We constantly think about our finances in the future. We’re always worried about transplant and med costs, our insurance, and our ability to pay our insurance costs. The insurance cost you ask? More than our monthly grocery bill for a family of four and our utilities combined.

Luckily, when Gage started therapy a social worker encouraged us to file for Medicaid (thanks to all of you fine people who pay your taxes) to cover the costs associated with his therapy. Over his three and half years in private therapy, we estimated that the cost equaled about the average cost for a kidney transplant without complications – $85,000. Our insurance only covered rehabilitation therapy for 60 consecutive days – meaning if Gage was in some kind of skateboarding accident that required therapy to assist him back to health, then our insurance would have been perfect. We were approved under a special waiver and we were thrilled.

Gage needed the therapy, it was not optional. Medicaid saved our family from certain financial crisis having it as our back up. Luckily when Quinn was born we already knew the ins and outs of filing for the waiver. We were approved again.

So twice a year for each child, we keep the paper industry going by filing our review forms. I dread the day the paperwork is in our mail box and I’m thrilled the day I drop it off at our caseworker’s office. I usually have one week to complete multiple forms for both kids, gather and copy all lab reports, doctor evaluations, educational IEPs  and get a doctor to sign the forms a million times and deliver to our caseworker. Today was crunch day. 5 hours later and it’s done. Tuesday all will be signed by the doctors. And Wednesday? In the hands of our lovely caseworker. Not every family can say they have one of those.