We're rich. Who knew?

We're rich; wildly wealthy, in fact. At least that's the verdict of Florida Medicaid. Of course, we knew we made too much money to qualify for straight Medicaid. But there's a program called "Share of Cost" which takes only assets, not income, into account. We gave that a shot, but were denied. We just have too much money saved up. Never mind that it wouldn't be enough to get our family of four through even six months at anywhere near our current standard of living which, mind you, is not lavish. Never mind that it would be only enough to pay for maybe one month of 12 hours of nursing most days of the week. We could spend it all tomorrow paying off a small fraction of our student loans and, no doubt, qualify for Medicaid. Talk about perverse incentives.

Much as I differed with some of the champions of welfare reform in the 90s, I have to agree that our government's system of public assistance doesn't incentivize (how you like that MBA word?) people to do the right things, the things that will lift them out of poverty and allow them to stand on their own two. Since we've started trying to get some help with medical costs for Brave Baby, we've heard all sorts of stories about the lengths people go to in order to qualify for SSI and Medicaid. One spouse will quit their job to get the family's income under the acceptable level. Married couples will get divorced so that the mother can file as unwed and impoverished. Welcome to opposites world. Here's a thought. Shouldn't we be trying to support people to do the things that would be healthy for them and for society?

Need I explain further why I fully support the President's plan for health care reform?

Questionable Advice

I've learned to question all of the advice that I get about caring for Brave Baby's trach. Every nurse and RT (respiratory therapist) has a bit of wisdom to pass on. This being strange and frightening territory, I am anxious to absorb every piece of knowledge that will help me take the best care possible of my baby. Based on their experience and credentials, you'd think these would be the very people to learn from. Well, sometimes they are. Usually they are. But sometimes not.

Case in point. Several have told me it's okay to reuse the trach. Just clean it and save it. But I just read the abstract of a study yesterday that found that children whose parents reused trachs were considerably more likely to have had pneumonia in the previous year than children of those who didn't reuse trachs.

Dang, we just put in a recycled trach the other day! So I get to spend the next two weeks worrying that I have put my daughter at risk for pneumonia. Yeah, I need that guilt.

She ended up with this trash-pile trach because the medical supply company sent over the wrong one because the neonatalogist who discharged her from the hospital just wrote "trach" on the supply order, so they sent over their default. Just like he ordered size 14 suction catheters, which would not even fit in her neonatal trach. And just like he ordered trach ties that are, like, twice the height of her squishy little neck. See what I'm saying?

Ultimately, it's my bad that Brave Baby didn't have a brand spanking new size 3.5 Bivona Flextend. I should've carefully checked everything we received with our supply order. I'm giving myself a pass this time. I'm a neo. Lesson learned. I'm learning a lot of lessons lately, and praying I don't screw up in some irrevocable way.