Ain't that something

Drew and I have been having issues with our insurance company, UHC (United Health Care), for about a year and a half. They all of a sudden stopped covering essential lab services, so about 80% of doctors in the area dumped them. After a few months' negotiation, everyone started taking them again, and things went back to normal. Well, our copay went up, but that's life.

A lady with Newborn Associates, the group of doctors that took care of Ace while he was in the NICU, apologetically called Drew the other day and said that UHC wasn't covering their bill. This is after UHC had initially said they'd pay it. The lady said that they didn't want to bill us, but obviously they needed to get paid.

This is baffling to me. Drew called UHC when I went into the hospital, told them our situation, and they said everything was kosher. The hospital I stayed at was covered, and while I realize that the neonatologist group is a different entity, what the hell was I supposed to do? Hold him back after I delivered him, watching him struggle to breathe, then call UHC and say "You know, I know you said everything was cool, but are you SURE Newborn Associates is covered?" Was I supposed to have him transferred somewhere where the doctors were in network? It's not like we got a menu of neonatologists. Oh, no thanks, I know you're trying to save my son's life, but you're not in-network. Can we go ahead and get someone who is? Thaaaanks.

The lady at Newborn Associates asked Drew to talk to his company's HR department, which he did. HR said that they'd seen it happen before, several times, with UHC, and that they'd lean on HR in the corporate office of Drew's company. She said that she wouldn't worry about it, and that they'd take it to the state's insurance commissioner if UHC refused to pay - and that they'd had to do that before too.

Do y'all realize that Ace is almost 9 months old? Newborn Associates has been pressing UHC for NINE months on this.

When Drew told me about this a few days ago, I was stunned and more than a little annoyed. We just got a letter in the mail cc-ing us a letter that was sent to Ace's primary neonatologist, saying "ooh, yeah, sorry, you weren't in network, shouldn'ta treated the baby with fatally dangerous lung prematurity, we ain't payin' you nothin'." Okay, so it didn't say that verbatim. But crap. The more I think about it, I think, the angrier I get. That letter was only cc-ed to Ace's primary neonatologist - I wonder if every neonatologist that treated him gets similar treatment.

I hate UHC. For reals. Everyone in this area does. Hopefully, by the time open enrollment comes around again later this year, we'll have another choice besides UHC, but I doubt it. I'm just glad Drew works for such a huge and important company that will have some pull when they protest - surely that's an account UHC doesn't want to lose.