Natalies Magic Bones

Parents of a child w/complex medical needs

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@ASlavitt Nuisance? I think hero was the word he was looking for. Any parent who has watched a kid fight a serious illness knows what I'm talking about. Natalie, age 5, was born with brittle bones and has a chance for a better life thanks to the ACA

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@DGlaucomflecken Definitely true for wheelchairs. The 5x markup when using insurance is insane. Well, except if you consider the point is to pass the true cost onto the consumer... Then it all makes sense!

[Dr. Glaucomflecken @DGlaucomflecken]

Some interesting ideas here. I think in general, the US healthcare system makes obtaining disability accommodations (eyeglasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs, etc) needlessly difficult. I don’t think there is anything wrong with tying eyeglass prescriptions to an exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. Optometrists are everywhere and you can take the script and get glasses cheap online. An exam from an MD/DO/OD can also uncover harmful eye conditions. However, most people between ages 20-60 do not need yearly exams. A healthy 25 year old with mild myopia probably only needs an exam every 4-5 years or when their vision changes. A high myope (-7 and up) should be seen more frequently to monitor for retinal tears. Every patient has a different risk profile.

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@wendellpotter any insight into this contract dispute between Phoenix Children’s hospital and BCBS? Doesn’t BCBS have lower claim denial rates than most of the other major US insurers? Aren’t they also a non-profit?

https://t.co/WNaOB7pqj5

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

So what does it say about our healthcare system when a “good” insurer is unable to reach agreement with one of the largest children’s hospitals? This aspect of care denial might be a good angle to cover in your next healthcare story @propublica .
CC: @LittleLobbyists

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@Nataliecweaver We can never let them forget, that's our job :)

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@Nataliecweaver Yes and these are our friends/allies. People that have generally the same worldview in other aspects of life.

But what I do remember and what does give me hope is how hard you fought for your daughter and everyone else who was in danger of losing so much.

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@Nataliecweaver The ACA defines defines what a health insurance policy is for all of us and the rules that the insurance companies have to abide by in order to call their product "health insurance."

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@Nataliecweaver When I talk to friends about why we are so concerned about losing Obamacare, the most common response I get is "why do you care, you have private insurance." And I have to remind them that Obamacare is so much mor than the exchanges.

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@bone00afide Hope you're wrong, but I feel the same way.

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@DGlaucomflecken From the article:
The company set its fax machines to receive only 5 to 10 pages. When doctors faxed prior authorization requests longer than the limit, company representatives would deny them for failing to have enough documentation.

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@Angry_Staffer Millions stand to lose health insurance coverage. Wish that were discussed more...

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@DGlaucomflecken In Japan you just go see Texaco Mike
https://t.co/8AEtk39Ggm

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@DrKaraAyers @DGlaucomflecken We had trouble getting our insurance to pay for the seat and back cushions. The bill for those two items alone was about the same as paying cash for the whole chair on the open market.

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@DGlaucomflecken It is possible to get a manual wheelchair. Getting insurance to pay their fair share is another story...

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

Those inflated prices are a convenient vehicle to pass the cost onto the patient. Inflate everything by 5x, then deny a few items, add in the “co-insurance” and patient basically pays for the item themselves.

[Dr. Glaucomflecken @DGlaucomflecken]

@nikillinit Yes, obviously that is an enormous problem as well. For this post, I wanted to focus on the unwarranted vitriol this person has received.

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@DrKaraAyers Thank you for sharing your experience. We can definitely see the benefits and are glad to hear that some are long term! Wish the benefits of adaptive sport were more widely appreciated and better supported.

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@HoutrowMDPhDMPH @MVGutierrezMD @UHC @DGlaucomflecken We had the seat and back pad denied on our wheelchair. Totally ridiculous but effective from their point of view as the inflated charges for those items essentially passed the cost of the whole chair onto us!

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@DGlaucomflecken Can you please cover ASO plans, thanks

[Natalies Magic Bones @NatsMagicBones]

@CarlosdelRio7 @washingtonpost Yes, deeply broken. Just ask anyone with a chronic condition. Denials and network coverage are just scratching the surface.
How about the insane pricing models that apply when insurance is used to purchase DME?