Follow up on: https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/17a48cl/i_had_a_horrible_realization_today/
I had to follow up on this post as it got a lot of comments and was even reposted by four websites. The TL;DR of the article was HR wanting me back in the office even though I my heart had stopped for five minutes in the ER.
My original horror was that a company could financial support you even though you were incapacitated. The Family Medical Leave Act forces companies to give you your job back or at least a job that pays the same. To me, this is just political pandering; the politicians can say they did something and companies can still not support you.
Everyone else's horror was that HR wanted me back days after my heart had stopped for five minutes. I can't prove the HR is evil or stupid but I can prove they are willfully ignorant. The whole HR process was “following the script” and “following orders”.
They wouldn't accept a disability claim from my regular doctor; only my cardiologist. They wouldn't accept a claim for three months of disability but my cardiologist just gave them copy after copy claiming six weeks of disability.
HR never sent me any paperwork except for three sheets listing my FMLA leave. I am on short term disability and am getting paid.
Fortunately, I work for an old fashioned company that pays 100% disability. I will be returning to work after the New Year. I'm a little paranoid that HR will watch me closely at work.
HR has had minimal contact with me. They made the company nurse call me with information but he always cries, “don't blame me, I'm just the messenger.” This is the same nurse who had a stint and returned to work after four days.
I've been told by several people to start looking for another job (inside and outside the company). Doing that now. I've learned that we are bleeding people because 3% raises aren't enough in this economy.
Financially, I'm good. Old fashioned insurance plus a Health Savings Account means that everything is covered. I'll be on expensive medications through next year but I've got that covered.
(SIDEBAR: I learned you can do a one-time transfer of money from an IRA to an HSA. It's limited to your annual contribution. Google for more info…)
My additional horror is the American healthcare system. Four days in a hospital ran $67,000 and I didn't need to be there the last two days. My insurance didn't want to pay the $4,300 for the portable defibulator so they paid thousands for the extra days and THEN paid for the defibulator.
Three months of meds runs about $7,000. My DexCom (glucose sensor) runs $420 a month or $14 a day. I don't know how Americans survive without insurance or money. (Answer: They don't.)
My brother works for “azul armor” company and told me all of this was standard fuckery in the system.
Back to the good news: Today is my last day on the defibulator. I can drive starting tomorrow. I've kept up with all of my therapy. My ejection fraction went from 25% to 52% over several weeks. The average person has between 55% and 75%. This is how much of your blood gets pumped out with every heartbeat.
Finally, this situation has been eye opening in terms of HR and the American Healthcare system as well as learning who my real friends are. Thank you fellow redditors for your thoughts and prayers.
“Friends stay with you when you win the lottery. Good friends stay with you when the shit hits the fan.”