When I retired, I had health insurance through the school system until Sept. 30. I was told I’d receive a letter over the summer indicating a change in status so my wife could add me to her health insurance. That letter arrived OCTOBER 4, four days after my insurance expired. Because of the timing, my coverage through my wife wouldn’t begin until Nov. 1, thus requiring me to pay a not insubstantial sum out of pocket for bridge coverage for one month. Gotta love the US healthcare system.

BONUS POST:

A few years ago we got substantial rain that lead to the collapse of a cinder block retaining wall that was shoring up an addition on my wife’s home (original home built in 1914; addition added in the 80s or 90s). It was painfully obvious after the collapse that this was a half-ass job by the previous owner, not even remotely up to the task of supporting the added weight of the addition.

This wall collapse was not in any way covered by insurance. Without the wall, my wife’s house would certainly begin to shift and would wind up almost certainly sliding into the neighboring house. But alas, this was not covered.

My wife had to pay $40k out of pocket for an engineering study and a new wall. The wall was a monster that begged the question, how on earth had the house not collapsed with the other flimsy wall.

She paid that wall off in a year and a half!

Nursery fees for three years. £700 a month. Woo!