The day started with a call from Dr. M's office: the Queen Mother's liver results were abnormal. He wants to do further bloodwork and get the ultrasound done sooner than early August. Checking with Radiology, there was an appointment tomorrow, but it was at the same time as Himself's quarterly CT scan, so that wasn't going to work. I left that situation with them looking either for another "stat" Radiology opening or another place that they can refer us out to.
On a deep level, I realize I have been waiting for "the other shoe to drop." Himself had his heart attack a couple of months ago, and I've wondered when it would be the Queen Mother's "turn." This might be it. Whatever happens, I'll handle it like I've handled everything else so far.
I made my phone calls but wound up playing a bit of phone tag with them. If I get home too late tomorrow, I'll simply try again on Tuesday. I did reach someone at the Consumer Center, which helps out with Medi-Cal challenges. After explaining my situation, I was informed that it was actually Social Security who needed to certify the Queen Mother as disabled! She might have been certified as a teenager (with all of her surgeries on her legs), but that would have been way back in the late 50's / early 60's. Let's just say I'm not holding my breath in finding any records for her from that long ago! I could still continue with my current plan of gathering key documents, but it's a much longer shot for her to get approved without Social Security's previous seal of approval.
The other option is to go back and see if I can add any sort of "supplemental" insurance that would basically be equivalent to the Queen Mother's Medicare Part B payment. THAT is what is messing us up: if Social Security deducts it, the Queen Mother is just under the Poverty Line; if the state pays it, she goes back over the Poverty Line by that exact amount.
Although I'm not sure of my next move, I know it would be incredibly foolish to cancel the Medicare Part B membership, because that covers (basically) everything outside the hospital and a few things in the hospital. Beyond that, though, I'm clueless in this moment.
I know that tomorrow is Himself's turn, as (I mentioned earlier) it's time for his quarterly CT scan, preceding his quarterly Oncology follow up appointment next week. So my plan right now is to take the weekend to have a good think over everything, then take the next indicated step, whatever that might be.
Nobody said this would be easy, but it would have been nice if I had been given warning about how Challenging this would be!
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