Mar '03-Sep '05: Health Insurance Tragedy

3/17/03 – THE DEVIL began working as a FIRST JOB for its 1ST EMPLOYER in OUR TOWN. It refused its own FREE employer-provided health insurance to spite TOKEN MALE, as it was costing him $7,000+ a year to insure it!

4/7/03 – As stipulated in our Order After Hearing, dated 4/7/03 and filed 4/8/03: “12. Respondent will continue to maintain health insurance for Petitioner … so long as it continues to be available to him at little or no cost through his employment.” This means that THE DEVIL was effectively ordered to obtain its own health benefits as they were available to it at no cost through its employer, while TOKEN MALE was paying more than $5,000 annually to maintain dependent health benefits on its behalf.

8/18/03 – In THE DEVIL's letter to ITS 2ND ATTORNEY, it admitted that it was dragging out its divorce just to stay on TOKEN MALE's health insurance: “I am getting closer to finishing my reconstruction surgeries. When all is finished, I would like to propose that we finalize this divorce once and for all.”

9/17/03 – In a second letter to ITS 2ND ATTORNEY, it again admitted that it was dragging out its divorce just to stay on TOKEN MALE's health insurance: "I want our next meeting to be regarding finalizing our divorce. I am not in a hurry at this point to do that until I have completed all of my reconstruction."

11/24/03 – TOKEN MALE verified that THE DEVIL's employee-sponsored health insurance was available at no cost to it by calling its 1ST EMPLOYER as a prospective employee and asking about healthcare coverage for a 1ST JOB. As ordered on 4/7/03, THE DEVIL was to have obtained its own, FREE health insurance because its continued medical coverage under TOKEN MALE's employer-sponsored health insurance cost him ~$7,000 annually. Therefore, TOKEN MALE cancelled THE DEVIL's medical insurance during his employer's open enrollment period, to be effective 1/1/04.

1/04 – Upon learning that THE DEVIL had actually REFUSED its own, free health insurance through its employer, TOKEN MALE immediately reinstated its coverage under his employer-sponsored health insurance retroactive to 1/1/04 at a continuing cost to him of ~$7,000 annually. This cost, combined with the $5,160 devil support he pays to it each year, means that he has paid in excess of $12,000 annually for THE DEVIL's support ALONE through 7/05.

11/11/04 – THE DEVIL wrote, “When our divorce is finalized I will agree at that time and no sooner, to cover my own Health Insurance expenses.” But it didn't keep its word. The marriage of TOKEN MALE and THE DEVIL was bifurcated on 4/29/05, and it still didn't get its own health insurance.

1/25/05 – TOKEN MALE and his attorneys met with THE DEVIL and its attorneys at the County Courthouse for a 3-hour meeting in an attempt to settle their differences with respect to finalizing their divorce. Unfortunately, very little was accomplished and most issues were left unsettled. However, it was agreed that their marriage would be bifurcated on or shortly after 2/17/05 following THE DEVIL's next vet check. TOKEN MALE generously agreed to this concession—even though he didn’t have to—in order to ensure that THE DEVIL had medical insurance at its 2/17/05 vet check, as it was understood by ALL that it would no longer be covered under his employer-sponsored health insurance plan upon their bifurcation. Otherwise, their marriage would have ended THAT DAY (1/25/05).

2/17/05 – THE DEVIL had a 4:30 p.m. vet check. Upon arrival, it learned that its appointment had been cancelled. It did not reschedule at this time.

4/1/05 – It returned to its veteranarian's office 6 weeks after its previously-cancelled vet check. TOKEN MALE learned of this from his attorney on Monday, 4/4/05.

4/29/05 – TOKEN MALE and THE DEVIL's marriage was finally bifurcated. They are no longer married.

5/16/05 – As stated in Order After Status Conference (file endorsed 5/16/05) as prepared by THE DEVIL's attorney and signed by the Judge: “The parties stipulate and agree that the marital status shall be bifurcated and a judgment for dissolution of the marriage submitted to the court, subject to Petitioner first having an opportunity to complete her annual medical check up. … In entering into this stipulation, each party acknowledges that medical insurance is available to him or her through their respective places of employment and upon entry of the judgment of dissolution contemplated herein, each party shall be responsible for obtaining and/or maintaining his or her own medical insurance coverage.”

Therefore, effective 4/29/05, TOKEN MALE was relieved of his responsibility to carry THE DEVIL on his employer-sponsored health insurance, and it was ordered to obtain its own medical insurance. However, it failed to comply with this order.

7/11/05 – After more than 2 months of hearing nothing from the Court, TOKEN MALE confirmed with his attorney that he could drop THE DEVIL's health insurance. He then contacted his HR department to begin the process of canceling its health insurance as it is against his employer’s policy to cover exes under his employer-sponsored health insurance.

When TOKEN MALE didn’t immediately cancel THE DEVIL's health insurance following their 4/29/05 bifurcation, it wrongly assumed that he - for whatever reason - intended to voluntarily continue its coverage at great expense to him at least through the end of the calendar year...and it didn't bother to sign up for its own, FREE employer-provided health insurance.

9/7/05 – THE DEVIL left TOKEN MALE two somewhat condescending voice messages:

.....“TOKEN MALE, hi this is THE DEVIL, hey could you give me a call regarding the, ah, the health insurance. Um, I just, ah, came over to get my prescriptions and it says that health insurance has been discontinued which, um, you know, I just would’ve like to have been notified if that’s the case. Um, I didn’t think that it would discontinued until the first of the year, so, um, if you have made changes to the, um, health insurance can you please call me and let me know? Um, I’d appreciate it. Thank you.”

.....“Hey TOKEN MALE it’s THE DEVIL. I just wanted to explain, uh, myself. I understand that my insurance was not going to be indefinite, um, and I do understand that, you know, it’s your right to cancel it, but I just think as a courtesy it would’ve been nice for you to tell me that you were canceling it. Um, and if- it- if you could please just call me back and let me know, um, when you cancelled it and, uh, if you did cancel it. Um, obviously you did because I just tried to fill a prescription and, uh, it wouldn’t let me. It wouldn’t let me. So, again, I think it’s just, again, part of a mutual respect for one another, and, um, it’s just a perfect example that, um, obviously, you know, you…you’re just not very courteous when it comes to certain things. I would’ve told you if I were doing that to you, so, um, you know, unless there’s just a misunderstanding here, I’m not sure, but can you call me and let me know…verify that you, um, cancelled it and let me know when you did cancel it ‘cause I just went to the doctor today so I need ta let them know if that’s covered under the same insurance or a different insurance. Okay? Thanks.”

(Disclaimer: THE DEVIL is NOT being its normal, vicious self in its voice messages. Its communications are typically filled with insults, namecalling, and a few "choice" words. But in this instance, it restrained itself to the best of its ability and kept to just fingerpointing as it tried to play on TOKEN MALE's sympathies, hoping that it could "hoover" him in to reinstating its health insurance [which he couldn't have done even if he'd wanted to...but THE DEVIL is an idiot].)

5 p.m.: TOKEN MALE called THE DEVIL to discuss this issue. THE DEVIL explained that it knew after the divorce was final that TOKEN MALE would cancel its health insurance, but it again expressed its disappointment that he hadn’t let it know that he did. TOKEN MALE said he assumed when they were divorced on 4/29/05, that it understood that he would have to drop it as it’s his company’s policy not to cover exes. THE DEVIL said that it understood, but it thought he would at least cover it for the rest of the year. TOKEN MALE further explained that he thought they were both real clear on 4/29/05 that he was going to cancel its health insurance. THE DEVIL said that it was clear on that, but again thought that TOKEN MALE would at least cover it until the end of the year. TOKEN MALE asked if it had already signed up for health insurance through its employer because, if it had, it would've been double covered all that time and wouldn’t have had any out-of-pocket (co-pay) expenses. It then admitted that it hadn’t, saying that it had given its employer its information but hadn’t followed through.

Beyond all of this, THE DEVIL doesn't quite "get it." It actually thinks TOKEN MALE "failed" it by not properly seeing to its care, and that its bad opinion of him would matter to him. But TOKEN MALE is no longer THE DEVIL's husband: regardless of what THE DEVIL believes, he no longer has any obligation whatsoever for its care or support and couldn't care in the least little bit what its opinion of him might be.