Insurance Adds Insult To Injury

[Guest guest]

After two years of appointments from one doctor to the next specialist

ended , finally the diagnosis that made all the symptoms make sense.

Shy-Drager Syndrome.This is not my first post to this group. I have

written a few times before and always had a follow-up from many of you

kind people.We have educated ourselves on this wretched disease and to

the best of our ability tried to prepare for the progression.I have

done my best each day to be responsible with coverage of insurance and

the out of pocket expense as you all know is endless.My husband

Charlie will qualify for medicare in Jan.of 2002.We have kept cobra

payments through his past employer and I have him covered as a

secondary on my insurance at work.I approached both companies with

medical proof of diagnosis and also medical info on this disease.His

primary approved a power wheelchair and my insurance denied any

payment.Their excuse was that he did not medically qualify.We have a

letter written from the doctor and all the other necessary paperwork.

The doctor that made the evaluation stated that my husband could

ambulate with a four wheeled walker.This paper was written in June.I

had hoped that the information on the progression of this disease and

the prognosis would have some impact on this decision.He has to be

bedridden before it would be approved.Most of the doctors and

specialist in Cincinnati have never heard of this disease.And now One

doctor makes a review and I am told is educated in this area.What does

one suggest to have an impact on these so called medical people that

are in control of the money we have paid for years to prepare for a

situation such as this?And as we constantly have to appeal our loved

ones lose precious time as they did by the first round and second of

doctors.Most of us know the situation as I speak.We all do the best we

can to get past the bitterness of no true concern by physicians.Now we

are abused by the very companies that we have invested for help.There

is lack of public knowledge , lack of knowledge by the physicians, so

tell me how these insurance companies have such great knowledge in

their judgement? I apologize for my bitterness.There appears to be no

depth of the heartache , and too many to willing to place mountians in

the way for caring for the ones we love responsibily.I have printed

many articles on Shy-Drager and autonomic failure , What type of

article does it take for those who need to be educated on this disease

to take notice ? Why are we forbidden to allow those who deserve

dignity to have a quality of life? I know you all understand , Just

more times than before I feel so beaten before I begin. Thank you for

the time to vent. Betsy