The Exhaustion

I am so tired of fighting everything. It really gets old. I didn't realize that when you become a SNK mom you also have to turn into a prize fighter.

The whole school thing is really wearing on me. I talked to the lady at the state BOE yesterday. I am not too convinced that they will do the right thing. She was attempting to tell me that they didn't have to do certain things. That sent up huge red flags & set off alarm bells in my brain. It is CRAP! They are not above the federal law. I am just going to try to relax a bit & wait until I hear more from them. They were supposed to call today & so far, at 2:30PM no call. Again, not very convincing. I am mentally preparing myself to retain the attorney and go to due process. I am not sure mediation can help these yahoos. Ding-Ding Round 2

Insurance. What more is there to say? Can't live without it if you have medical issues, going broke paying for it. Now, my latest fight is with our dental insurance. Even worse, it is from almost a year ago that I am just finding out about this. Things they say they pay for they are denying. I was slightly embarrassed when we got to the dentist this morning & was told we had an outstanding balance. On the dentists behalf, they never sent me the bill. I would know if it did cause that is the only dental claim I made last year. WTH? (shame on me for not getting myself to the dentist) I am also still trying to get Ci.gna to pay for some stuff from my hospitalization too. Ding-Ding Round 3

Other things wearing me down:

My stupid job. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. I am just sick of all the other BS. Just let me do my job & take care of the patients. Stop inundating me with all the extra junk you expect us to do. Also, don't tell me every little thing I do wrong & never tell me what I do right. I have taught MM to say Upper Managment Stinks. That makes me smile.

My rotten sinuses are requiring another surgery. Yep. Last one didn't take. This one is way more risky & kind of my last hope. Not too happy & haven't even scheduled it cause I don't want to deal right now. This also is not the ideal time of year for me since allergy season is about to kick in (hopefully, come on Spring).

MM needs to be sedated & intubated for a dental procedure. Her baby teeth aren't falling out & the permanent teeth are coming in like crazy. I believe he said 4 teeth will have to be pulled, possibly more. She will also get her xrays & teeth cleaned then too cause she wouldn't let them in her mouth AT ALL today. Well, she wouldn't let the yahoo hygienist clean her teeth. The girl was really a butt & it is a pediatric office! I just don't want to go into the way she acted, but I was actually glad my kid has a huge gag reflex & throws up at the drop of a dime. TWICE on her! LOL Serves her right for not listening & being inpatient with a child. Needing to go to the hospital for dental procedure = more insurance fights!

Like everyone else, all the doctor appointments come up at once. We have had 4 appointments this week alone. Bye-bye any extra cash we had!

Now, to end things on a good note:
I have started clipping coupons like mad. I have saved over $200 that last few weeks. There are some really cool websites out there to help you.

I have found a really nice community resource I wasn't aware of. It is an olympic sized indoor pool & the price for a membership is super, duper affordable! The guy was really nice & gave us a free pass to check it out tomorrow. Can't wait to take my little fishy.

I have time off in about 3 weeks!

Spring is on the way! We had a wonderful thunderstorm here today. The crocuses are blooming & the daffodils are starting to spring up.

A Letter to Insurance PART 2

Dear Ci.gna,


I don't really want to say thank you. I just want to let you know IT IS ABOUT TIME! You finally decided to do the right thing. It only took me 3 months, 3 appeals, multiple letters & support notes from myself and the doctors, lots of trips to the doctor for letters, a large amount of hoop jumping, too much stress and too many tears to count. I am sure you were hoping I would go away and not do all the work it required to get my daughter a simple lightweight pediatric wheelchair. WRONG!


After you had a meeting of your Medical Necessity Committee (which I opted to not sit in via conference call cause I let go and let God), you sent a letter to ME (not MM) telling me you will cover her chair. I am assuming the persons on this committee understood Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy. I am quite sure this cost a large amount of extra money and time on your company's behalf. So, the chair will be whatever the price it is PLUS the cost of the 2 RNs & 1 MD on the committe, the cost of the letters (which were overnighted) and the appeals associates time. Not a very good use of resources in my opinion. I now know why my premiums keep going up and yet, you are paying for less. Sounds like your customers need to have a utilization review of your company and deny salary of certain people for creating BS work.


F#$k you very much for all of the added stress in my life. I am quite sure you will be denying my future claims for hypertension and anxiety.

Sincerely,

Meghatrons Mom

I will be writing to Variety, The Children's Charity, to thank them for covering the chair & the chair place will be refunding them their money. (I might need them to pay for her next chair)

Sometimes, it is worth the fight.

Brain Thaw

The sun has come out. I have my formal complaint filed, I am just waiting to here from the State BOE. If interested, here it is. Hope this helps if any of you ever have to do it, although I pray you never will. (all names have been replaced with *****) Let me know what you think, now that I feel I have a degree in special education law! LOL

Attachment to Formal Complaint

Note: Exhibits are attached with complaint. Recording is in minutes from the recording this parent made during the meeting.


#1 Failure to do Reevaluations in a timely manner.
--The District failed to not only provide but did not even begin the reevaluation process within the required time frame. The triennial reevaluations were due on March 8, 2009. (Exhibits A, B, C, D) The District did not even request for the reevaluations to be done until September 23, 2009 (Exhibit E). The District is out of compliance with IDEA part D Sec 300.303. Even being late, they were not done in a timely manner nor provided in a timely manner. The reports were still being done up until the IEP meeting on February 8, 2010. (Exhibit F.1) The District is out of compliance with IDEA part D Sec 300.301 (c) 1.i.
#2 Failure to comply with request to Review Records and Inspect Records in a timely manner
--The District failed to allow this parent to inspect and review any and all reports prior to the IEP meeting scheduled on January 26, 2010. An email was sent to *****, Resource & Case Manager, on January 20, 2010, requesting any of the reports, updates evaluations (which should have been triennial reevaluations) prior to the January 26, 2010, IEP meeting (Exhibit G) Only 2 reports were received, occupational therapy & physical therapy. The meeting had to be re-scheduled for February 9, 2010. Again, an email was sent on February 1, 2010 requesting the remaining reports (Exhibit H). An incomplete speech/language report was sent home with ***** on February 8, 2010 (Exhibit F.2). The District is out of compliance with IDEA 300.613 (a) comply with a request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting regarding an IEP
#3 Failure to comply with request to Review Records and Inspect Records in a timely manner
-- The District failed to allow this parent to review & inspect the psychology triennial reevaluation when requested. Emails were sent by this parent on January 20, 2010 & on February 1, 2010 (Exhibits G, H), requesting to review any reports prior to the IEP meeting. An email was sent on February 4, 2010, by *****, Resource & Case Manager. It stated that the school psychologist’s supervisor rather them go over the results with parents in person & she would be happy to do it 30 minutes prior to the meeting (Exhibit I). I then inquired during the IEP meeting on February 9, 2010 (which was recorded by this parent & The District), why I couldn't have had the report prior to since it is my right. *****, school psychologist, stated “it is our county policy to not” (Recording 1:46:52). The District is out of compliance with IDEA 300.613 (a). comply with a request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting regarding an IEP
--The District has failed to allow this parent to review any data collection or anecdotal made supporting the IEP goals. This parent asked multiple times during February 9, 2010, IEP meeting to see the data supporting goals from disciplines (SL/T Recording 1:40:12, 59:44; OT Recording 1:03:34; Resource Recording 21:05). As of this writing, no data has ever been provided to this parent. The District is out of compliance with IDEA 300.613 (a). comply with a request without unnecessary delay and before any meeting regarding an IEP

#4 Failure to do Re-evaluations in a timely manner.
---The District failed to do a formal physical therapy reevaluation for my daughter’s triennial reevaluation (Recording 1:12:45). The physical therapist, *****, submitted a report to us on January 27, 2010, for the February 9, 2010, IEP meeting (Exhibit J,). The report was almost the same report from January 2009 (Exhibit K). It had errors in it as well (Exhibit J.1, J.2). The District is out of compliance of IDEA part D Sec 300.303 (b) (2) must occur at least once every 3 years.

#5 Failure to make Assistive Technology Available in order to receive FAPE
---The District has failed to provide what is required for my daughter to access all of her learning materials through her Assistive Technology (a label maker for answering worksheets, a word processor for writing homework) (Exhibit L). Instead the District has continued to require me to fund the label maker & refills, printer ink for school, printer ink for home, paper etc. (Exhibits M & O, Recording 53:40, 53:32 52:19) The occupational therapy reevaluation (January 12, 2010) clearly shows a need for Assistive Technology, listing label maker & computer (Exhibit N). The OT also stated during February 9. 2010, meeting that “underlying skills to complete written expression in a traditional fashion are limited and delayed, so there has to be some type of strategies for written expression” (Recording 54:28). The District has also refused to include the exact needs within the IEP as requested, only placing AT- Adapted Writing Tools under Supplementary Aids on the IEP (Exhibit R). The District is out of compliance with IDEA 602 (2) (B) purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by such child; 300.6 (c) Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology devices & 300.105 (b) On a case-by-case basis, the use of school-purchased assistive technology devices in a child's home or in other settings is required if the child's IEP Team determines that the child needs access to those devices in order to receive FAPE.

#6 The District Failed to provide FAPE by addressing goals that were met, instead continued to just allow the skills to stagnate instead of proposing new objectives/goals for there to be consistent educational progress (Exhibits P & Q).

#7 The District has failed to appropriately include within the IEP what is necessary for my daughter to travel safely on the bus under supplementary aids/services. A letter of concern in regards to bus safety was submitted by Dr. ***** at IEP meeting held April 28, 2009 (Exhibit S). These parents also expressed concern in The District wanting to remove daughter from a five point harness on the bus at meeting on February 9, 2010 (Recording 1:07:39). The principal, ***** stated “Assistant said she is getting too big for car seat on the bus. The driver has suggested maybe looking at a seat belt.” (Recording 1:09:34, 1:08:00) Parent stated “Seems straps need to be readjusted every morning like a smaller child rides in the seat too” (Recording 1:06:25, 28:37). The District is out of compliance with **** State Board of Education Rule 0520-1-9-.05 (3) (d). There were also bussing recommendations made at April 28, 2009 meeting that were not added back to current IEP (Exhibit T, PT discussed this Recording 1:09:15). A letter with list of objections was sent on February 23, 2010, to **** (Exhibit U). As of writing of this complaint, no reply has been made by The District.

#8 The District has continually failed to appropriately include any of our parental concerns on the IEP (Exhibits U& V). The February 9, 2010 IEP Parent Concerns part is left blank, even though we had several concerns in the meeting (Exhibit V, Recording: 1:28:45, 57:03, 56:00, 30:42, 24:50, 14:42) We were never formally asked our concerns as meetings in the past. The IEP is left blank on the parents stated draft (Exhibit V).