Guess which one was more pleasant?
Death is the most democratic process ever invented - no one is disenfranchised, yet if the gub'mint ran the back end, at cemeteries, the bodies would be piled high in the streets. So, let's have 'em run the front end at hospitals??
But, I digress.
A long time friend died late last week, and I attended his memorial & funeral. It was a quite unexpected, but peaceful passing at home; the kind often wished for in solemn prose.
He was autistic, near middle aged, a superb prayer warrior, and a high maintenance pain in the behind - who made the world a better place simply by touching so many lives. We should all be half as innocent, honest & persistent as him. It's not "goodbye", but simply "till we meet again." He will be missed.
During that same interim, I had the misfortune of dealing with the Missouri Dept. of Social Services - family support division. My just turned 19 year old son has autism - specifically Asperger's Syndrome - along with Tourette's Syndrome, OCD, and ADD. He's challenging. He's exhausting. He's a high maintenance pain in the behind. And he'll probably be under my care all the days of his life.
The Missouri Dept. of Social Services is responsible for providing my son's Medicaid insurance, which not only pays his medical doctors, but also pays for any treatment for his behavior disorders. There is an annual "Reinvestigation Notice" to review the recipient's finances, or that of his host family, in order to weed out the scammers and schemers bilking the system. We received ours this past January...
But, whoa! Hold up there, lb1901 - "Mr. free market, blast the nanny state-ers at every opportunity, conservative Republican." Medicaid for your son???
Three points:
1) My ex signed him onto Medicaid when she had primary custody of him as a child. I was not included in that decision. The court ordered custody agreement dictated that the Medicaid shall remain in place, regardless, until my son is a legal adult.
2) At 19 years old, the state does considers my son a legal adult, and he wants to continue this Medicaid coverage. Unless I petition the court for guardianship or persuade him to sign a medical power of attorney, I cannot force him otherwise.
3) The state of Missouri currently exempts all private insurance companies within state boundaries from covering any and all autism related costs. So, even if I did have power to drop my adult son from Medicaid, there is no private insurance available. Yet, if we were able to purchase insurance across state lines, that would remove one of these barriers.
Missouri Senate bill 618, which recently made it out of sub committee by a 9-0 vote, will require private insurance to cover autism related treatment, and allow the purchase of insurance across state lines! It's far from ideal, but it's a big step in the right direction.
A similar bill - known as "Kate's law" is making its way through the Kansas legislature (SB12 & HB 2367).
Now that's health care reform I can support!
Meanwhile, my son & I are forced to deal with the customer no-service, gub'mint insurance monopoly known as the Missouri Dept. of Social Services.
Remember that annual "Reinvestigation Notice?" I responded promptly and honestly about Patrick's finances: one saving account, in my name, in which he is a joint tenant.
On Feb. 10, I received an "Adverse Action Notice" informing me that my son's Medicaid will be terminated on Feb. 18, because I did not supply adequate documentation about his finances. Documents? What documents? And I have only 8 days to resolve the situation? Eight days?
Doesn't private business, who has to provide excellent service to their customers, work on a 15 or 30 day clock, without draconian declarations? But we're talkin' about a customer no-service, gub'mint insurance monopoly, here.
I called the provided local number to the case worker at the local Family Support Division office Feb. 11, a Thursday. I left a message on her voicemail, then received no call back. I called again, twice, on Friday, Feb. 12. Left two more messages on voicemail. No call back.
The offices are closed on the weekend, so I tried again on Monday, Feb. 15, a holiday. I tried to leave a voicemail - again - but the mailbox was full! So, I sent a terse fax detailing my frustration having been threatened with the termination of my son's Medicaid, with only 3 days left to resolve the situation, yet no one from that office can be reached for questions!
But, wait, There's more!
Tuesday, Feb. 16, I called the main office in Jefferson City, Missouri and spoke with Kaye, a case manager who got an earful of my frustration. She contacted the local office. I then received a phone call, shortly before 5 PM, with answers to my specific questions. It only took 6 days for our customer no-service, gub'mint insurance monopoly to respond.
Bear with me. I'm almost done.
All this outfit wanted was a faxed copy of the last two bank statements that had my son's name on it. That's it. For lack of that, we were threatened with termination of coverage within 8 days?!
On Wednesday morning, Feb. 17, I faxed the necessary papers. All I asked in return was a call back to insure that they indeed had received this information, that it was adequate for their inquiry, and that my son's MediCaid would not be canceled.
They called me back, alright. Late this afternoon - Thursday, Feb. 18.
The gub'mint sure has a lousy way of running a railroad, with no option to take your business elsewhere. If this is a glimpse of the wonderful service we'll all receive from the federal government's "free" Obama-care coming down the pike, I say No Thanks!
There'd be more riposte in a grave yard.
