Deducing Deductibles

So the Hippotherapy lady got back to me today.  Once we meet our $5000. deductible, the insurance program will pay for all her therapy, even hippotherapy.  So basically, every year - after the Christmas holiday where much money is spent on gifts, and parties, entertaining... at the beginning of the year, us special needs parents are essentially to shit out a $5000. check so we won't be nickel, dimed, and medically billed to death.  To pay out of pocket, this therapy is $120. an hour.  So, let's break out the calculator.  If we just did hippotherapy, twice a month at $120. a session that equates $2880. for the year.  You add on the pediatrician appointments (cost unknown), speech therapy (haven't inquired yet), and all the other therapies Andi could easily use, SI (Sensory Integration), PT, music therapy... geez, we could easily fork out $5000. in all those services.  Instead, we choose to tackle a lot of the practices ourselves because really, who can afford all that?!  Keep in mind, I still only work PT and sorry, Cory isn't paid what he's worth.  If we had an extra $5000., yeah, I could see that the yearly deductible would be doable.  But no... we're still paying off last year's deductible to both the insurance provider and the hospital.  It's insane!  I often wonder if / how much further Andi would be along if we afforded her every therapy out there.  I mean, could she be running along side her peers now?  It's frightening to consider that everything you do or don't do for your child has an impact, some negative.  It's true whether they have special needs, or not.  But, for those that are special needs that are simply fighting harder to "catch up" to their peers, or learning to speak so they can talk to their parents... it's just a harder 'what-if' to swallow, worrying that you're stalling their progress.

In the course of the year, we'll probably spend $5000.00 on services.  I keep forgetting that I'm supposed to apply for SS today so I can get a fresh letter of denial.  What a joy this process will be, I'm sure you're jealous!  But, you do whatcha gotta do for the Bean... and for her, I would do anything!

Nine days until Andi's 4th Birthday!!!