Life keeps pitching lemons at me

[starlady]

I had a really nice break with my sister in Portland, but when I came back I promptly started freaking out about how much work I have to do in the remainder of the semester.

# On Friday afternoon I got a letter from a collection company saying that I owe my health insurance company $1200 for the services they paid for me for my bike accident 18 months ago. This is the first I've heard of this, although I looked and there is a page in the policy handbook that says I'm obligated to get the money from the third party's insurance company and pay back my health insurance company first. I've been told that in California you have up to three years to claim medical expenses related to an accident. I also called my health insurance company today and spoke with a representative who said she couldn't see any information about this claim in my file. So I have to figure out a) whether the CA thing is true; b) whether the claim from the collection company is genuine; and c) if both a and b things are true, whether I can claim more money from State Farm. I did receive a payment from them, but it did not cover these expenses, so we'll see. I may well wind up having to pay $1200. I'm certainly going to spend a lot of time tomorrow on the phone with insurance companies. All of which I need like I need a hole in the head.

# I got a series of emails this morning saying I've been accepted off the waitlist into the Critical Language Scholarship program in Qingdao, China. Which would be fantastic…except that I've already made a summer commitment and I'm really starting to worry about finishing this 285 [50-page research paper] for my professor, which is a prerequisite to advancing to candidacy, which I need to do next year, period. I had been planning on doing that over the summer and going to China next year (i.e. post-exams, pre-dissertation research). I will probably decline (and I have to decide quickly--the deadline is April 8), but this is another thing I didn't really need to be thinking about.

# I also need to figure out whether I should be paying estimated taxes for 2013. Quickly, because the first payment is due April 15.

Comments

[cupcakemuffin.blogspot.com]

Eeeee, sorry all this is going on! :( The only one I have advice on is estimated taxes. You should do it if you have fellowships/stipends of a significant amount because taxes don't get withheld, but you will still owe at the end. However, IF you did not have to pay a lot this year (on April 15), and you did not do quarterly taxes this year, then you can get away with not paying quarterly taxes and there is no penalty. (That is, there is usually a penalty for owing a lot of taxes April 15, but the first year it happens to you, there is no penalty.) Just make sure you save so it's not a huge chunk of change all at once that is unexpected. Hope that makes sense - let me know if not!

[laceblade]

Ugh on all of this, especially the insurance. Those phone calls have their own dimension in hell, imo.

[meloukhia]

Oh man, that is a lot of lemons.

Here is an answer to one of them: I would strongly encourage paying estimated taxes if you can, not because of the fine for not paying them (it's like $75 or something), but because it SUCKS to get slammed with a tax bill in April next year. Ask me how I know this. *looks at calendar, then bank balance, panics*

[oyceter]

Ugh, and doubly so for insurance issues. And for the poor timing of the Qingdao program acceptance!

[oliviacirce]

UGH. In lieu of anything more helpful: ♥