Since the chaos began in September (with the right person asking the right questions about my son and his IU-13 services) I’ve continually told myself…”things will get back to normal…kind of”. This last week, though, my faith has truly been rocked.
Tuesday I find out that my daughter’s MA coverage was running out at the end of the month. Someone I’ve never spoken to at the Lancaster County Assistance Office apparently can’t be bothered to use their brain when assessing financial information for a self-employed person (i.e. me). When we’re worrying about paying the bills (including groceries), you’d think we would qualify based on financial need. In any case, though, Olivia had also received (and I had noted in recent paperwork to LCAO) an Axis I diagnosis…i.e. a special need…so she qualifies for MA anyway because of her diagnosis in what is colorfully referred to as a loophole category (state or federal gov gets creative).
After dealing with much of the MA mess on Wednesday, I had an IEP that afternoon (also Wednesday) for my son (Jason, 5). Already feeling iffy about the whole thing, I lost my super doper advocate to someone whose need was more pressing. While I have no trouble sharing and truly believe Ms. Buskirk should share her awesomeness with every autism mommy in need (totally the superwoman/godmother of autism)….wherever the need is greatest…the IEP left me feeling kind of iffy about whether what I wanted – a reasonable amount of OT support – was actually going to be achieved. Long story short there was some definite stonewalling going on there by she who shall not be named (person who managed Jason’s case in the very beginning) and despite the best efforts of Jason’s audacious itinerant teacher and speech therapist.
Icing on the cake, though, was Wednesday evening when I heard suddenly that my 3 year old’s services – BSC, MT, TSS – had been denied. Rather than get services to support my kiddo, whose needs, it’s quite apparent, are significant and behavioral in nature, the good ol’ insurance company wants to pass the buck.
Rather than authorize the services Olivia actually needs to hopefully overcome her behavioral issues, CBHNP wants to spend forever and a day investigating her issue, observing her behaviors. Now, I get why the observation is important, believe me. And I love the idea of additional testing and assessment for her…right now, the kid is crazy…not crazy crazy but, to put it mildly, as Emily Bowman can attest, she’s pretty extreme with the emotional meltdowns. The frequency and intensity is exhausting for yours truly…single mom in practice if not in the most technical sense (I’m still married to my obnoxious and perpetually absent other half).
Anyway, we’re now in the grievance process with CBHNP in the hope that they will come to their collective senses about what Olivia needs and what even makes the most financial sense (Early Intervention, people?!) New experience for me and one that I thought I was going to have to go through last time with Jason’s major service increase.
Holding out for a positive result, my hope is that one very ticked off psychologist is going to hit CBHNP for their nonsense campaign. Fingers crossed!
