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Five years ago today, Savannah rapidly decompensated and crashed at home. She was not yet two.
By the time we got her to the ER, her oxygen was dipping into the low 40s.
By the time we got her to the ER, her oxygen was dipping into the low 40s.
R’s dad, a paramedic, met us at the doors and grabbed S out of the car. She was blue and her eyes were rolling back in her head.
He barreled past triage and into the not-yet-totally-clean room, snatched oxygen off the wall and clamped it to her face.
He barreled past triage and into the not-yet-totally-clean room, snatched oxygen off the wall and clamped it to her face.
It took 8L of flow to raise her levels back into the 80s. R and I stayed with her and FIL went to the fishbowl. He knew who was best for S and the situation and he sent those docs and nurses in fast.
The room absolutely erupted in activity. I paged cardiology at S’s primary hospital and handed the doc my phone. They dispatched helicopter transport for S immediately and S’s team began dictating what to do over the phone.
In a flurry, we sent someone to our house to grab some extras that we needed, including S’s pacemaker transmitter in case she had had an arrhythmia or heart attack. (Our go bags for admission are ALWAYS packed and with us).
I think someone took our car and put gas in it.
I think someone took our car and put gas in it.
We did xrays, administered IV diuretics and heart medications, took labs. Thankfully she maintained herself better on that 8L of oxygen.
When transport arrived, we sent S up to the helipad with her grandparents. We couldn’t ride with her so we kissed her goodbye after they strapped her in and started driving as fast as we could. (I don’t know how fast R drove that night. I didn’t look. But we were flying.)
Once we got in the car, I called family, I updated friends, and I cried and prayed my baby would stay stable so we could see her again as the helicopter she was in flew over our car.
Do you know what I did not do?
I didn’t ask if the ER doc was in network.
I didn’t ask if the labs were covered on our insurance plan.
And I didn’t get a prior auth for the $40,000 critical care helicopter flight.
I didn’t ask if the ER doc was in network.
I didn’t ask if the labs were covered on our insurance plan.
And I didn’t get a prior auth for the $40,000 critical care helicopter flight.
I didn’t worry about hitting any kind of limits or restrictions on our insurance.
My baby was dying. That wasn’t on my mind. It didn’t matter.
My baby was dying. That wasn’t on my mind. It didn’t matter.
The problem is, later it DOES matter. That year, S’s medical bills were roughly $1.7 million.
Insurance was eager to deny anything they could. The LINE ITEM DENIED things from her 2 MONTH hospital stay and made me appeal them one by one.
Insurance was eager to deny anything they could. The LINE ITEM DENIED things from her 2 MONTH hospital stay and made me appeal them one by one.
Not getting prior auth for the helicopter transport would have meant we were responsible for it ALL if I hadn’t known how to fight and appeal and be relentless.
All of which I had to do bedside after my daughter had emergent open heart surgery at a hospital 900 miles from home.
All of which I had to do bedside after my daughter had emergent open heart surgery at a hospital 900 miles from home.
No one should be expected to be thinking about prior authorizations or who is in network during a medical emergency. They shouldn’t be expected to think of it at ALL.
If someone requires medical care, emergently or otherwise, their primary concern should be getting what they need to best attain and maintain their maximum level of health.
No step therapy.
No prior authorizations.
No formularies.
No networks.
No caps.
#HealthCareIsAHumanRight
No step therapy.
No prior authorizations.
No formularies.
No networks.
No caps.
#HealthCareIsAHumanRight
(Five years later, S is doing fairly well. She loves Disney Princesses and dolls and dancing and outer space.
She requires a lot of meds and a lot of doctors and a lot of therapies, but thanks to the ACA and a lot of fighting insurance, she gets what she needs.)
She requires a lot of meds and a lot of doctors and a lot of therapies, but thanks to the ACA and a lot of fighting insurance, she gets what she needs.)
