Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Happy, Happy New Year
Despite tragedies, big and small, there has been some great news for the new year already:
Our Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has proposed a plan to extend health coverage to everyone - everyone! - in California.
We have been beyond fortunate, throughout Jacob's odyssey, to have truely excellent health insurance.
When he was first diagnosed nearly three years ago in 2004, our then insurance company, Principal, assigned us a wonderful, compassionate case manager: an experienced pediatric oncology RN who helped us through the dreadful period of learning the health care ropes.
After the relapse, as the stem cell transplant loomed, we were lucky enough to switch to Blue Cross, and they've been terrific as well.
But we've had the tense late night discussions - what if? What if we lose Jacob's coverage, and have, for some reason, to find coverage on our own. Just facing the possibility is terrifying enough. It's all too real to me what it is like for families living with it day after day.
So this proposal is huge, tremendously important, wonderful news.
If you want to know more, here is a link to a Chronicle Editorial and a Press Release from the Governer's office, and if you have the stamina, here is a link to the actual text of the proposal.
ps. of course I've had my struggles with the insurance companies, mostly about medications, but the scale on which they've supported us dwarfs everything else.
Our Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has proposed a plan to extend health coverage to everyone - everyone! - in California.
We have been beyond fortunate, throughout Jacob's odyssey, to have truely excellent health insurance.
When he was first diagnosed nearly three years ago in 2004, our then insurance company, Principal, assigned us a wonderful, compassionate case manager: an experienced pediatric oncology RN who helped us through the dreadful period of learning the health care ropes.
After the relapse, as the stem cell transplant loomed, we were lucky enough to switch to Blue Cross, and they've been terrific as well.
But we've had the tense late night discussions - what if? What if we lose Jacob's coverage, and have, for some reason, to find coverage on our own. Just facing the possibility is terrifying enough. It's all too real to me what it is like for families living with it day after day.
So this proposal is huge, tremendously important, wonderful news.
If you want to know more, here is a link to a Chronicle Editorial and a Press Release from the Governer's office, and if you have the stamina, here is a link to the actual text of the proposal.
ps. of course I've had my struggles with the insurance companies, mostly about medications, but the scale on which they've supported us dwarfs everything else.
# posted by Ann @ 8:04 AM 
