Complaint Review: UniCare PPO Attn: Danielle Hagan - Atlanta Georgia

Laura, I normally don't like to get mushy but your response to this problem was very informative. The first response to this post was in very poor taste and God help the person should SHE ever have a family member in need. I, too, wonder why the medical community has not advised this family of other options to care for their son. The second poster must work for an insurance company -- she has that old I Don't Care attitude you have come to expect from insurance companies. They will go out of their way to keep from paying medical claims but you can bet your life your premium payments had better be on time!

Laura, I normally don't like to get mushy but your response to this problem was very informative. The first response to this post was in very poor taste and God help the person should SHE ever have a family member in need. I, too, wonder why the medical community has not advised this family of other options to care for their son. The second poster must work for an insurance company -- she has that old I Don't Care attitude you have come to expect from insurance companies. They will go out of their way to keep from paying medical claims but you can bet your life your premium payments had better be on time!

Laura, I normally don't like to get mushy but your response to this problem was very informative. The first response to this post was in very poor taste and God help the person should SHE ever have a family member in need. I, too, wonder why the medical community has not advised this family of other options to care for their son. The second poster must work for an insurance company -- she has that old I Don't Care attitude you have come to expect from insurance companies. They will go out of their way to keep from paying medical claims but you can bet your life your premium payments had better be on time!

is a Katie Beckett Waiver. This is a waiver that will permit your child to receive Medicare regardless of your income. Since your child has a disability, this should help you immensely. Go to your county Health Department and tell the person up front that you need a packet to apply for a Katie Beckett Waiver. This waiver is specifically because it is cheaper for the state to care for your child at home than institutionalize him/her. Katie Beckett was a little girl from the first case. Fill out the paperwork carefully, be sure to include all physical limitations and the care that must be provided. Your doctor can usually help you a bit with this - I am surprised that he/she didn't mention it. Your social worker (assigned) will go over the paperwork. Be sure to let him/her know of the urgent nature of your need and that you need help for your son a.s.a.p. If you are in Georgia, I recommend that you join F.O.C.U.S. and the Georgia Children's Network. These are organizations of parents of children with disabilities and professionals who work with these children and parents on an ongoing basis. Web addresses - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GA-ChildrensNetwork/ and http://focus-ga.org/. If I were you I would call F.O.C.U.S. today for some help. We in the disabled community help each other, because no-one else will. I wish the best of luck for you and your child.

is a Katie Beckett Waiver. This is a waiver that will permit your child to receive Medicare regardless of your income. Since your child has a disability, this should help you immensely. Go to your county Health Department and tell the person up front that you need a packet to apply for a Katie Beckett Waiver. This waiver is specifically because it is cheaper for the state to care for your child at home than institutionalize him/her. Katie Beckett was a little girl from the first case. Fill out the paperwork carefully, be sure to include all physical limitations and the care that must be provided. Your doctor can usually help you a bit with this - I am surprised that he/she didn't mention it. Your social worker (assigned) will go over the paperwork. Be sure to let him/her know of the urgent nature of your need and that you need help for your son a.s.a.p. If you are in Georgia, I recommend that you join F.O.C.U.S. and the Georgia Children's Network. These are organizations of parents of children with disabilities and professionals who work with these children and parents on an ongoing basis. Web addresses - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GA-ChildrensNetwork/ and http://focus-ga.org/. If I were you I would call F.O.C.U.S. today for some help. We in the disabled community help each other, because no-one else will. I wish the best of luck for you and your child.

UniCare is NOT murdering your son! You have a contract with UniCare. The contract states EXACTLY what they'll pay for AND what they will NOT pay for! You are paying a VERY low monthly premium and expecting a VERY high return from the insurance company. YOU are ultimately responsible for your son's medical treatment expenses. Insurance companies do not pay for EVERYTHING! If they did, they would be OUT-OF-BUSINESS very quickly. Everyone seems to think that the government AND the insurance company are responsible for their medical needs....We do NOT live in a "Socialist" country, where everything is provided by the government (and insurance). We are responsible for our OWN needs. We buy insurance to HELP pay for medical expenses. Certain things are just NOT covered by insurance. MANY things ARE. People need to wake up and accept responsibility for their OWN situations. God bless your son! I'm not trying to be hard-hearted.... Just to express the facts to the millions who think they deserve something for almost nothing. I will be praying for you & your son. Thanks for the opportunity to express my opinion.