I received an email from BCBSAZ this week regarding my appeals. They wanted to let me know that after an in-depth review of my case, “Unfortunately, we are unable to provide coverage in this case, as our contracts for individual policies exclude maternity coverage except in very specific circumstances.”
Just because it’s your policy, it doesn’t make it right.
Interestingly enough, it seems that if I’d needed a cesarean section prior to October 1, 2008 it would have been covered. The revision to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s definition of “complication of pregnancy” to no longer include cesarean sections “during labor” seems to be a decision driven by the bottom line, not what is best for their patients. If Lily hadn’t been delivered via cesarean it’s a definite possibility that BCBSAZ could be paying for Lily to have physical therapy right now. Hmm… which is better for the patient, a cesarean section to avoid future complications or physical therapy for an infant?
BCBSAZ has offered me a meeting with their Medical Director. That should be interesting.
So there I was sitting in my office hard at work when I heard a screech of happiness from the kitchen. Shrieks of joy and loud laughter are a common sound in our house these days. Lily has found her voice and is determined to use it. She especially loves to release high pitched squeals while in restaurants… but that’s another post. A few moments after hearing the screech of happiness from the kitchen I heard the phrase “this is what happens when daddy is left in charge” fly from my hubby’s mouth. Uh oh. I wonder what in the world is going on in there. I walked in to find that my husband had decided to let Lily have a little snack using a teething feeder. (A teething feeder if you’re not familiar is this great little invention that allows you to put food inside a little net pouch that baby can then suck on and only get very small amounts of food out of.)
What had caused the screech and the follow up “when daddy is left in charge” came from the fact that Lily was covered in avocado. Instead of putting a more substantial type of food like banana in the teething feeder, my husband had decided to put avocado. Lily loves avocado… I just don’t think it’s the right food for the teething feeder.
The end result was a very happy very messy baby that got a bed time bath from head to foot.
I can only imagine the shenanigans that these two will get in as Lily gets older.
My husband and I came home today to receive a letter from the Department of Insurance that stated that the services related to my cesarean section are not covered under the terms of my policy. The Department of Insurance found that the services I received were “not related to a complication of pregnancy as determined by BCBSAZ.” So our next step is to request a hearing with the Office of Administrative Hearings. We have 30 days to request a hearing and the office then must notify us of the hearing date at least 30 days prior to the scheduled hearing.
This is of course not what we had hoped for, but we’re going to press on. In addition to the more than 30 letters I have already sent to my local and state representatives I will now also be writing to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and First Lady Michelle Obama. I’m thinking for good measure I should also write to Oprah.
For more information about my fight against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, please visit www.lilysmom.com.
I have never been a great cook. In fact, I really don’t like to cook. I know a lot of peeps find it relaxing and enjoyable. I find it stressful and messy. Perhaps it’s my life long fear of fractions. Ever since 5th grade I’ve had a nauseating reaction to fractions and percentages… so just imagine what reading a recipe does to a person like that!
But times they are a changin’. Lily is now ready (according to her pediatrician) to jump into the fabulous world of eating some solid foods. Okay, not solids technically. We’re talking uber mushy uber messy “solids”. I was so excited that I took myself down to the corner store, okay, I took myself down to Fresh N Easy and bought up a basketful of bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, banana squash and apples. Upon returning home my husband asked what army I was planning to cook for… hah hah hubby. This is all for baby!
I spent an entire evening cooking, okay well steaming and pureeing, using my new Beaba Babycook machine. It was a gift for Lily for Christmas from Grandma. It’s a great little machine and yes you could do the same thing with a food steamer and a food processor… but it wouldn’t be nearly as fun and nearly as neat. The great thing about the Babycook is that it’s small, easy to store, easy to clean and keeps all the mess in one place. That’s a major plus for someone like me that does not enjoy cooking, and enjoys cleaning up even less.
Lily is definitely on-board with eating solid foods. Although, I really should have listened to our pediatrician and started with veggies. The first food (after rice cereal) that I gave her were bananas… now everything else I give her results in a not so happy reaction!
You can snag a Beaba Babycook online and in stores like William-Sonoma for about $150.
ChitChatMom did not receive a free Beaba Babycook and was not paid for this post.
I received an email from BCBSAZ this week regarding my appeals. They wanted to let me know that after an in-depth review of my case, “Unfortunately, we are unable to provide coverage in this case, as our contracts for individual policies exclude maternity coverage except in very specific circumstances.” 
What had caused the screech and the follow up “when daddy is left in charge” came from the fact that Lily was covered in avocado. Instead of putting a more substantial type of food like banana in the teething feeder, my husband had decided to put avocado. Lily loves avocado… I just don’t think it’s the right food for the teething feeder.
But times they are a changin’. Lily is now ready (according to her pediatrician) to jump into the fabulous world of eating some solid foods. Okay, not solids technically. We’re talking uber mushy uber messy “solids”. I was so excited that I took myself down to the corner store, okay, I took myself down to Fresh N Easy and bought up a basketful of bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, banana squash and apples. Upon returning home my husband asked what army I was planning to cook for… hah hah hubby. This is all for baby!
