- Medical benefits are normally provided to every Clitheroe employee after 3 months of 40 hour weeks. (I averaged about 60 hours a week for 5 and a half months). I was the only employee at the Point Woronzof facility that was eligible for benefits but was denied coverage by the Salvation Army.
- The accusations used by the Residential Director to take away the medical benefits are detailed on the website and the documents are listed here. The Salvation Army has refused to discuss the accusations with an unbiased third party.
- The medical issues below are the three most important.
- Bipolar disorder, requiring medication and lab tests. [Last physician visit October 2006].
- Testicular cancer, that was in remission, (but is not now). [Last physician visit Feb 2005 See below.].
- Sleep apnea.
Bipolar disorder can be partially managed without insurance. Medical benefits are necessary to get lab work, and better medicines. Contrary to popular belief, there is a world of difference between the services and medicines with "free medicine" vs with medical benefits. My bipolar disorder gets out of control usually once or twice a decade, in December or January.
Testicular cancer is strictly an insurance issue.
The type of cancer I have is mild and treatable. Most doctors treat it quickly by removing the testicle. Some (few) doctors will perform a partial orchiectomy to just remove the tumors. That option is just not available without money or insurance. I tried very hard to do that last time.
Because I am down to my last testicle, I am not willing to have poor man's medicine again.
This cancer is usually very responsive to treatment. I did 20 rounds of radiation, over a four week period, a few years ago. My last follow-up in 2005 was good (See below).
At this point it is obvious the disease has returned. I can easily feel individual tumors again. It does not grow fast, but it has established strongholds in different parts of my body. Forcing the Salvation Army to give me the medical benefits that they were supposed to give me, will let me keep my last testicle. It will also give me better overall treatments (i.e. radio and chemo).
Sleep apnea requires a cpap machine.
This is my the last report, in 2005.
- In order to get insurance, I applied at Costco for a job in mid 2006. Costco is well known for their benefits. I got that job. My benefits at Costco would have been effective January 1st 2007.
- After I started Costco, I was contacted by the Salvation Army about an application I had put in with them previously for a job at Clitheroe. I had conversations with two Salvation Army Directors about the importance of medical benefits. I was given a strong impression that I would get medical benefits within three months if I quit Costco for this job.
- I quit the Costco job a few days before insurance would have started.. A few weeks later the assistant executive Director of Clitheroe supposedly gave me medical benefits here.
- The benefits were canceled by the Residential Director. He was apparently offended that I wrote a report pointing out his responsibility for a client waiting over an hour for medical care. here
- I quit after my medical benefits were denied again in June.
- In September I asked the Human Resources Director for paper justifying the denial of medical benefits. He gave me this.
- I have other minor issues that I had been hoping to take care of with insurance. I have not seen a dentist in many years, and probably have more cavities than most Alaskans (i.e., a lot). I have had back problems for many years that insurance might help. My eyeglasses are ancient.