You HAVE GOT to be kidding me...

Ok...hang on people because this is a "good" one.

The girls are supposed to "work up" to 4-8 ozs bottlesof Pediasre each day each. There are 6 bottles in a case and each case is $10.44 (at Walmart, so I am sure it is more expensive at other places), So we would eventually be looking at a cost of roughly $110/week on Pediasure. Formula feeding parents deserve kudos from me, I mean WOW..that is a lot of $$. I guess having been a breastfeeding mom it never really dawned on me just how much that stuff costs...but anyways back to my point.

When the girls got their "prescription" for the Pediasure on Tuesday we were told to try and get it filled a local pharmacy and if it got denied to appeal the denial. So we did in fact get denied as our insurance does not cover "supplements". So we came home and appealed this decision by our health insurance. Today I got the phone call from the care team in charge of our insurance and we have again been denied coverage of the Pediasure because our girls feed normally. The care specialist then suggested that we discuss the option of having both Shelby and Avery under go g-tube (feeding tubes surgically placed into their bellies) surgery, because THEN our insurance would cover the Pediasure because it would consist as their sole matter of nutrients.

OK... Does ANYONE ELSE see HOW MESSED UP THIS IS??!?!?!?!?!? Or is it just me? I mean seriously How seriously screwed up is that train of thought!!!!! We actually ended the call with our care specialist so that we could call our neonatologist and see what she had to say about this.

We had a conference call with our neonatologist, ourselves, and our insurance care team and after having spent 2 hours on the phone--mind you our care person SHOULD have left the office at 4pm, she didn't get to leave until 630pm-- and we have now decided that our girls will in deed NOT be getting g-tubes placed (DUH!!!!) and that they will continue to have the bulk of their feeds from solids foods, breast milk, and Pediasure...but our insurance will not pay for it. Wow... really worth our time huh?

When our doctor ended the call with our insurance she had us remain on the line and she actually asked us "You think it would dawn on them if we just billed them for the girls' surgery, spilt the payment and then got them to pay for the Pediasure"... Ha! Gotta love a doc with a sense of humor.

The doctor does have one last "attempt" to get another organization to pay for the Pediasure and to NOT count get help with it out just yet. She is going to contact both WIC and also March of Dimes because I guess there is funding out their for long term care (which I guess this could be classified as)... So please send some prayers our way because without help Chad and I really are going to be in trouble with this situation.

Thanks- Kristin and Krew *yes I know it should be crew* ha-ha!!