But not about Obamacare, about my health insurance. As many know I was employed by my employer for 17 1/2 years.  While employed at my job I was a member of Union 1199. I was laid off on June 28, 2013 when the employer decided that Mental Health was not one of their “Core Missions”. I enrolled in the Union’s “Job Security Fund”. This provided a continuation of my health coverage benefits for up to 12 months while I was unemployed. In addition, the Job Security Fund provided a stipend to unemployment benefits to increase the benefits to 80% of the salary that I had when I was laid off. My only obligation was to pay $6.00 per month and agree to attend seminars regarding resume revisions, job interview skills, etc. Shortly after I was enrolled, I received a call from the Job Security Fund saying I wasn’t eligible to be enrolled. Why? Well, it turned out that there was a clause in the Union contract with my employer that said any employee who was employed for 10 or more years with the employer could not be laid off. So, since I couldn’t be laid off, according to the contract, I wasn’t eligible for the Job Security Fund.  This is kind of ironic. Those who worked at my employer for less than 10 years WERE eligible for the Job Security Fund benefits, but those who gave 10+ years weren’t.  I was able to be enrolled in my “partner in life’s” health insurance policy provided i gave them a letter indicating that I was no longer covered by health insurance. Well, 1199 wouldn’t provide me with that letter because they said it was still being negotiated between the Union lawyers and the Agency Lawyers. Fortunately, 1199 agreed to extend my medical benefits through 10/30/13 and if I fax them my unemployment benefits record during the last week of October they will extend the benefits through November. Well, I just accepted another 1199 job that begins on 11/4 and things are a little complicated here. Technically, since I have been unemployed for more than 45 days but less than 6 months, the medical benefits will begin 30 days from the date of employment. But.. If I renew my coverage under unemployment benefits the last week of October it will cover me through the last week of November. But.. one Union representative told me that since I’m still receiving the Union’s medical benefits, the new benefits should start immediately for a seamless transition. In the meantime, I received a letter from the Union saying that my MD was denied payment in August because I was not covered by the Medical Plan then even though I was. This fiasco is the reason that we really need National Health Insurance. I’m still anxious about the fact that, despite what the Union says, I might not have health insurance coverage from 10/31 -11/3.