<p>Cathymee, we already call all the people you mentioned and sent letters, maybe if you know somebody personally you could help us. I’m talking long distance at least three hours every day because one person tell us to call another, and the insurance to call the doctors and the doctors to call the insurance and I'm already lost in space, and at the same time I’m worrying about my S, he shouldn’t have this extra stress on his shoulders. Since you already told the Dean about our problem, it would take him one minute to get our information and call us back since we talk with many secretaries already.</p>
<p>Cressmom, my mom prays for you every day. I can’t believe some mothers don’t sympathize with others when they need encouragement. Wash U is a nice university, wonderful kids but it’s not what it used to be.</p>
<p>"Im talking long distance at least three hours every day because one person tell us to call another, and the insurance to call the doctors and the doctors to call the insurance and I'm already lost in space"
This is why I think the US health care system needs an overhaul----I do this too--on and off for the last ten years--It is a BIG PAIN. I don't really know how the university or anyone can help with that--Its a flaw in healthcare(all US healthcare). Good luck and be persistent with the insurance company and the doctors' offices--I have found that you will get more help from the doctor's office with the claim if you DO Not pay until the insurance company has issued its final decision on claims and has paid their share. The doctor's insurance filers are much more willing to resubmit claims(the way the insurance company wants) when they haven't been paid yet. Also, sometimes having a male call helps(I hate to say this, but that has been my experience).</p>
<p>I dont know the people personally at Wash U,Im just the Mom of a Grad student there.I've worked in Student Services at other Universities though.
Perhaps the problem is that you are not being forceful enough to get though the secretary level of communication,though I cant believe that making so many calls, speaking to so many people and you are not getting any response at all,either with the University or the Insurance carrier.
Perhaps Marite is right and you need the uintervention of a lawyer ,if not to litigate ,at least to intervene in your behalf and get the proper lines of communication opened..</p>
<p>Another thought (from the mom of a s. who had an accident this past year and we are still dealing with insurance claims, reprocessing, etc). Does your son have an insurance card, and if so, are there contact numbers on the back for claims and member services? I would call them and see if they can help with forms, claims submissions, etc. There might also be a way to go on line and get all of this stuff through the Great West website. I have had to call our insurance carrier multiple times to get things dealt with, reprocessed, etc. The !@#$%%%^ first hospital never put in the insurance info into their system, so we were getting bills as a private pay patient. Ditto from the ambulance company. In addition, we had 2 ambulance trips (to the first hospital nearby, and later that day to a second hospital 45 miles away) which got processed as a duplicate claim by the insurance company. I will not bore all of you with all the stuff we've had to get reviewed and reprocessed, but suffice it to say, I called the insurance co. claims people many, many times (always get a name or employee ID #, where they are located,and if possible, an extension to call them back. I never got the extenstions, but did manage to get email addresses of reps).I FINALLY got someone who was HELPFUL and actually CALLED ME BACK as promised. SHe helped get things reprocessed, and I will actually be getting refunds from the ambulance co and the second hospital, to the tune of several thousand dollars (so they promise.... I am still waiting, and the accident was in March. This stuff takes forever). I would also call the claims departments of the places that are billing you and explain the situation- and have them document your file. You should be doing equal documentation. It is a serious pain (no pun intended) but persistence pays off. I also found that offering to give glowing feedback to a supervisor of a good, helpful claims rep pays off bigtime. I wrote a very nice email to the supervisor of the helpful claims rep, and she has remained very helpful and appreciative. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Since Dean McLeod's email address was published by ST2 in this thread I just sent an email to Dean McLeod. I furnished a link to this thread and urged him to review the situation.</p>
<p>Many people, me included, lose our perspective when our expectations are not met. At the same time Cressmom is caught up in the billing quagmire that results from any serious accident. I know I would be overwhelmed and frustrated if I was in her situation. I hope Dean McLeod visits this thread and is able to give Cressmom's son the support he needs.</p>
<p>Good idea Westcoastmom. Cressmon has gotten much advice, but at this time is really in need of some help.</p>
<p>Great idea WCM, I have found that public or private, once you find the right person, you can get amazing help and advice. If the dean reads this, no doubt he will connect cressmom with some one who knows how to help her out of this morass. I was blown away by the level of assistance offered at UC campuses, I can only imagine how helpful the right person could be at a private!</p>
<p>Although I posted again with an offer to help and published the contact info for Dean McLeod - I have yet to hear from cressmom and I wonder if she tried to contact Dean McLeod. Tme to lose the emotions and solve the problem.</p>
<p>ST2 - although I may be completely off-base, I, too, wondered if there isn't another side to this story. Sometimes people will complain and complain, but when given options or forced to confront someone, they don't want to rock the boat. They don't want to put anyone out... I see this all the time in my work. I have no proof that this is the style of the OP, but it does happen. i.e.: I am on-call tonight and around 5PM received a call that the family of one of our patients was frustrated because they felt like our agency wasn't as 'present' as they would like with their loved one, who lives in a nursing home. Last night, one of our chaplains visited with them at 11PM (45 miles from her home one-way); this morning, the patient's regular chaplain visited with the patient. But our social worker, upon hearing their frustration asked if they'd like a chaplain visit tonight. So I put on 42 miles round trip to go see them, calling about 1/2 hour before arriving to let them know I was a 1/2 hour away. The facility nurse let them know this. But when I got there, they had just left. I don't know how we're supposed to appease these people - they don't make it easy at all. Since I don't work for another week and a half, it's not my problem after tomorrow. The upside to the visit - as I was getting something out of the passenger side of my car in the parking lot, I looked down and found a $100 bill! There weren't any other cars around, and I don't know how far it might have blown from wherever, so there was nothing I could do but put it in my wallet. In a few days I'll probably call the facility and see if anyone called lost and found looking for something, without divulging what I found.</p>
<p>As for the kid, maybe he can continue in his classes as best able, then take incompletes at the end of the semester if he still needs time to catch up.</p>
<p>When my D broke her foot freshman year, her school provided a campus mini-bus to take her to her appt. One time I think they just reimbursed her for cab fare. Although they had physician's offices withing walking distance of her dorm (no pun intended), because there are two hospitals within a 1/2 mile, the orthopedic they referred her to had his office in a town several miles away. They also provided pick-up and drop-off service to her classes for the first week or two since her campus is really hilly.</p>
<p>Regarding health insurance, some companies are not quite a strict as they were years ago. H's company now provides health insurance coverage to children under the age of 25, whether or not they're enrolled in school or not, as long as the parent is supporting the student with 50% or more of their expenses (this could mean living at home while working part-time). It's an IRS criteria, and the company is now following it. I hear of more and more places doing this.</p>
<p>Regarding health insurance supplied by a college: If your child takes a leave of absence from college for either medical, academic, personal, or other reasons, ask if the insurance can be continued during the leave. Some plans will let students continue the insurance at the same cost as the student is currently paying, although there may be restrictions on how long the coverage can be continued. If you don't know who to contact about health plan details, call the Dean of Students office. If they can't give you the information, they'll tell you who can.</p>