Insurance Woes

So, I have logged 15 phone calls to United Healthcare over the past 11 months, each lasting at least 20 minutes. That is a LOT of lost time. Oh, but it's worth it when I hang up believing that once again, I made the mistake, but if I do this one last fax, certified mailing, etc... I have fallen for that one, well, 15 times!

We were promised reimbursement from United only, ONLY after I happened upon this amazing woman who first informed me there was no information regarding the need for a behavioural therapy lasting more that one hour per session for an autistic person...and who then proceded to record what ABA Therapy is and why a child with limited language/social or self-help skills would need it. I couldn't believe an insurance company wouldn't know any of this. It's not like autism just showed up!

So she does her part and passes it on to the "team". We've waited 2 months for that "promise". Now, I suspect they may be reimbursing a small amount of that promise through our DAN! doctor. What the ****?! Yes, our medical doctor who has nothing to do with behavioural therapy. United Healthcare is the group who berated me for not knowing, "There is a mental health side and a medical health side to United Healthcare. I'm sorry your paperwork has been lost 7 times." Duh...

Now the latest is that I might be able to get CO Autism Society involved and potentially receive money paid last year, even. Now we're talking some serious cash! This would change our entire lives. No more borrowing money from in laws, no more fundraising events, no more marital strife over how much money I spent in groceries this month, no more crying because the Autism Medicaid Waiver cannot bring William on yet, even after a year of waiting.

I'm not an insurance-hater. I'm not a Hillary lover. I just want my baby to be given the chance to be a functioning human. John is killing himself at work with the hope that he can make a big bonus that will cover William's therapy. Meanwhile, our children never see him, I'm hurt that we get his sloppy seconds, and there's still not enough money even after those long hours.

UGH...

BUT, somehow, we are provided for.

We have a dear friend who threw a magnificent fundraising event called, "Finding Color in a Black and White World". It was the most touching evening...and the money that was raised all for William was unbelievable! Another friend applied for a grant for William and got it! Friends have prayed for us, they've taken our children for the weekend so we could get away. Our neighbors watch out for our wandering William...even when he's roaming their yard naked...with such village-like love.

In the end, I think what has happened with our finances is rediculas, don't get me wrong. But, I also think this is the greater plan for John and I to really think about what we are doing with our lives. We've been forced to stop and appreciate the functional washing machine. We think twice before buying a coffee at Starbucks. We now buy tshirts for the kids at Salvation Army. And why not? There's one more dollar for Will's therapy...and maybe one more dollar insurance will perhaps, one day, out of the most random collision of circumstance, reimburse us!? And then, in one flail swoop, college will be paid for.