Insurance Woes

Health Care is an issue that all of us are frustrated with. That's where we (hubby and me) are at with my son's insurance.

I don't wish on ANY parent, that they need to put their child into a detox/recovery center. It's astronomically expensive! The cost of "detox" that I was quoted was between $15-20K for a 30-day program.

Thankfully, my husband has a good insurance policy through his job. B stopped going to college, so the cost of his insurance soared from $130.00 a month, to $374.00 a month. We (husband, ex-husband and I) agreed that we needed to keep him on his insurance. He is a Type-1 diabetic, and we didn't want to leave him uninsured.

It's a good thing that we did, because Blue Shield has agreed to pay for his detox-- but therein lies the problem.

• Blue Shield considers "detox" to be finished as soon as B is off his meds. He was given meds for five days. Therefore, Blue Shield crossed their arms and said "no" to paying for another day.
• Thankfully, the medical center has good people. "Chuck" found a clause in that B could get more time (covered by Blue Shield) if there is a risk to either the pancreas or the liver. Bingo! B is a diabetic. He has until this Tuesday, April 15th that has been approved.
• "Chuck" will try to get 7 more days approved from Blue Shield. However, he says it's 50/50 that he can get this done.
• It's frustrating that Blue Shield thinks 5 days is enough detox to come off opiate addition. It isn't. B has been off meds for six days, and he is struggling with side effects-- vomiting, insomnia, diarrhea and nervousness. I have been told that it takes an average of 3 months for his brain to begin to settle down from oxy-contin.
  

The share of expense for B's stay at this medical center will cost about $130.00 a day. How that will be paid is being prayed about. I can't worry about it, because B needed medical intervention -- and not a moment too soon.

Stay tuned-- I won't have an answer until this Tuesday, at the latest.

"Mom"