just wondering...

im just wondering if this is just idaho medicaid or medicaid everywhere.

Do you know what your state medicaid is like? Do you know what it takes to qualify?
Or do you know what the healthcare/insurance thing is like in your country?

These are things i think people need to know.
if it isnt just idaho they all need to change.

Just a thought
Jessica

more options..but i wont stop fighinting!

So im finding more and more options for myself. I called my disability lawyer and actually talked to him today (finally been trying to reach him for 2 weeks now!) Turns out if i get my fathers benefits i will be eligable for medicare (not mecdicaid) (i thought that was for old people? must be some weird loop-hole thing) but that doesnt mean ill get it. Nothing at the moment is 100% and disability will take 4-6 months (such a long time to wait) (if there not lying which they do alot) to decide. Who says i'll even get disability..i never thought of myself as disabled..why will the government.. but im hoping.
i also emailed a good medicaid lawyer to see how much it will cost (my grandpa said he would pay for my lawyer if it comes to that..he's such a wonderful man and im so greatful for that) and what all it will take to try and sue medicaid.

My brother who works in the pipe fitters union talked to his formen the other day. They said the once i stress all my options and nothing has worked the unions all across the country (not just idaho) will start a donation for me. That is such a nice thing. So many people have responded to my story with positive and helpful thoughts. So many people want to help. It makes me cry how nice people are.
I never expected this. I just want to share my story and spread the word. but theres so many people wanting to help..its so nice and im extremely thank ful

even if my options work im still going to fight this. This is stupid. Things need to change..it just takes one person to say 'hey wait.' i'll be that one person. now all i need is for all you people offering to help, to spread the word. I know many said they would give money..and thats so nice (im still thinking of a donation button on here even though that is not the reason why i started this..but once i know about my options and i have no other choice i might.)
but what im tryin to say is if you want to help by giving money that would be great. BUT it would be even greater if you could help spread the word..please pass my story along to everyone you can. that would be even better then money.

I have written (any tips on who else to write??)
-the president (obama)
-Congressmen simpson (idaho)
-Hillary Clinton
-Ellen Degeneres
-Oprah
-Dr. Phil
-news channels 3, 6, and 8 (in idaho)
-N.Y. times
-Chicago Sun times
-Post register (idaho)
-Good morning America
-The today show
-Perezhilton.com
-Sweetin.com
-congenitalheartdefects.com
-people magazine.

(still no responses yet..but its only been a few days still hoping..if they dont respond in a week or 2 ill send more letters.)


thank you so much for all the prayers and tips and for the wanting to help it means the world to me!!
Jessica

liars!

ahh dont you just love when the government lies to you??
I got my applications for disability today. I was suppose to read them over and make sure they wrote everything right. And get together a little bit more info for them. They said there was a pre-paid pre-addressed envolope to send the info back in. LIARS! no such thing was with the application. and they had a couple of things in there that i never said! or agread to. This is getting so stupid..How much more do i have to do for these people. Im fighting and working my butt off to try and get this going and they are just messing it all up..

grrr.

angry ramblings of
Jessica
thanks for reading and thank you for all the prayers and tips i am recieving.


{me and my wonderful boyfriend Kail, one more reason i want to have my surgery so i can spend a long happy life with him!}



p.s. alot of people have suggested putting a donation button on here because they would love to help. While i think that is extremely nice of everyone who wants to help that is not the reason i made this site..not at all. I just want to get the word out on how mess up medicaid is.
and while that is not the reason i made this site..it is coming down to that..it may be one of my only options so im thinking about.

thank you again!


grr..hospital told me i was getting my tests for free.. guess not just got a bill
i mean yeah they deserve there money..but if you tell me something is free i think you mean that it really is free.
if they hadnt said oh we are taking care of your bills for you it wouldnt be such a big deal. but no..they said free..ahh now i need to save more money.

pictures

^one of my shunts^

^The day i was born, hooked to all the machines (they took this picture for my parents, just in case i didnt make it) ^

Me and my brother, who happens to be one of my bestfriends.

My mom and me, after one of my shunts was put in

my open heart story

My name is Jessica. I'm 19 and I live in Idaho. I was born with a congenital heart defect called Tricuspid Atresia. Which means the left lower ventricle of my heart was deformed. I was a Blue baby. I wasn't aloud to cry because everytime I did I would turn blue because I wasn't getting enough oxygen.

i had to have 2 surgeries to put shunts in my shoulders so I could get more oxygen to my lungs. They happened at 3 months and 9 months. When I was 1 1/2 I had to have an open heart surgery. There where 3 kinds they could do. The first 2 didn't work. They third one, called the fontanne procedure was there last option. If it didn't work, I would not have survived. But by they grace of god, it did. I was a miracle.

Ever since then I have been on medicine everyday and have to see a cardiologist at least once a year. I've been fine for the most, until recently. I found out my heart hasn't been growing properly with me and I am not getting enough oxygenated blood to my heart and body. I need another open heart surgery to fix it.

I tried to apply for medicaid but they denied me because i'm 19, which means im not a child or elderly. And because i'm not pregnant. They told me straight out IDAHO MEDICAID HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR HEALTH. They told me if I apply and qualify for disability i may be able to get medicaid. Okay, anything for my surgery. Turns out that since my dad died when I was 11 and my family got survivors benefits until my brother and i graduated highschool that if i was considered disabled (which they told me i may not be) i would most likely get my fathers benefits back. But if i get his benefits back i will most likely be making to much to get medicaid, yet i still wont be able to afford my surgery. The hospitals have been great, giving me my appointments and pre-op tests for free. But i know they wont do the surgery for free, its just to much. Now i dont have many options. I cant work much because i'm always tired and dont have the strength. I do work but I cant afford the surgery myself. I can either get pregnant to get medicaid (but thats not the right reason to bring a baby into the world, and who says my heart could handle the stress of a pregnancy?) I can ask for charity. It will be embarrassing, but i will do it. I will go to churches and ask for dontation. I will put donations cups in stores and anywhere else i can think of. It will help but not enough, i live in a small town. My last option is wait. Not the best option, i dont know how long my heart will last.

I want to raise awarness to this. I cant get other insurance because i cant afford it, and because most insurance companys wont take pre-exsisting cases, especially when surgery is mentioned. I'm not really sure what else to do. I just want people to hear about this. I dont know if it will change anything but its worth a try.

What is medicaid for if you can't get it when you need it?

Thank you,

Jessica

[update] so my doctor says that he might be able to right a letter to medicaid and tell them why i need it and hopefully get it all turned around. I dont know what he can do, but its worth trying

plus he says the surgery can wait till we get this figured out. Sure, i think the sooner the better though.