Process from first appointment until helmet is received.

[Guest guest]

My son will be 9 months old next week. He has had a flat head (in back) for

awhile now. I asked about it at his 2 month appointment, 4 month, and 6 month.

Never did his doctor seem concerned in the slightly so I also was not concerned.

Now, after a little interest research, I am afraid that I am acting too late.

We have an appointment at a cranial clinic next week. What I'm wondering is,

how long does it usually take from the first appointment until the helmet is

received and baby can begin use? What time frame am I looking at as far as

length of time wearing the helmet?

Thanks

[Guest guest]

tHere is how it went with our situation.

First asppointment at cranial tech: photos taken, measurements done, evaluated for tort, recommendation made that helmet treatment would be beneficial.They sent a request to our pediatrician for the script so that then they could try to get the insurance to approve it. We had only been doing repositioning for 2 weeks since my son was younger than your baby, so I was warned that some insurances require 2 months of repositioning and we may not be able to start right away.

Pediatrician sent over script and then insurance was contacted. Within a week of our appointment with Cranial tech, the insurance had approved the helmet. We didn't have to wait the 2 months. 3 days later we were back at Cranial tech for the DSI pictures to order the helmet.

After that scan it takes 2 weeks to get your helmet if your child is 5 months or older and 1 week if your baby is less than 5 months.

We go to the CT every week now since then for adjustments. They shave foam off the band every week and check for growth. They make a fake head off of the scans they took and they can llok at your baby and this mold side be side to compare each visit.The bands usually last 8 - 12 weeks before they run out of foam. If your baby is older they may last longer because the growth is not as quick. My son is getting re-evaluated today after almost 7 weeks in the band because he is guesstimated to only have 2 weeks left before his band is out of foam. He will get his 2nd band DSI scan done today so that in 2 weeks when the helmet is ready will line up with when the 1st is no longer good.

Hope this information is helpful. Anybody with a different experience will hopefully chime in!

Jen

Process from first appointment until helmet is received.

My son will be 9 months old next week. He has had a flat head (in back) for awhile now. I asked about it at his 2 month appointment, 4 month, and 6 month. Never did his doctor seem concerned in the slightly so I also was not concerned. Now, after a little interest research, I am afraid that I am acting too late. We have an appointment at a cranial clinic next week. What I'm wondering is, how long does it usually take from the first appointment until the helmet is received and baby can begin use? What time frame am I looking at as far as length of time wearing the helmet?

Thanks

[Guest guest]

Wow Jen - everything went in your favor. A cooperative ped and everything. I wish that my process had been so smooth. I'm also impressed that CT was able to get you in so quickly. My local CT wasn't able to do that for me. That was part of my decision to get the band elsewhere. The clock was ticking for my daughter (she was 14 months) and I just didn't have that extra time.

From: "jlady121@..." <jlady121@...>Plagiocephaly Sent: Wed, July 28, 2010 9:25:18 AMSubject: Re: Process from first appointment until helmet is received.

tHere is how it went with our situation.

First asppointment at cranial tech: photos taken, measurements done, evaluated for tort, recommendation made that helmet treatment would be beneficial.They sent a request to our pediatrician for the script so that then they could try to get the insurance to approve it. We had only been doing repositioning for 2 weeks since my son was younger than your baby, so I was warned that some insurances require 2 months of repositioning and we may not be able to start right away.

Pediatrician sent over script and then insurance was contacted. Within a week of our appointment with Cranial tech, the insurance had approved the helmet. We didn't have to wait the 2 months. 3 days later we were back at Cranial tech for the DSI pictures to order the helmet.

After that scan it takes 2 weeks to get your helmet if your child is 5 months or older and 1 week if your baby is less than 5 months.

We go to the CT every week now since then for adjustments. They shave foam off the band every week and check for growth. They make a fake head off of the scans they took and they can llok at your baby and this mold side be side to compare each visit.The bands usually last 8 - 12 weeks before they run out of foam. If your baby is older they may last longer because the growth is not as quick. My son is getting re-evaluated today after almost 7 weeks in the band because he is guesstimated to only have 2 weeks left before his band is out of foam. He will get his 2nd band DSI scan done today so that in 2 weeks when the helmet is ready will line up with when the 1st is no longer good.

Hope this information is helpful. Anybody with a different experience will hopefully chime in!

Jen

Process from first appointment until helmet is received.

My son will be 9 months old next week. He has had a flat head (in back) for awhile now. I asked about it at his 2 month appointment, 4 month, and 6 month. Never did his doctor seem concerned in the slightly so I also was not concerned. Now, after a little interest research, I am afraid that I am acting too late. We have an appointment at a cranial clinic next week. What I'm wondering is, how long does it usually take from the first appointment until the helmet is received and baby can begin use? What time frame am I looking at as far as length of time wearing the helmet?Thanks

[Guest guest]

I knew the pediatrician very well, since he was previously my employer. They are family practitioners though and don't think they even realized we could go for a free consult at CT and they are only a few miles from their office. I think we were his guinea pig as he had never referred to them before or been asked to do so. CT was very accomodating, but if you know me I can be a very persuasive and persistant person. It helps they feel bad for you when trying to schedule since I have 4 children close in age and had to get in around a time when I had a sitter. It saddens me people can't do the same as I did and actually get denied by their pediatrician. If it were me, I would go from MD to MD till I found one that said ok if that was a problem. I would've paid out of pocket if my insurance hadn't picked up the cost so if it meant a few hundred more to go through different MD's even if my insurance didn't allow it to find one that would write the RX i would've done it. I am lucky not to be going through financial hardship right now in this economy, I thank God for that every day, but I would go through Hell and high water to find a way to get the money because time is of the essence in this situation.

Jen

Process from first appointment until helmet is received.

My son will be 9 months old next week. He has had a flat head (in back) for awhile now. I asked about it at his 2 month appointment, 4 month, and 6 month. Never did his doctor seem concerned in the slightly so I also was not concerned. Now, after a little interest research, I am afraid that I am acting too late. We have an appointment at a cranial clinic next week. What I'm wondering is, how long does it usually take from the first appointment until the helmet is received and baby can begin use? What time frame am I looking at as far as length of time wearing the helmet?

Thanks

[Guest guest]

Just FYI, my son was 9 months when he got his band, and due to the slower growth

at that age, his band lasted 3 months before he grew out of it. My understanding

is that this is fairly average for his age. If they think your baby needs more

than 3 months, you should know that you might need a 2nd band, which will cost

the full $3,800 again.

For us, they did the hand measurements on the first visit, and we came back for

the DSI imaging they use to create the actual band after we got our script from

a neurosurgeon (FYI they usually come from a pediatrician). I think (you'd have

to double-check with them) that Cranial Tech will do both in one visit if you

are certain you want to order the helmet and don't want to wait for insurance,

and if you already have a script from you pedi when you go to the appt. Most

people don't have this all set beforehand, so there are two appointments, then

no more than 2 weeks after the second appointment you receive the band.

Cranial Tech will automatically request a script from your pediatrician for you,

but you can expedite the process by calling your pedi's office and reminding

them that you need the script asap. Depending on the pedi's amount of experience

with this process, he/she may have questions about why they should write the

script, so be prepared with some good answers, and be confident!

After that, the adjustments will be every two weeks, as the other post said. If

you want to wait for insurance approval, you may have to wait longer. I paid for

mine using Care Credit (www.carecredit.com) and was later reimbursed by my

insurance for most of the cost. You have to understand though that you might not

get reimbursed unless you are already approved by your insurer, so there is a

chance this cost will be out-of-pocket.

>

> Wow Jen - everything went in your favor. A cooperative ped and everything. I

> wish that my process had been so smooth. I'm also impressed that CT was able

to

> get you in so quickly. My local CT wasn't able to do that for me. That was

part

> of my decision to get the band elsewhere. The clock was ticking for my

daughter

> (she was 14 months) and I just didn't have that extra time.

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: " jlady121@... " <jlady121@...>

> Plagiocephaly

> Sent: Wed, July 28, 2010 9:25:18 AM

> Subject: Re: Process from first appointment until helmet is received.

>

>  

> tHere is how it went with our situation.

> First asppointment at cranial tech: photos taken, measurements done, evaluated

> for tort, recommendation made that helmet treatment would be beneficial.They

> sent a request to our pediatrician for the script so that then they could try

to

> get the insurance to approve it.  We had only been doing repositioning for 2

> weeks since my son was younger than your baby, so I was warned that some

> insurances require 2 months of repositioning and we may not be able to start

> right away.

> Pediatrician sent over script and then insurance was contacted.  Within a

week

> of our appointment with Cranial tech, the insurance had approved the helmet. 

We

> didn't have to wait the 2 months.  3 days later we were back at Cranial tech

for

> the DSI pictures to order the helmet. 

>

> After that scan it takes 2 weeks to get your helmet if your child is 5 months

or

> older and 1 week if your baby is less than 5 months. 

>

> We go to the CT every week now since then for adjustments.  They shave foam

off

> the band every week and check for growth.  They make a fake head off of the

> scans they took and they can llok at your baby and this mold side be side to

> compare each visit.The bands usually last 8 - 12 weeks before they run out of

> foam.  If your baby is older they may last longer because the growth is not

as

> quick.  My son is getting re-evaluated today after almost 7 weeks in the band

> because he is guesstimated to only have 2 weeks left before his band is out of

> foam.  He will get his 2nd band DSI scan done today so that in 2 weeks when

the

> helmet is ready will line up with when the 1st is no longer good.

> Hope this information is helpful.  Anybody with a different experience will

> hopefully chime in!

> Jen

>

>

>

>

> Process from first appointment until helmet is received.

>

>

>  

> My son will be 9 months old next week. He has had a flat head (in back) for

> awhile now. I asked about it at his 2 month appointment, 4 month, and 6 month.

> Never did his doctor seem concerned in the slightly so I also was not

concerned.

> Now, after a little interest research, I am afraid that I am acting too late.

We

> have an appointment at a cranial clinic next week. What I'm wondering is, how

> long does it usually take from the first appointment until the helmet is

> received and baby can begin use? What time frame am I looking at as far as

> length of time wearing the helmet?

> Thanks

>