up to whatever new adventures in medical care Congress and Tricare will heap on us. Of course, that is if Congress can actually do its job and pass a military budget by then. But with all the political infighting and posturing, I think that is very unlikely.
But as always, I am hopeful and thankful. And of course, as always I will choose joy.