Yesterday I got the worse news possible~

Not that I am superstitious or anything-- But Friday the 13th lived up to its name. Yesterday, I was laid off from my job. Budget cut backs resulted in lay-offs of new hires. (I had been at NIH for only a year) Just when I had all my testing done, got my approval and date -now I am going to lose my insurance coverage @ the end of MAY. Of course, there's always COBRA insurance but its so expensive and going to be difficult to pay. (600 bucks!) The worse thing is that I am also moving next week (to Germantown) and this couldn't happen at a worse time. I am devastated. Plus who knows if the next jobs insurance will pay for the WLS. Im job hunting next week. Wish me luck.... Mel...

Hi Melanie- Sorry about being layed off!!! Is it possible for you to pay COBRA just for a month or so and atleast have your surgery? Try to get it done in June so you just have to pay it until then. Maybe your doctors office can squeeze you in......Then you can start a new job after you have surgery..... I would try to work somethng out. I would hate to give up chance. You never know what will happen with insurance you get from a new job! Good Luck!! Mandy

Any chance you can get the date moved up to before the insurance runs out? Best time to have it might be when you don't have to work... so long as it gets paid for of course. Any chance that since they approved it prior to your being laid off that they have to go ahead and pay it? Wonder what happens to people with braces who get laid off before the braces come off. Sucks. Sorry to hear that.

I don't know what your background is but Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services in woodlawn is hiring. The agency got a boat load of money as part of the Medicare Modernization Act. You should get preference as a laidoff Fed.

Dear Melanie, How terribly unfair! I am so sorry for you to have this happen just as you are about to embark on so many new ventures. I imagine this is probably an obvious question, but have you looked at Fort Detrick? I work there in an NCI lab (for a private contractor). The commute wouldn't be bad from Germantown. And as I'm sure you are aware, there are several research entities here under the NIH and the Army. I know budget cuts are hitting most gov funded labs hard so I can't say speak for the job situation here. Furthermore, it is my impression that when employees here have been RIFed in the past, there has been some effort by Human Resources to help find them new positions. Is the same being done for you? If there is anything I can do to help you, please feel free to email me privately. Best of luck with everything. I hope you are able to get everything in order soon so that you can concentrate on what's really important -- starting your new life! Refika Turnier

Thanks everyone for your support! My supervisors knew about this ahead of time and didn't even warn me. At least with a warning I would get a chance to find something else. They knew about my upcoming move and surgery. Those *******s! I was an NIH contractor, not a Fed. But the budget cut backs still effected me and other new hires. One poor fellow that also lost his job --his wife just had a baby. How cruel is that!? Anyway, I have degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. Plenty of lab experience in school but none outside of school. My focus has been in research (non-lab) and programming genetic/genomic data bases. Also Certified MS Access/VB programmer. I also worked as a Paramedic for 8 years, but I am a bit out of shape to ever return back to the ambulance! I also have a background in mental health counseling and pharmacology. (as you can tell, I spent alot of time in school subject jumping ) Wherever my next job might be-- it has to be DC metro accessible. (like Montgomery/PG county, DC or Northern Virginia) Frederick and Woodlawn would be impossible for me. But thanks anyway! I wish I could afford the COBRA but with all my moving expenses, I don't see how I can afford it. Its a bloody atrocity to how much they charge for COBRA. My current insurance expires May 31st. But since my psych had cancelled my appt , I am still waiting on my psych evaluation which was supposed to be on June2nd. (and he doesn't have any earlier time slots either. If it wasn't for that, I could probably get my surgery date moved up a bit. I guess thats the way it goes.... Anyway, I applied for several jobs online ,plus I am going to a biotech job fair. We will see what happens.... Melanie

as a side note...Frederick is barely a hop, skip and jump from Germantown....since you would be driving opposite of most traffic, I bet you could do it in under 30 minutes, probably closer to 20.... RAE

It's a pity you're limited by metro. My lab is in the same wing as the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity under Dr. Steven O'Brien. They seem to be very well funded. I know how ruthless they can be. My friend's husband was fired after 15 years of service. She has MS and they had just finished building a customized wheelchair accessible home. His supervisors weren't at liberty to warn him either, although they fully knew his cir****tances. Fortunately he was able to transfer to a new proteomics lab just opening as he was axed. I understand how difficult your finances must be, but at least with COBRA you have some certainty about coverage. And $600 a month is cheap compared to having to self-pay for surgery. Happily, I am almost 2 months post-op (lap band), but I am always uneasy about what new means insurance companies will dream up to avoid having to pay for WLS. Anyway I hope you will find a new job with full coverage before you have to make that decision! Best of luck! Refika

Rebecca-- I use public transportation thats why I can't go to Frederick. Well I have sent off several resumes. I'm not giving up by any means!! Mel...

Don't rule out carpooling. You might want to check out those jobs at Ft. Detrick, and ask about carpooling options. I know there are probably a lot of civ's that drive from the G-town area to Frederick that would be willing to carpool. Just a thought. Good luck in your search, and sorry to hear about the misfortune. When it rains it pours Kelly