Seeing Red

Red tape, anger red, just red! I'm so mad at the insurance company right now I'm still shaking, screaming and crying. On Saturday I opened a 6 page letter from BCBS telling me that they were not going to cover Thomas' Occupational Therapy because they say it is "not medically necessary".  Now he had a prescription from the pediatrician for this not to mention the therapist and social worker in Greenville both said he needed it and I have documentation of that in the report for his diagnosis. BUT insurance says, NOPE he doesn't need it.

So let me just tell you why I'm so upset, so angry. This is a child who clearly is developmentally behind. I believe that his Autism is developmental. Some people believe that Autism is behavioral. For Thomas we were beginning (slowly) to do some of the fine motor skills that he lacked or had trouble with. He has trouble feeding himself, but his therapist there had made a spoon and a fork for him. They were also going to order him a special plate. They were getting ready to work on buttoning, snapping, zipping, etc. Yes these may be things that I can do with him, but I also have two other children that need me and Thomas doesn't always listen as well to me as he might to someone else. He was doing well and the progress was small, but still progress. Now, nothing, he gets nothing. Many people have said what about the school system. Yes we are going to get OT through the school, but first you have to have an IEP. We went for that last week and Thomas wouldn't or should I say couldn't understand what they were asking of him when he had to do the hearing exam. So now today we are going for a hearing test at the Dr's office. MORE MONEY! He may not be able to begin speech and OT with the school until September. He will lose a significant amount of time.

We can't pay for this out of pocket, although I don't know how much it is for OT. Also on his report and what was suggested in Greenville was double OT and double speech. So that was what I was going to do. Private and through the school. BCBS has just taken that away from him. So now when he is still lacking certain skills, when it's taking him forever to do something, when he is still so frustrated..... thanks to the insurance company for allowing a child with a diagnosis with a prescription and with a report saying what he needed to go without proper treatment!

Yes I'm seeing red and I'm so angry and upset!