2nd Most Asked Question

Next to the question about how did I know that I should bring Charlotte into the doctor, the next most-asked question is how are you going to handle this financially?

My third thought... after will Charlotte be able to go to school or if she could have kids one day... was how are we going to handle this financially?

When Sean was let go, we decided that rather than use my employer's insurance, which would be 25% of my paycheck, we'd use an independent plan to cover Sean and the kids while he was looking for work elsewhere.  After her diagnosis, I texted work and asked when was the soonest we could get Charly on our group plan. I knew that when the independent plan was up in November, we would not be able to re-up her independent plan coverage at the same price, and they would deny coverage for anything with the leukemia due to "pre-existing condition". If she was on a group plan, they cannot deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Not only that, but I knew the current plan we were on did not cover prescriptions. Chemo is a prescription. Honestly, when we were discharged from the hospital, I was sent down to the pharmacy to fill a half-dozen prescriptions. When the pharmacist heard that my insurance wouldn't cover prescriptions, she wouldn't let me check-out. She sent me to the financial aid office, even though I assured her I could pay for the medications. After talking with the financial aid guy (yes, I cried - it was still that time when anytime I had to say Charly's diagnosis I would cry.) He handed me a card and told me to give it to the pharmacist. I went back to the pharmacy, and what was $1000 worth of medicine was sent home with me for $50.

When she originally received my text, Wendy told me that she was thinking, "Oh No! Enrollment was in July!" Because that's when she had to fill out all the forms for all the employees. However, when she called our insurance reps, they told her open enrollment was in August. They just needed the paperwork the month before. They told her to have me fill out the paperwork right away, and they could still include my application with the others and it would be approved. The coverage would be back-dated to the first August. I started to cry. The first doctor appointment was August 1st.

This is one example of how The Lord offers His tender mercies in our times of trial. I think back to all the weird things that had me feeling anxious about Charlotte. Little things that could have been brushed off again and again, maybe delaying another month before I took her into the doctor. Instead, I kept feeling something was wrong. I know that it was probably the Spirit whispering to me to pay attention. I took her in, she was diagnosed within 24 hours, I texted work, and August was the month of open enrollment.

As a medical practitioner, my boss is very particular about what plan he will purchase for us at work. It has been referred to as the "Cadillac of insurance" plan. That, and the fact that our office is so small, makes the plan pretty pricy. The original price I was quoted to cover our family was if I covered Sean and the girls. Wendy, our payroll/accounting lady, looked at what it would be to cover a child, and it was much lower. She also let me know I could cover both girls for the same price, so now Naomi is covered under my group plan as well. .. just in case.

Now, Charlotte is covered by 2 insurance plans until November. That means after the first plan pays a bill, it is then submitted to the 2nd insurance. I'm still spending much time unraveling the bills, EOB statements from the insurance companies, and figuring out what is covered and not covered, but I think we will be out our deductible and max co-insurance annually. In the meantime, we are working on re-financing the mortgage. The savings almost cover the price of adding the girls on my insurance.  We will see if I am being naive. I promise if we are having any issues financially, I will speak up. However, I am at peace. I have a testimony of tithing, miracles have always occurred exactly when I most needed them. I wish I could be more eloquent about the strong conviction I feel that The Lord cares for His children. But you will just have to take my word for it.

Love,

Alycia