Dear Timo,

Thank you so much for sharing this information about your supplemental insurance. It is eye opening to see this -- and brings into focus all the more how much we Americans are "suffering" in the current situation.

For instance, my son was diagnosed with severe articulation disorder, aka, nobody could understand him as a toddler/preschooler. He has profound issues with speech. I work for a pharma company and get "good" insurance, but though they paid for the diagnostic visit, our HMO simply refused to pay for therapy recommended (3 times a week at $90 per session) because they saw this as an "educational" issue. So, we clearly could not afford this and felt like terrible parents, so we searched for a solution and I ended up treking to a state university and worked with the grad students at a reduced rate, and when that became too much (25 mi. each way, a long walk on campus with 4 yr old and 18 month old in dead of NJ winter), we gave it up, and he suffered socially until he entered the school system at 5 and began to receive the services "free" and improve... Now at 7 he is cured, thank goodness, but would have been nice if we and his peers could have communicated with him earlier on... Why didn't he deserve treatment for this? The speech pathologist said there is no known cause, some kids just develop this way. We didn't mess up as parents, but clearly, this was something "in him"... how could it be educational????!!!!!

Anyway, I know I digress, but it is so astounding to see how these services, like RN and natropath are covered for you under this plan, and for us, I am not aware such insurance even exists... It's a pity, and many Americans don't recognize it, which leads me to tremendous frustration.

But thanks all the same, I learned a little bit more from you today Timo.

Jess

Dx'd AS (seronegative spondylarthopathy), Fibromyalgia 8/2007
Be happy for this moment... This moment is your life.