I don t usually do postings, but this is highly im...

I don t usually do postings, but this is highly important and could develop into devastating consequences for me. I am a retiree and have been on my husband s medical insurance, so I chose to use the deferred option at retirement. My husband became ill and after he exhausted FMLA and maximum leave time, his employer terminated him as of March 8, 2018, and notified us that our medical coverage would cease on March 31st. I contacted TRS on February 28th, told the representative
that I needed an application mailed immediately and that I am being treated for an unpredictable serious chronic illness and cannot afford to be without insurance. She was very nice, said she understood, explained the documents I would need to submit with the application, and assured me that she would have the application in the mail that week, and if I could get it completed and faxed back within 10 days, my TRS Care medical coverage would be effective April 1st....and then graciously said she hoped that I would get to feeling better. But.... here it is, April 23rd, nearly 8 weeks later, and NO APPLICATION has come in the mail. I have followed up with emails, called multiple times in March and this month, on hold so long, left messages which were not returned, but finally stayed on hold for over an hour today and got a young man. He apologized and assured me he would get it in the mail, himself, today. I asked if my initial contact request back in Feb. had been documented, & messages emails I had sent, and he kind of mumbled yes, some mix up, but he would get it out right away he told me (after I took down his name and his superior s name), which I wish I had done with the first attempt. This mix up is causing my benefits to not go into effect until June 1st, and that s IF I actually do receive the application as promised. I have lupus, and have been getting IV treatments, and under the care of nephrologist due to kidney involvement and need frequent MRIs, CT scans, etc. Due to this delay in obtaining the medical benefits promised to me through teacher retirement, I have had to cancel treatments, scans and appointments because I cannot afford them without insurance. Well, my health has deteriorated already since discontinuing my prescribed treatment plan, and I am currently basically bedridden, praying my body can hold up for another 37 days without the continuous lupus flareIm in causing serious and/or permanent damage to my body/organs. I just want to say that both phone reps were courteous and seemed attentive to my needs, but.....this means very little to me now, and has become DISINGENUOUS. To try to understand why my request had been apparently placed in the low priority, to do later , forgotten stack...I decided to check what the heck might be going on by searching their website and I noticed that they have posted some job openings for quality control personnel and in other areas that make me hopeful that the service we all get in the future may be getting better over time. For current quality control personnel......PLEASE hire more than one person to kick start the clean-up and get it done quickly and efficiently. The last thing TRS wants is to see an army of teachers/TRTA members, organize a march on the capital in Austin.........the idea is already getting bounced around at TRTA meetings all over Texas. Don t mess with Texas Teachers! No, really, I feel blessed to even have access to these services. Truly, TRS, all teachers, who currently have or who have had, the precious minds, hearts and souls of Texas children, YOUR children, in our loving care, work hard to earn our benefits. I simply feel that we all deserve to have high quality services that we, as teachers, were required to provide to Texas children and their families. We rely on our TRS organization to meet our needs courteously, respectfully, effectively, efficiently and with fidelity.