Several days ago I posted some comments about the run around I am getting with regard to my insurance company which is a Canadian government sponsored insurance plan for members of the Canadian Forces. These comments may have been brash and fired from the hip; however, I would like to clear things up with regard to what I was trying to say and what I am trying to do with this blog.
First, the blog is meant to capture my family's trials and tribulations with regard to going through this cancer fight and our experiences with the Burzynski experimental cancer treatment. I therefore will write what I am feeling at that particular moment and if I say something that turns out to be wrong I will say so in a later blog when this error in perception is corrected or more information comes available that shows my error. At this moment, the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) is giving me conflicting information which I made known on this blog after my first negative comment about the plan. If they provide valid reasons for not supporting my claims or in the end come through by allowing me to claim all or portions of my daughters medical costs then I will sing their praises and provide a mea culpa. But I must stress that I am writing what I feel is going on in our lives at this moment not what might happen in the future and if a PSHCP rep tells me or the medical institution trying to file a claim on my behalf tells me that they will not support the claim then I will write about it in an honest fashion.
Second, my reference of the PSHCP and Canadian Forces (CF) in the first case was not meant to construe that the CF has not been supportive nor helpful since my daughters diagnosis. They have been nothing but supportive from my immediate Canadian supervisor in the UK all the way up the chain of command to National Defence HQ in Canada. Additionally, my US Commander in the UK and all of the staff at the unit have been huge supporters of my family during this difficult time and we thank every one of them. The Canadian Forces is a great organization and team and I have had a wonderful career and I will not denigrate the CF in any way. However, I will discuss things that may involve the CF in some way with what we are going through.
My remarks about seeking legal advice stands in that if the insurance plan does not come through and deny all claims I will first check to see what would have been available to my daughter if I was in Ontario and see if I have been disadvantaged or if there is a legal claim to be made against any negative PSHCP decisions (we are starting this checking process now). That is my choice and my right. The fact that information was presented in a certain way by CF personnel is niether here nor there and I seek no recourse with this. If in the end I am correct in my initial assertion that the PSHCP will not cover any of our claims then I would only ask, at that time and through my chain of command, that correct and/or more detailed information be provided to newly posted personnel outside of Canada. The way it was presented to me was that I had nothing to worry about as my family was covered with the Level III plan - some things at 100% and others at a lesser percentage. Maybe I am at fault for not checking things in more detail however, I have tried this with Mondial Insurance (the sub-contracting agent) and they always tell me that they would need to see a specific bill in order to make a comment on whether or not they would cover a claim item. This is why we would have come here to Houston anyways. All I am stating here is my belief that the PSHCP and Mondial Insurnace should cover the majority if not all costs associated with this treatment. If there ever was an emergancy then this is it, at least in our opinion.
In short, to my CF comrades, don't get upset because my frustrations may show through on this blog as it is meant to for the benefit of those who may have to go through this journey as well. It is meant to tell people, military or not, that they should be prepared to deal with difficult situations including insurance companies and be prepared to pay all costs alone or with the help of family and friends as we are doing now; or that insurance companies will sometimes deny a claim but then relent if pushed with evidence supporting your claim, as has happened with some US Burzynski clients in the past.
If your looking for a job and a great career go join the Canadian Forces! (P.S. if interested in the infantry...join the PPCLI - they rock!)
Thank you to everyone for their help, advice, suggestions and most of all your support.
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