insurance worries once again

Once again, I'm not sure exactly what will happen with insurance for Shawn.  The one big hesitation about taking this new job was whether I'd be able to insure Shawn who is over 19 and not a full time student.

In Illinois, this is not a problem - but the Illinois law (which lets a parent insure any dependent up to the age of 26) doesn't apply to policies that are not written in Illinois.  And my company is based in California, not Illinois.

In December, I was told that we'd most likely get insurance by considering him a disabled dependent.   We promptly filled out their form and were told that were this submitted by a member it would be accepted, but will have to be resubmitted once you sign up.  That, plus the knowledge that at the very least we have COBRA for 18 months, plus the outside hope that SOMETHING would change with regard to health care in the US in those 18 months, made me decide to go for it.

>But now here we are, last year's insurance carrier has been replaced by a new group of carriers, I've signed up for one and submitted new paperwork, and I'm waiting to hear their decision as to whether they will cover him.  I call every few days - first to make sure the paperwork was received (which they couldn't verify until two days after it was faxed, as it has to first "get into the system").  Then to verify that it's been filled out correctly and there is nothing else they need from either me or Shawn's doctor.  Then to find out the status which for the last few weeks has been "they are processing it."  On Thursday I was told that they should have an answer in the next week or so and that if they deny the dependent they will refund the premiums.  But of course it's not the premiums I'm worried about, it's the INSURANCE.


I hear lots of pros and cons about the health care bill: "it's not perfect", "it doesn't contain X", "it contains Y which I disagree with".... but I suspect none of those that are against it are sitting around worrying if they or their family will be insured.  And now it seems to be more about whether the Republicans or Democrats will "win" and seems to have nothing to do with the people who are denied insurance because they are in the position of needing it.

From where I sit right now, I care less about finding the perfect solution and more about finding ANY solution that will allow me to have the peace of mind to concentrate on finding a diagnosis for my son rather than worry about how to keep him insured.