Health Insurance...HA!
I have to try to laugh when I talk about this or else the frustration is unbearable.
Luckily Emmie has insurance...from what we've been hearing there was a time not that long ago that kids with special needs couldn't qualify for insurance due to their pre existing condition (bull right?!).
When we moved back to LA and tried to sign her up the insurance company said they couldn't DENY Emmie coverage BUT we did find out that they couldn't charge us 200% more monthly than someone that wasn't labelled with a pre existing condition.
Over the last few years I've written letters and tried to fight the insurance company with no luck.
I tried to get a rate tier change for Emmie because she doesn't even need special care right now. No meds, no specialists, nothing but a normal cold and cough sometimes. We were denied because she is labelled with her condition.
We have been paying almost $400 per month for her to be covered by a BARE MINIMUM policy for the last 3 years.
I do have good news to report recently....all I have to say is:
"THANK GOD FOR THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT!"
I hear a lot of grumbling about the act but being from Canada and seeing the similarities between the health care up there and the new affordable healthcare act I actually LOVE it!
We received a letter saying that now under the new act ALL children will be receiving dental, vision and sick care visits. YAY! (shouldn't kids be covered anyway?) The cost for Emmie went DOWN to $241 per month and I'm still hoping to be able to petition for a rate tier change again now that the rules have changes and the insurance companies CANT DISCRIMINATE.
Yes my insurance went up a bit under the new act but more is covered now (don't ask me to tell you about my husbands kidney stone debacle just before the affordable care act started) AND if me paying a little more a month can help Emmie and other kids with special needs actually have coverage so their families don't go into great debt then I LOVE IT.