Ward on Words

If you need yet another reason to understand why healthcare reform is desperately needed, check out this story in today's Chicago Tribune with this alarming headline: Illinois Blue Cross settles allegations that it denied sick kids coverage. Here's what happened, according to the Trib: "The cost of the medical care, which included so-called private-duty nurses for sick children and other ill patients, should have been covered by Illinois Blue Cross, but instead was shifted to Medicaid at a cost of nearly $12 million, prosecutors said. The claims were denied based on 'internal, undisclosed guidelines that were more restrictive than the language provided to patients in plan policy materials,' Madigan’s office said." As a result of the lawsuit, the company will "pay $25 million to settle allegations that it denied coverage to sick children in need of nursing care by 'fraudulently' shifting their claims to Illinois’ Medicaid program, state and...

I am a rebel, I suppose, a van-driving soccer mom of a rebel - one who works as a freelancer, who married a freelancer. We work out of our basement, I as a writer, my husband as a photographer. We love what we do - we love the clients we have the good fortune to work with - we love the fact our careers make us more available (sort of) to our children. The price for our rebellion against the corporate way of working is that we must buy our own health insurance plan for our family. We pay $600 a month for a the privilege of paying for the first $4000 in medical costs. It's a major medical crash and burn plan. It's what we can afford. We are healthy. We see the doctors primarily for annual check ups. Occasionally, a child has an illness that requires us to head over to the doctor. Otherwise, we see little of the medical establishment. My twins had their five-year-old check up recently. Required for school, as are eye exams (not sure of cost yet) and dental exams ...