You might be a genius if....

You can successfully navigate the mountains of paperwork needed to apply for assistance by the Federal government. I could start on about corporations and payouts and stimulus, but I really think that horse is dead, having been beat thoroughly. Instead I want to grouse about how freaking hard it is to get help.

Last week my husbands position as an office manager was eliminated, so we have begun the process of looking for any reprieve anywhere. I have been watching the news and hearing the stories with trepidation knowing that there was no way we would be spared somehow, someway. In my immediate family we are three sisters, now that the husband is jobless only one out of three husbands has work. In my husband's family including us only one of three husbands is working.

The last time I was forced to swallow my pride and beg for help I remember I had to keep a special portfolio to collect all the needed information to present to the proper agencies. It was never just as easy as going through old bills, there was always something more, something insanely difficult to prove. This was also pre-katrina and the subsequent fraud so I am quite sure it has only gotten harder.

What I do remember was the intelligence of the participants and how savvy they were to this complicated system. I remember them telling me when to apply for what, how to make my application look better and in general how to work this system.

Amidst all of this I somehow lost my medicare part D prescription coverage and needed a prescription to be filled. A prescription that out of pocket would be $400.00. I spent the better part of four hours on the phone dealing with medicare, pharmacies and my former insurer. I will have coverage starting again in May, but there is little I can do until then. There is a program for this situation and I even found a pharmacy willing to try to help; however my former insurer has not updated my records to Medicare. Because of this it appears that I am still covered so therefore I am not eligible for the urgent situation intervention.

At one point the helpful pharmacist said to me, I guess they think if they make it hard enough you will just give up. She's right there have been other times in my life of which I could have qualified for help, but the sheer daunting process of fighting for it was too much. I can guess the amount of help we will receive will depend on the amount of determination we put forth. Having three children in the house and a part-time forth who eats as much as the three leaves us with no options.

I know things will get better, the sun comes out and all that happy crap, but I would really like to know when someone if ever is going to address the mountain of bullshit that comes with being an honest citizen and trying get a little assistance from this great country.