Take your Medical where you can get it

There are several children's hospitals around the country that are strictly non-profit. In Texas we have two big ones that I am aware of; Scottish Rites in Dallas and Shriner's in Houston. After Regan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and we realized what a lifetime of medical care would do to our health insurance.....we jumped on board for free medical care.

We travel about twice a year to Dallas which is about a five hour road trip (10 hours round trip). The cost of food and gas is worth the price of not using our family health insurance for every one of Regan's needs. The benefit of this is everything we have ever asked from our insurance has been granted because we literally only tap them to pay for things about every 3-4 years. Last year was a big year for health insurance because we needed a new wheelchair and walker, but both of those will last us several years.

Here is what we get for free for Regan's medical care:

• Twice a year we are checked by an Orthopedist and a Neurologist.
• She is checked to see how her AFO's (leg braces) are fitting, and usually a new pair are made for her every year.
• She gets Physical Therapy weekly through her school district....and is also checked twice a year by the hospital's PT program
• She gets twice weekly Recreational Therapy....right now they are practicing track for the Special Olympics track season
• She gets once a Week Occupational Therapy
• She gets once a month At Home Life Skills therapy- they work on Regan washing her own hair, blow drying it, improving teeth brushing skills, making food such as jello and sandwiches.

We have paid for with Insurance:

• Any large medical equipment like walkers and wheelchairs
• Any major surgery....well that has actually only been one, when we elected for her to have Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy at age six. When they say that SDR reduces the need for most other cerebral palsy related surgeries....they were not kidding, it is amazing!

I highly recommend if you have a special needs child to actively search out your closest non-profit children's hospital and see what medical help you can get. Our Insurance company loves us, and it is really important to keep that relationship good, because we never know what the future holds.