We got a bill from Children’s National with two charges on it, one for Belinda’s video six-month follow up after the POEM procedure and the other from the dilation procedure in DC on Nov. 5. Both should have been covered by insurance, that’s why we continued to pay the big COBRA bill for November to keep her insurance going. Ben sent an email to his former HR rep who looked into it and then said that it looked like the EOB was not on the first one (explanation of benefits, if I’m remembering right) and the second one was still processing. Okay. She asked us to let the hospital know about the need for the EOB on the first claim.

So I emailed the thoratic surgery department. Those emails are generally answered by an absolutely lovely lady who always helps us with whatever we’re dealing with for Belinda. This lady gave me a contact with the billing department at the hospital but also said that she was going to ask the providers to waive the first fee completely. So if that happens, that’s nice for the insurance carrier! If they can’t waive it I’m supposed to get in touch with the person at billing.

The other one we will wait longer on to see what insurance does with it. I don’t like having the bills hanging out like that, but that’s what we have to work with.

My other new struggle is getting her an appointment with the allergist. The internist she saw in December wanted her to get that done and there’s another appointment with the internist in March, so it really needs to get going. But because she is in Tulsa and doesn’t usually refer to OKC, she wanted us to decide who to go to. On the EDS facebook group for Oklahoma, several talked about Dr. U.G., and that’s who we asked for. And then a month goes by. So I contact the internist office again and they say they called it in but he isn’t accepting new patients. Ugh. So I go on the fb page again and find another person and they call in that referral. But when I call that allergist, turns out they don’t take Belinda’s insurance. Okay. So I get back on the fb group, and someone on there is recommending Dr. U.G. and saying they went there just a few days before for their first appointment. What? So I called their office and yes, they are accepting new patients. So I get the contact information for Dr. U.G. and then I ask the internist to do the referral to him.

What I think happened is that Dr. U.G. used to be at a different clinic, and maybe that’s the one they found that said they weren’t accepting new patients. So I waited to get the call. No call.

Earlier this week I called Dr. U.G.’s office and left a message for a call back asking if they had received the referral, but no one has called me back.

I guess I’ll try again today. I just don’t feel like it. But I know I must.