Reply #10: Hugs and advice [View All]

Life can be the pits sometimes.

Tell your doctor that your insurance won't cover your medication. Ask if the doctor can provide samples. I have the same problem with allergy meds, and thankfully the allergist gives me bags full of freebies from his pharmaceutical rep. Also, ask your insurance if they have a mail-order pharmacy that offers discount rates. Aetna does, and so do some other companies. You might also price-shop at at discount stores like Costco, or check drugstore.com online. Check with the pharmacist to see if there's a generic version of the drug; sometimes insurance companies drop name brand drugs once a generic becomes available. Or ask the doc to prescribe an alternative medication. Depending on your condition, there might be an alternative medicine treatment that could be worth trying.


Give your neighbors lots of emotional support. Tell them to write down and document every single thing that was in their house. If you've been in their place, you can offer to attest that they really owned the items they are claiming. We did this for a neighbor and helped them convince their insurer to up the ante. If they have any problems, tell them to complain to their state insurance commissioners office or to a local reporter, since insurers generally don't want bad press.

Here in San Diego, I know many people who lost homes in the recent wildfires, which burned 2,500 homes here. Many found that "full replacement value" policies weren't enough to cover the actual costs of new construction. If that's the case, the strategy is to jack up the value of the belongings lost as high as you can honestly do, then take that money and use it to rebuild the house. You can always get buy with second-hand furniture and fewer knick-knacks while you're starting over, as long as you've got a decent place to live.

Short term--tonight--tell them to contact the Salvation Army. Of all the relief agencies, everyone said Salvation Army was the best at doling out practical help right after a loss, such as clothes, blankets, and gift certicates for grocery stores or Home Depot. Another nice thing is to organize a surprise party for the family that lost their home, to get them started with basics they'll need while renting a new place.

I hope your situation--and theirs--improves. Things can only get better from here.