I may be stupid...

I just gotta say - it's open enrollment time for health benefits and all that crap, I'm sure many of you are dealing with this yourselves at the moment. You guys, I have 3 degrees from institutions of higher learning and I CANNOT figure this shit out! I have seriously spent many hours (OVER LUNCH, in case my boss finds this journal) trying to figure out which health plan is going to give me and my family the best coverage for what we need for the best price. I JUST DON'T KNOW! Fortunately, all the information is online these days - if I had to do all of this on paper I would've hung myself already, for sure - and as I type this I have 4 browser windows, 2 PDFs, and 2 spreadsheets open trying to make a final decision. Still, I have no confidence that I'm making the right choice. And while Orion is plenty smart and all, you know I can't leave this kind of thing to anyone else. Besides, he would have descended into a deep depression days ago had he been in charge of figuring this stuff out.

I look at the 12 plan brochures, each with 2-3 different plan options, all with different premiums, and co-pays, and deductibles, and PPO networks and I think of my 86-year old Grandmother who had to sign up for the Medicare prescription drug coverage not too long ago. DON'T get me started...

I don't know why I'm telling you all this, other than I need to rant, and I want anyone else out there who's feeling too stupid to function in this healthcare system at the moment to know: I feel you. Better than not having any health coverage, for sure, but still....can we not work this shit out as a people? I know that Americans are supposed to be all about having choices and "control", but I just feel like they're confusing me with their jazz-hands and fireworks and I'm going to end up losing my house when I have to pay my share of the bills when Linus breaks his arm after climbing up on the mantel and playing Supa Fwy!