Jessica PingIf you have followed me on Instagram for a while, then you know that I announced a brand new series coming to my blog in October. It was all set; I was going to give my readers an intimate look into the process of getting a new prosthetic leg as a young adult. When the announcement went up on September 14, 2020, I had already been to two appointments with my prosthetist. Though there was one early bump in the road, for the most part, everything was moving along fairly smoothly.
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Background
It has been 8 years since I’ve gotten a new prosthetic. The only reason I am looking to get a new one now is because my old socket is too big. Since January 2020, I have lost about 25-30 pounds. I sought a diagnosis for constant nausea and stomach pain for months before finally learning of a new chronic condition I possess in late July (yes, I know I haven’t talked about this on here yet, I am still processing the diagnosis and will discuss it when I am ready). The chances of me getting back to the weight I was at the beginning of the year seems highly unlikely. So, given the age of my previous prosthesis and the inability to shrink the socket down enough to fit the new circumference of my leg, it was determined that I would need an entire new limb.
As a child, I do not recall ever facing any challenges when I needed a new prosthetic. Part of this is definitely because I went to Shriner’s hospital and they helped my family financially with the prosthetics until I was 18. But, in general, I have noticed that many organizations and healthcare providers tend to be more willing to help children with their medical bills than adults. It seems that some people have forgotten that disabled children grow up too.
I created a GoFundMe Page to help offset some of the costs for my prosthetic if United Healthcare denies my external appeal. If you’d like to donate, you can do so using the button below. I also accept donations via Paypal (http://paypal.me/JessicaPingWild), Venmo, and CashApp (JessicaPing25).
The Decision
At my second appointment, after some discussion between myself and my prosthetist, we decided that I should change my knee joint away from the one I was currently using and trade it for a computerized version. You see, back in 2018, I had a massive fall because the knee joint in my prosthetic gave out. Now, this was definitely not my first fall, but it was my worst. I hit my head on the concrete and suffered a concussion. It was right before finals week and I remember being told I could have an extension and take my exams at a later date. Luckily, my symptoms were manageable and that wasn’t necessary, but it was still an incredibly scary and stressful time.
This new knee joint would quickly learn my gait and provide more assurance and stability as I walk, essentially ensuring fewer falls in the future. Not to mention, it’s the recommended joint these days across the board as it offers many people a more natural-looking walk. I was sold, and so the request was sent off to my insurance company, UnitedHealthcare.
In mid-October, I was informed that my request for the knee joint had been denied. This caused me to stop dead in my tracks. How could it have been denied??? It didn’t make sense to me at all. My prosthetist took immediate action and sent off an expedited appeal, explaining why this product was particularly important for my case.
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On Monday, November 2nd, 2020, I was told that the appeal was once again denied because the device “exceeded my basic needs.” Cue a colossal explosion from every person in my family that lasted for hours. As I type this, my throat still hurts from my initial outburst. Not only was I denied, but UnitedHealthcare also said that I could not fight the matter further internally and that their answer was final. They would NOT be covering my new knee. Now, they have approved the other parts of the prosthetic (the socket, ankle, foot, etc), just not the knee, which is arguably one of the most important parts.
The Other Complication
Once again, if you have been keeping up with me for a while, you know that I have been trying to move to London to be with my husband for a very, very long time. I applied for a replacement visa sticker back in July, had an immigration appointment in September, and waited patiently for my passport to be returned for over a month. Last week, on October 27, 2020, my passport was mailed back and I was told I could leave the country starting that same day. The countdown was now on.
While I have longer than 30 days to get to the UK this time around, I still do not have an infinite amount of time. Not to mention, Jack and I mentally cannot handle being apart for too much longer. Moving is already stressful enough, now add in this health insurance denial and the potential that I could be moving to a new country without a much needed mobility aid, and you could say I am at a loss of what to do.
Where Do I Go From Here? I Don’t Know
2020 has been a bear for everyone, there is no doubt about it, but I truly feel like I have gotten a particularly bad hand. The last two nights have been filled with discussions of taking out loans (that would surely leave both my parents and me in debt for a decade, if not longer) and me randomly becoming overwhelmed and shouting out “I ONLY HAD ONE CONCUSSION IN 8 YEARS! I CAN HANDLE IT.”
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The fact that these are actual conversations my family and hundreds of others are forced to have every single day because of the capitalistic mindset of the United State’s health insurance companies is PREPOSTEROUS. I should not have to go into debt to get a prosthetic leg that is comfortable, usable, and SAFE.
I am not sure what the final call will be, but I am very stressed, very angry, and very hurt that this is the kind of world we live in; one that prioritizes finances over people’s lives.
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