An Open Letter to My Health Insurance Provider
Dear Health Insurance Provider,
Hi there, it’s me again. You know, the same person who contacts you frequently — at your request — to appeal your stupid decisions.
Oh, you still don’t know who I am? Totally understandable. After all, your company is notorious for denying essential care. I’m just another member ID number in your digital portfolio.
Before we continue, I’d like to apologize for any grammatical errors or typos you may encounter in this letter. You see, my brain is a bit foggy from the meds I’m forced to take because you won’t cover the treatments I actually need.
Also, sometimes I’m not entirely sure what treatments I actually need. My medical team is forced to guess because you keep denying their requests for MRIs and other diagnostic tests. I have a history of brain injuries, but you want me to try migraine meds before you’ll cover a brain MRI. Fair enough, but my migraines were practically nonexistent when you made this request.
After having my brain bounce back and forth in my skull several times, migraines are the least of my worries. One of my concussions caused aphasia, neuropathy, vertigo, sensory processing issues, brain fog, and vision problems. As a result, I was unable to work or drive for months.
I also had bulging discs and stenosis in my spine, which I finally learned after visiting a chiropractor. He made my symptoms worse, but hey, at least you paid for most of those appointments.
By the way, I tried getting an MRI for my neck multiple times before calling the chiropractor. Now I’m in physical therapy — which sometimes you cover and sometimes you don’t — fixing my neck issues. You know, the same neck issues that got worse after seeing a chiropractor.
According to my doctor, this could have all been prevented with an MRI. Chiropractic care has many benefits, but it’s not right for everyone. It wasn’t right for me at the time, though I didn’t know this because you wouldn’t let me get an MRI. I assumed it was safe since I had visited a chiropractor years ago and gotten great results.
