Medical care reality in the US: Job protection / Health care protection
We have applied for job protection under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). "The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is a United States labor law requiring covered employers to provide employees with job-protected and unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons."
Looking over the forms tonight leaves me dismayed to put it mildly. The FMLA paperwork completed by the neurosurgeon's office has incorrect information including a statement that my husband received no referrals for physical therapy and other doctors. What was that three page list of appointments scheduled when he left the hospital? What are the daily doctor's visits he has 4 days out of 5? In addition, they listed incorrect information about the admission date into the hospital.
There's more. They revealed his pathology report findings, which haven't been released to us at this time. "Surprise!" But I find myself taking small comfort in it listed as benign because in post op the surgeon emphasized that one of the two types of benign responses may require radiation, the same as a malignant growth. And then I ask myself: if they screwed up so much else completing this form, then is it really benign?
But that's not all. The FMLA form had contradictory information listed. My husband is listed as both being excused from work until 01/04 AND being excused 0 hours per day, 0 days per week, and 0 weeks per month until 01/04.
After clearly stating in the instructions, "terms such as lifetime, unknown, and indeterminate may not be sufficient to determine FMLA coverage", the phrase unknown was written repeatedly.
So why am I submitting incorrect paperwork? Because I have run out of time. I have already applied for and received an extension because the doctor wouldn't allow the FMLA forms to be completed until a follow up visit 20 days after hospitalization. I received the paperwork late today, 21 days on. I have a total of 25 days to submit this paperwork which will go out tomorrow on day 22.
Now I get to submit this completed paperwork to HR and wait for them to either deny the FMLA request based on bad paperwork OR return it when they see the contradictory information OR approve it provisionally based on even more paperwork from an office that can't get the basic paperwork completed correctly.
I can't wait to fill out the paperwork for when I have a heart attack or stroke from traversing the medical system here in America. Maybe I'll get lucky and die outright and my husband will get to take off time for my funeral. Perhaps then he'll be able to catch up on rest and recuperate from surgery during the mourning phase. I just hope he remembers to get a copy of the death certificate to take with him when he returns to work.
Looking over the forms tonight leaves me dismayed to put it mildly. The FMLA paperwork completed by the neurosurgeon's office has incorrect information including a statement that my husband received no referrals for physical therapy and other doctors. What was that three page list of appointments scheduled when he left the hospital? What are the daily doctor's visits he has 4 days out of 5? In addition, they listed incorrect information about the admission date into the hospital.
There's more. They revealed his pathology report findings, which haven't been released to us at this time. "Surprise!" But I find myself taking small comfort in it listed as benign because in post op the surgeon emphasized that one of the two types of benign responses may require radiation, the same as a malignant growth. And then I ask myself: if they screwed up so much else completing this form, then is it really benign?
But that's not all. The FMLA form had contradictory information listed. My husband is listed as both being excused from work until 01/04 AND being excused 0 hours per day, 0 days per week, and 0 weeks per month until 01/04.
After clearly stating in the instructions, "terms such as lifetime, unknown, and indeterminate may not be sufficient to determine FMLA coverage", the phrase unknown was written repeatedly.
So why am I submitting incorrect paperwork? Because I have run out of time. I have already applied for and received an extension because the doctor wouldn't allow the FMLA forms to be completed until a follow up visit 20 days after hospitalization. I received the paperwork late today, 21 days on. I have a total of 25 days to submit this paperwork which will go out tomorrow on day 22.
Now I get to submit this completed paperwork to HR and wait for them to either deny the FMLA request based on bad paperwork OR return it when they see the contradictory information OR approve it provisionally based on even more paperwork from an office that can't get the basic paperwork completed correctly.
I can't wait to fill out the paperwork for when I have a heart attack or stroke from traversing the medical system here in America. Maybe I'll get lucky and die outright and my husband will get to take off time for my funeral. Perhaps then he'll be able to catch up on rest and recuperate from surgery during the mourning phase. I just hope he remembers to get a copy of the death certificate to take with him when he returns to work.
