To Further Make My Point

Foster children are eligible for Medicaid. This is good because then the foster parents don't have to worry about medical bills or covering the cost of prescriptions. The downside is the craptastic quality of most of the healthcare providers... but that's a rant for another day.

There are different kinds of Medicaid that cover different things, but foster children are supposed to have the kind that covers the most stuff. Somehow, somewhere along the way, Henry's Medicaid coverage got all messed up. Despite being their guardians, foster parents can't change their foster children's Medicaid info or switch their level of coverage-- someone in Case Manager's office has to do it for us. So aside from not being able to mess Henry's Medicaid info up, I also can't fix other people's mistakes. I can't just call up Medicaid and say, "Please fix this error," but instead I have to wait for someone else who doesn't give a crap about Henry to decide to do their job.

Henry needs ear tubes and his Medicaid coverage was all messed up so we couldn't get a referral to a specialist who can do the procedure. I notified the foster care system of the problem and then I waited. And waited. And waited. Many phone calls and emails later-- we're talking MONTHS later-- I finally get word that his Medicaid has been switched back to the proper level of coverage. Yay!

So I called Henry's doctor's office today, spoke to some administrator or another, explained the situation, and asked if we can get a referral to a specific ear, nose, and throat doctor that I want to work with. I'm all excited. Happy. What a relief!

Then the administrator tells me that, yes, Henry's Medicaid level was switched...

BUT

whoever handled the paperwork put the wrong doctor down. They listed some doctor who isn't even located in our CITY as Henry's primary care physician.

What the f-ing f-bomb?

So not only can I not get a referral to an ear, nose, and throat doctor right now, HENRY CAN'T EVEN BE SEEN BY HIS PEDIATRICIAN!!! Medicaid won't cover it. And he has a doctor's appointment next week. Ha! I can't believe this. I went from not being able to see a specialist to not being able to see a doctor at all.

Do you see why I'm burned out on the foster care system?