Positive Experience with Insurance Companies

Can those words in the title really coexist? I have found that they can.

On Monday evening I received a call from my son, that my daughter Jennifer had had an accident at work and was on her way to the emergency room. I left the meeting where I was supposed to be speaking and drove to the hospital. 

I found out there that Jennifer had been playing kickball with her students (she works at an after-school program) and when she lunged for the ball her knee went in the opposite direction. The EMTs had stabilized her knee and then she was driven by her boss.

After getting x-rays we found out that she had fractured her knee cap actually chipping off a piece of the bone. The emergency room personnel put her leg in an immobilizer, prescribed strong painkillers and sent us home. Our instructions were to get ahold of an orthopedist to get a plan of treatment.

Jennifer's boss was really helpful and drove all the back to the church and returned right away with all the insurance papers. We were able to leave the hospital with everything resolved.

The next morning I called the orthopedist but they wouldn't set up an appointment until I had a claim number and adjuster name. I contacted the insurance company even though I was told that I wouldn't be able to get anything from them for 48 hours. I persisted and kept asking whoever I talked to to give me what I needed. Once I finally got to talk to an adjuster I had my loins girded for battle and was pleasantly surprised to find that he was very sympathetic. He told me that he had to call the orthopedist and set up the appointment for us.

Within just a few minutes M had called me back to tell me that the office was closed for lunch but that he'd keep working just as soon as they opened. Right at 1 I got another phone call saying that the lady who handled the paperwork in the doctor's office was out for the day but that M would be following up on it first thing the next morning. 

I never expected to get such attention. True to his word, M called me the next day and I had an appointment for that afternoon for Jennifer to see a doctor.

At the doctor's office we were told that Jennifer would have to get an MRI but that the insurance company wouldn't approve it for 48 hours and so the appointment would be delayed. I have to fly out (for West Texas) Friday so I was eager to get the MRI done on Thursday. The lady at the doctor's office was skeptical but did agree to call the adjuster right then. Sure enough, M approved it. We got our Thursday appointment!

I know that many people have had big struggles with insurance companies and I feel terribly for them. I also know that we aren't out of the woods yet but I have been so relieved that so far our experience has been pretty good.