My Money Tree Has Blossomed

For a while, I've been quietly hoping that my insurance would fully cover my surgery. But working with the insurance company is anything but simple. There are many, many hoops to jump through, and you have to know which hoops to ask for - meaning, you had better learn the lingo. So as you can imagine, dealing with the financial aspects of this surgery has had its stressful moments.


For starters, my OS is not in my network, which adds a layer of complication from the get-go. Luckily, however, the financial person at Dr. Asdell's office gave me some pointers on how to navigate the system. She told me that if there's not another doctor within a 50-mile radius who could perform this kind of surgery, then my insurance will reclassify my surgery as an in-network benefit. But I had to request this, she said. She also advised me to get it in writing. So I called my insurance company, and sure enough, they said they would cover it as an in-network benefit, but I couldn't get it in writing. Okay...I guess, although it made nervous that I didn't have any proof this would be covered in this way. So, I've been holding my breath, hoping this dream would come true. And it did - last week, I received a hefty check in the mail that will cover the entire surgery. Phew, what a huge relief!!