After my last blog post, I wrote a frustrated Facebook post on a foster care group page about the misery of this situation with being unable to get the girls medical care they desperately need. I got a lot of “don’t give up, you have to do something” comments which didn’t accomplish anything but annoy me. But I DID get two deliciously practical suggestions:
1. Call the hospital we need to take them to again and get a written denial from them that I can take to the county, along with a cost estimate they put together for the cost of an initial consultation. Then take that up the ranks and see if I can get the county or state to cover the cost of at least an initial consult out of pocket.
2. Call the hospital we need to take them to again and see if they would offer any financial aid so we could afford out of pocket costs for an initial consult if necessary.
So I called a different number at the Delaware hospital than I’d called previously, and I got a wonderfully helpful woman who loaded me up with info and phone numbers and strategy. The most valuable thing she said was: “There are patients here with NY Medicaid so there has to be a way to do this. I’m not entirely sure how, but I have ideas.”
My heart just about thumped out my chest when she said that! Hooray!
She transferred me to an intake number, and the woman who answered the phone there was the same one I’d spoken with before who had said “we don’t take that insurance,” and cut off the conversation. She repeated her stock line this time but before she could hang up I told her I’d just spoken with someone who said there are patients there with the girls’ insurance so could I please speak with a supervisor? She grumpily consented. And lo and behold! There’s a process!
It may or may not work. There’s no ringing success to celebrate yet. But I hung up from that call and talked to the girls’ pediatrician’s office and she said she hasn’t done the process before but was sure willing to give it a try. We basically have to get the girls’ Medicaid to agree that an out of network provider is required for them because there’s no specialist closer who can provide the care they need. And THAT part should be easy since their geneticist and their orthopedic surgeon have both put that in their file notes.
I’m feeling a mix of hope and extreme irritation that this one woman was a roadblock for these girls getting help sooner. How does she still have a job? Does she just say no to everybody or am I just a lucky winner? Medicaid could still say no but at least I know how to fight that.
I suspect we are still probably a good three months out from a decision either way. The wheels grind slowly. But it’s not a critically urgent need – they’ll be ok for a three month wait. And hope is an amazing thing.
An interesting observation though: I felt like such a “Karen” asking for a supervisor. I don’t know that I’ve ever done that before. Women are so conditioned to be submissive and accepting that when we push back we feel uncomfortable. At least I did, and friends I’ve spoken with about it would have as well. Karen is a popular meme because frankly, white women can suck incredibly hard. But sometimes I wish the Karen meme would die a fiery death so women who are not just being bitchy can feel more empowered. Sometimes empowerment is critical for the life and wellbeing of a small human or two.
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