First of all, health insurance is a must for everyone. If your kid needs OT and / or SPL therapy. Where do you start? If you do not have health insurance, get one ASAP. If you do have health insurance, then go to your insurance's website online portal where you can search for covered facilities depending on your plan. It will save you precious time to just use this tool instead of calling each facility. You can even filter to the closest location depending on where you live. I have had both PPO's and HMO's and in my experience PPO's are the lesser of two evils just because there is no need for referrals from the PCP, just a prescription. If you do have an HMO make sure you build a solid relationship with the PCP (bring donuts to your appointment if you have to), explain any particular situations so that documentation is processed as fast as possible and be prepared for lapses while authorizations are pending. Also, claims are processed differently depending where they are billed from. For example, a hospital may bill the insurance $130 for a therapy session and a private facility might bill $240 resulting in a co-pay charge to you. So ask questions for the services you are receiving. Besides learning about the sensory system we also have to learn to navigate the realm of health insurance services and use it to our advantage.
Cake Kisses,
The Sensory Cake Mom