An entry error.........

I was sound asleep when my 8 AM alarm went off.  It started out as part of whatever dream I was having until I realized it was some annoying sound that I needed to address.  The dogs were extremely confused.  I only slept a few minutes before that silly 3 AM alarm.  I could not turn off all of the things that were running through my mind.

I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach.  Once reality set in, I realized that I was not going to get any more money from Social Security.  I had no insurance... no Medicare, no supplement, no drug plan.  And who knows what other agencies that information was being sent to.  But the Social Security Administration thought I had died.  And when they think you are dead... for all intents and purposes.... you are dead.

The young women at Social Security phone bank at 3:00 AM had started out bored, but we were in giggles by the end.  She had looked at my records, verified that I was listed as having died and said that I needed to get to a Social Security Office "forthwith" as is expressed on 'Blue Bloods'.  So, alarm set for 8:00 AM, I finally managed to drift off to sleep for about 5 hours.  Then the alarm went off.....

I felt as if I had been drugged or had been drinking all night.  Head hurt, stomach hurt, feet not working well, having to state my next step out loud just to get my brain to begin working.  I kept looking at the clock and time kept moving even when I still felt like time had stopped from the time when I found out I had died.

The Fairbanks office of Social Security opened at 9 AM.  I had planned to be there at 9 AM, but my feet would just not work fast enough.  I pulled out of the garage here at 9:10 AM.  The GPS drove me directly to the building, although I made a wrong turn before the last turn as my mind was just not quite with it.  I parked easily and walked into the Federal Building.  There were two guards and bins for coats and pocketbooks as well as a metal detector.  I set off the metal detector with my artificial knees and I thought about explaining that it was OK as I was also dead, but did not think the guards would have thought it too funny.  I was directed to the Social Security Office, just down the hallway.

I walked in.  No receptionist, just an armed guard who directed people walking in to the Kiosk in front of her, if they had not already figured out that her job was not to do anything but guard the office.  I filled out the questions and thought about the poor folks who could not read or fill out a form on a computer kiosk.  I had to wait for 5 people ahead of me who also did not have an appointment.  Several of them were looking for lost SS cards in order to secure jobs,  Sadly none of them had a phone and one had no mailing address.  One becomes grateful for what you have when you hear a person struggling to try to get work so they can afford to live in a warm place and perhaps get a phone of some kind.  Hopefully they have not been sleeping outside as the nights (and some days) have not gotten out of single digits.

My number was called fairly quickly and I went up to talk to Pam... I think that was her name.... and she asked how she could help.  I told her quickly that I just needed to have this issue resolved and she began madly typing into her computer.  She typed and typed and typed and then explained that she was trying to find out what had happened or how such an error could have been made.  She assured me it was nothing that I did online... phew.... and then began more typing.  Finally she paused and turned to the gentleman behind her at a desk and told him that she had never done a resurrection before and could he help.  Indeed, that is what the folks at SSA call correcting an erroneous death report.  Yes, a resurrection!!!

Fortunately I had gotten my Alaska True ID driver's license so they had my new address and a federally sanctioned ID.  A printout, a copy of my driver's license later and I was assured that I was once again alive and all would be reinstated to the original status.  Might take a day or two, but Medicare would contact everyone they had sent the notice to and would make sure I was back on their lists with all of the same coverage that I had before I died.  I was back at home by 10:30 AM.  It was handled efficiently and quickly!

I had call from Edmund John, my guy at Banker's Life.  He has handled all of my Medicare supplements from day one.  I left a message for him last night at around 10;30 PM.  He called me early evening, his time, tonight.  He is going to also make sure that I get back on the roles of my insurances and also make sure that I will be properly covered next year.

So, I guess I am back among the living.  I will be checking on things over the next several days.  I am hoping that it will all continue to be as simple as today was.  But I am not going to hold my breath!  

Keep your prayers coming.