Very mad at the healthcare problems

[nsalem656]

TCI won't work with my insurance because it's California's medicaid. That was a waste of time. :( My only hope now is the Maryland clinical trial because I don't trust my doctors here in california. With the clinical trial everything is paid for.

[bledpub]

I understand your frustration. I am also getting an insurance runaround with Medicaid. From what I understand (from my dozens of phone calls) is that I can request that they cover an out of network provider (like TCI) but that they will ONLY do it if I can prove that no other surgeon in my state is qualified to do the surgery. Since there are neurosurgeons in my state who have done decompressions in the past, Medicaid won't cover out of network for me. They don't see the need for me to go to a specialist when there's an okay neurosurgeon with experience down the road. I finally found a NS Chiari specialist (DR. Tew) out of state who WILL accept KY Medicaid.

It makes me mad that for insurance purposes we can't get the best care we deserve. I don't want to go to a NS for my Chiari just because he's seen it a couple of times-I want to go to someone who understands it and knows what they are doing.

[nsalem656]

What bothers me the most is when I had the 06 mri of the brain I still had good insurance through cobra and dad. Everything would have been covered with worse case senerio I paid 250 detectible. Now I have bad insurance and I had worse after I lost the cobra.

[linnielou232]

Please don't get discouraged.  There is hope and answers out there for you.  I am sure it will come to you.  Just keep being persistant and also patienct and it will all work out.  Wish you the best in this journey, and as
Rahe28 said.  It will happen when the time is right.  Every thing happens for a reason even though sometimes we don't understand them at the time.
Linda :)

[Rahe28]

OOOH !!! Doesnt that just burn your bottom, when just because its medicaid we get even more of a run around than normal, which is already terrible !!!!! There is bound to be another NS that will see that is a specialist without going to MAryland. I would also thnk being in California that maybe there is one there and you just havent found one yet. I know how frustrating the process is, especially dealing with medidcaid. I accidenntaly stumbled upon the specialist here when I call university for my moms medical records and got NS department by accident. Maybe your accident is still out there !! Good luck to you honey ! I am wishing you the very best

[deadmemory]

Dr. Ellenbogen (my amazing NS) didn't accept my insurance either. I didn't know this at first then I was told his office and the hospital where my surgery was performed wasn't bonded with my insurance company. But they told me that my surgery would be paid for because it was medically necessary for me to have surgery. And I got a statement from my insurance saying that they paid my surgery in full. Don't get discouraged! The Chiari institute in Wisconsin would have accepted my insurance which is WA state Medicaid.. that was going to be the next place I would have gone to if Dr E wouldn't treat me. It would be valuable to check them out, in my opinion. All they ask is to fill out some forms and copies of recent MRI's and the surgeons do not charge a fee to look at the MRI.
I'm so sorry that you're time was wasted. Also, I am pretty leary of medical trials.. you need to be in the hands of a Chiari expert!

Pm me anytime my friend,
Krystal