A "one payer plan" would have been nice!

As a working woman with great benefits I had the extreme privilege (since 1971) of never having to think about doctor visits, paying for tests, health related bills, or doing anything more than plunking down my co-pay and leaving a physician's office. Magically everything happened as planned by the Empire Health Care Plan that New York State provided as a choice for teaching employees. I paid no annual deductible, no paper work to file, no screw-ups and over 30 years of great coverage. When I went for my retirement consultation and spoke with the people in the benefits office at Buffalo State College, I learned that my accumulated sick days would continue to cover the annual cost of my health care, minus a 375.00 yearly deductible which I would now pay out of pocket until I become eligible for Medicare at 65. That's reasonable. I could continue to use any of the physicians listed on the website for Empire Plan. But what I found out when consulting the web list for physicians subscribing to the Empire Plan in CA, specifically my county, is there are none! New York is the Empire state and the Empire Plan works really well in New York. OK, if I had a substance abuse or mental health issues(which I probably will have after trying to figure out the paperwork for my health care) I can choose from a reasonable number of physicians or approved counselors in Davis. But medical/surgical needs? Nadda One! Turns out the closest Empire Plan providers are in Walnut Creek, easily over a one hour drive from Davis. What I have learned after choosing a very nice family practice doctor in Davis, who is "out of network", as is everyone in Davis,is my health insurance will cover 80% of incurred expenses and, once I have paid my deductible and 1,033 the plan then picks up 100%.
None of this would be an issue except shortly after moving I discovered I needed outpatient surgery for what turned out to be a double hernia repair (too much lifting, pushing, shoving, rearranging furniture, and overdoing it during the move). Long story short I'm learning the ropes of navigating a cumbersome, multilayered, mega-papered, health care system and I clearly understand how confusing and frustrating it becomes for an average person. Here is just one example of what I learned through trial and error in my latest endeavor. Certain tests, like an MRI or PETSCAN require prenotification. I must call the "care core unit" at a certain number. How was I supposed to know that? OK, maybe by reading the 156 page book given to me when I retired? I admit I skimmed it....lightly. I didn't find the answer in the book but managed to talk to a real person. After several calls to various numbers I finally got this bit of advice: Once the cheerful automated message voice answers (and after having to call numerous times to get it right I wanted to slam my fist right down it's cheerful throat) I must press #8, after the 2nd automated message, press #1 after the 3rd press #3, and after the 4th, press #5. Then I can speak to someone about what test is being required. "Oh it's really easy to zip through that menu", said the real person I finally managed to speak with after numerous lost-leader calls. "Really easy once you are in control of the secret code I suggested politely".
Another day after an hour of phoning, downloading forms, and faxing documentation to united health care (for the 3rd time because it was "lost") my stomach was completely in a knot and I began to feel really sick. Get a grip I thought. You have a minor issue here to deal with and the process of dealing with the out-of-control health care systems is "sickening" you! I don't know exactly what snapped that day but since then I had an attitude adjustment and started riding the paper wave, joking with the occasional person I could get on the line to answer my questions, and in general started to have some fun when I absolutely had to deal with stuff. I'm happy to report it all seems to be working! The checks are starting to roll in for the blood work, tests, the surgery, doctor visits etc. One cautionary note. I'm not out of the woods yet. I've yet to get a bill!