Still Running

[shimmerz]

It all came crashing back this week. Provincial Health Insurance has cancelled me because I am not registering an address - using a PO Box so they can't find me. Yes, I know it was 8 years ago that this started but it only took me a women's centre and death threats to my friends who housed me and then multiple break ins before I determined I had to drop out of sight. So I used an address that nobody could harass me at. A PO Box.

Funny, the insurance company found out after my son posted something in National Post that would have p*ssed them right off. I didn't know until after it happened. I knew I would suffer the fallout. Now I am in fear of losing my license, my disability and have lost my medical insurance. I don't feel like this is a co-incidence. I begged the lady at the office to understand that if she published my address he would get it. She assured me otherwise. I know better. He flushed me out of a women's shelter and two friends houses.

So is it worth it? Do I post my address and get back my insurance or just say screw it and if I get sick just leave me to rot? Do I stop driving to avoid anyone finding me? Does anyone else have issues with a fear of being found?

 

[Recovery4Me]

I use and have used a PO address to hide from an stalker, a crazed abuser x. I went to an attorney and looked up laws in order to navigate my rights as well as protection within the system. Is that an elective within Canada, to seek legal assistance for your situation?

 

[shimmerz]

This man was a lawyer - therefore nobody who mattered believed me. With no proof, I have no right to protect myself. :(

 

[RussH]

Are there any women's resource organizations that you can contact that might be able to put pressure on the insurance company to cease and desist on the address issue.
It seems to me that they would be reasonable considering the situation.

 

[KwanYingirl]

We have HIPPA laws that prosecute any health related business for disclosing any information of a patient. I have used PO Boxes and never had an issue with it.

Good luck. What a bizarre reason to drop someone's insurance. WTF? Do you have ombudsmen in Canada? They are patient advocates that insurance companies have to have on staff.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I used a PO box for twenty five years and am finally using my street address. My abuser is dead and I do not have to fear him finding anything more about me anymore.

I like what Russ said about contacting womens shelters to get an advocate to help get you reinstated on your insurance. Good luck and I a so sorry for all of the hell you have been put through.

 

[shimmerz]

The Ombudsman idea is a great one. Women's shelters here - well - he flushed me out of two and they were warned by me that this man would try. They breached protocol anyways. I will do what I can to see what I can do about this but my god the flashbacks, the reactions to this are so huge. I am frozen. Completely frozen. Please, any more input would be appreciated. Even in getting out of this freaking frozen state. @gizmo I am so sorry that you have had these issues for so long. I just wish everyone would let me take care of my own safety since they didn't. Arrrrgghhhh!

 

[RussH]

Women's shelters here

The idea was not women's shelters, but women's resource organizations, especially nationwide organizations that would carry political and numberical clout

 

[shimmerz]

Ahhh, thank you @RussH. See? Brain frazzled. Can;t even take in good advice. Thank you for clarifying.

 

[joeylittle]

Funny, the insurance company found out after my son posted something in National Post that would have p*ssed them right off. I didn't know until after it happened. I knew I would suffer the fallout. Now I am in fear of losing my license, my disability and have lost my medical insurance. I don't feel like this is a co-incidence.

I'm sorry for not being more up-to-speed on your story, @shimmerz - but could you share the reason why (or how) your son posting something in the paper would result in your insurance company dumping you, and how you will also lose your license? (Work license?)

It might help the non-canadians in advice giving; I know that I'm not sure how to wrap my mind around this yet, but you are clearly in distress and I'd like to help if I can.

 

[shimmerz]

Thanks @joeylittle for your question. At the time my ex and his brother (a lawyer) had a witch hunt on me. It was terrifying. It started in the house and moved out of the house when I recognized that I was going to die if I stayed in the house. They put a tracking device in my car, had men following me, terrorized me in my house and threatened the people who tried to help me once I left the house. Nobody could prove a thing - or more to the point the police didn't care.

I got away when I dropped all common friends, moved to a different house and used a PO box for my address. Nobody knew where I was. I was safe.

My ex had a helicopter and was a known drinking (completely out of control). He lost his license (after I left), two times but continued to fly his helicopter. My son (an adult) tried to stop his flying as he was a great risk and here in Canada our drivers license and Flight licenses are not tied together. You can lose one and not the other. Finally he crashed his helicopter. My son had a picture, proof, and after begging local authorities several times before the crash to look at how the system is wrong to allow people to fly when their driver's license is revoked, the National Post finally did an article on him. Names and all. I heard through sources that he was furious with me (although my name was not involved nor was I involved in the article written about him).

Next think I know our provincial health insurance has revoked my health care because I am using a PO box. I believe, without getting into details that this is 'pay back' and that someone told OHIP that I was not at a proper address. I have had this address on record for 4 years now and nobody noticed. Now, right after the article I am cut off. Call me crazy but I have learned from all of this that coincidences are something to be careful of.

So now I am being forced to publicize my address. I know about HIPPA, I was a involved deeply with these things when I was working - but I also know that my ex brother-in-law lawyer dude can get whatever information he needs or wants due to his police friends and his being a lawyer. That is how they found me before.

I hope this is a little clearer.

 

[ghotiff]

This post might be silly, but I believe you are looking for as many ideas as possible.

Where I am , you need a residential address to get a drivers lisence . There is a growing movement of nomads (people who live/retire in caravans traveling) where this is a problem. Maybe the way nomads solve this problem would work for you? I'm not sure if you have these groups where you live.

Thinking of you.