Guest guest Posted April 12, 2003 Report Share Posted April 12, 2003 , The Marcus Institute does take insurance and they take Medicaid as well. If n is diagnosed with autism, they'll also help you apply for the Beckett/Deeming waiver for Medicaid. With the waiver, the state does not count the parent's income for the child to be eligible. The republicans are trying to do away with this as we speak, so you might want to try to get things going faster so n will be " grandfathered " in. You are going to NEED it, believe me. You won't receive SSI, but Medicaid will pay for anything your regular health insurance does not, including medications. Georgia passed a law about a year ago that insurance companies MUST cover autism therapy, evaluation, etc. This was not a law when Boone was evaluated and at the proper age for early intervention, so we missed out on that. Now, the Marcus Institute IMO, is nothing but a bunch of telemarketers. They will try to sell you everything from 6 months of intensive ABA @ $200 hour (not covered by insurance) to genetic counseling, to whatever they can get away with. Anyway, since we live four hours south of Atlanta, and didn't have $200,000 in cash laying around for therapy, (especially if we quit our jobs and moved to Atlanta for six months) for the 40 hours per week for 6 months of therapy they recommended, I told them to stick it. They also offered to set up convenient monthly payments. There was no autism health coverage law at the time. They hit me with this while my daughter was in the hospital recovering from a complete spinal fusion -- and they were completely aware of where we were. They called me at her hospital room at Emory to give me this great news. Some of the older people on the list will remember how shell-shocked I was at that time. Dillon's kidney disease was also a concern and he would still go through another major relapse shortly after Amber's surgery. These people practically destroyed any hope I had. The telemarketers at the Marcus Institute actually said to me, " Some people don't want to spend the money to help their children and that is so sad. " They were trying to make me feel guilty because their recommendations were impossible for us. I was so upset I wrote to everybody, including the director of pediatrics of the Marcus Institute, Dr. Rubin. He called me and we had a long discussion about the lack of services here in south Georgia and the cost of therapy, etc. I couldn't believe I was actually talking to someone who CARED! He wanted to explore the possibility of opening a clinic here, but the hospital here said there weren't enough children in the area to obtain a certificate of need. He decided shortly after that to open a second practice, not affiliated with Emory. Our ped said Dr. Rubin (he calls him the autism " god " ) was sick of the bureaucracy of Emory, but still, he remains their director of pediatrics. We see Dr. Rubin at his second practice. I go nowhere near the Marcus Institute now. He is a wonderful doctor and has a full staff of psychologists for evaluation at his smaller office. The last time we were there -- in fact, every time we've been there -- he's spent 1.5 to 2 hours on Boone. We only see him twice a year since we live so far away. Unless you're prepared to be bombarded with sales pitches for everything under the sun, try to get in with Dr. Rubin at his office on Windsor Parkway (or another reputable developmental ped). I don't think the wait is nearly as long for the other office. If he feels you need the services at the Marcus Institute, I'm sure he'll refer you to them, hopefully without the really long wait. The Emory Autism Resource Center offers many of the same services as MI and they don't want you to sign over your life to do it. Things may have changed since Boone was diagnosed a few years ago, but I sort of doubt it. Are you on the autism-georgia list? Not a very chatty list but lots of good info. Good luck, Sissi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2003 Report Share Posted April 12, 2003 >>>>>>>> So then I talk to the ped about n and getting him in to see a developmental ped. She gives me a name of someone at the Marcus Institute here in Atlanta, but warns me of the 6-12 month wait. Great ... I am also told these places rarely take insurance. Again, great ... So, um, does anyone know how much these evaluations cost? <<<<<<<< Jacqui's eval with a devl ped was done at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. The eval took approx 2 hours. Total cost: $600!!! (that was the cost of 2 visits, because we went over the allotted time of 1 visit) Our insurance did cover it, thank goodness. Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2003 Report Share Posted April 12, 2003 Sissi: Thank you, thank you. I cannot thank you enough for all this information. I hate walking into something blind. I especially hate strong-arm tactics. Windsor Parkway is also very close to me, so this is really very convenient. I will give them a call on Monday and I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks! (SAHM in GA) MSN elizabethloht@... n 33, mo, no formal dx Phoebe, 8 wks ----- Original Message ----- > , > > The Marcus Institute does take insurance and they take Medicaid as well. If > n is diagnosed with autism, they'll also help you apply for the > Beckett/Deeming waiver for Medicaid. With the waiver, the state does not > count the parent's income for the child to be eligible. The republicans are > trying to do away with this as we speak, so you might want to try to get > things going faster so n will be " grandfathered " in. You are going to > NEED it, believe me. > You won't receive SSI, but Medicaid will pay for anything your regular > health insurance does not, including medications. > > Georgia passed a law about a year ago that insurance companies MUST cover > autism therapy, evaluation, etc. > > This was not a law when Boone was evaluated and at the proper age for early > intervention, so we missed out on that. > > Now, the Marcus Institute IMO, is nothing but a bunch of telemarketers. They > will try to sell you everything from 6 months of intensive ABA @ $200 hour > (not covered by insurance) to genetic counseling, to whatever they can get > away with. > > Anyway, since we live four hours south of Atlanta, and didn't have $200,000 > in cash laying around for therapy, (especially if we quit our jobs and moved > to Atlanta for six months) for the 40 hours per week for 6 months of therapy > they recommended, I told them to stick it. They also offered to set up > convenient monthly payments. There was no autism health coverage law at the > time. > > They hit me with this while my daughter was in the hospital recovering from > a complete spinal fusion -- and they were completely aware of where we were. > They called me at her hospital room at Emory to give me this great news. > Some of the older people on the list will remember how shell-shocked I was > at that time. > > Dillon's kidney disease was also a concern and he would still go through > another major relapse shortly after Amber's surgery. These people > practically destroyed any hope I had. > > The telemarketers at the Marcus Institute actually said to me, " Some people > don't want to spend the money to help their children and that is so sad. " > They were trying to make me feel guilty because their recommendations were > impossible for us. > > I was so upset I wrote to everybody, including the director of pediatrics of > the Marcus Institute, Dr. Rubin. > > He called me and we had a long discussion about the lack of services here in > south Georgia and the cost of therapy, etc. I couldn't believe I was > actually talking to someone who CARED! He wanted to explore the possibility > of opening a clinic here, but the hospital here said there weren't enough > children in the area to obtain a certificate of need. > > He decided shortly after that to open a second practice, not affiliated with > Emory. Our ped said Dr. Rubin (he calls him the autism " god " ) was sick of > the bureaucracy of Emory, but still, he remains their director of > pediatrics. > > We see Dr. Rubin at his second practice. I go nowhere near the Marcus > Institute now. He is a wonderful doctor and has a full staff of > psychologists for evaluation at his smaller office. The last time we were > there -- in fact, every time we've been there -- he's spent 1.5 to 2 hours > on Boone. We only see him twice a year since we live so far away. > > Unless you're prepared to be bombarded with sales pitches for everything > under the sun, try to get in with Dr. Rubin at his office on Windsor Parkway > (or another reputable developmental ped). I don't think the wait is nearly > as long for the other office. If he feels you need the services at the > Marcus Institute, I'm sure he'll refer you to them, hopefully without the > really long wait. > > The Emory Autism Resource Center offers many of the same services as MI and > they don't want you to sign over your life to do it. > > Things may have changed since Boone was diagnosed a few years ago, but I > sort of doubt it. > > Are you on the autism-georgia list? Not a very chatty list > but lots of good info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 13, 2003 Report Share Posted April 13, 2003 In a message dated 4/12/03 12:17:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, sgarvey@... writes: > everything from 6 months of intensive ABA @ $200 hour > (not covered by insurance) to genetic counseling, Sissi They do this here too at CHOP. When your child gets dx they tell you they need 20-40 hours of intensive behavioral therapy. At the time we were getting 4 hours. That eval did nothing but make me feel like a failure that couldn't get treatment for her child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 13, 2003 Report Share Posted April 13, 2003 In a message dated 4/12/03 12:17:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, sgarvey@... writes: > everything from 6 months of intensive ABA @ $200 hour > (not covered by insurance) to genetic counseling, Sissi They do this here too at CHOP. When your child gets dx they tell you they need 20-40 hours of intensive behavioral therapy. At the time we were getting 4 hours. That eval did nothing but make me feel like a failure that couldn't get treatment for her child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 13, 2003 Report Share Posted April 13, 2003 In a message dated 4/12/03 12:17:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, sgarvey@... writes: > everything from 6 months of intensive ABA @ $200 hour > (not covered by insurance) to genetic counseling, Sissi They do this here too at CHOP. When your child gets dx they tell you they need 20-40 hours of intensive behavioral therapy. At the time we were getting 4 hours. That eval did nothing but make me feel like a failure that couldn't get treatment for her child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 13, 2003 Report Share Posted April 13, 2003 > They do this here too at CHOP. When your child gets dx they tell you they > need 20-40 hours of intensive behavioral therapy. At the time we were > getting 4 hours. That eval did nothing but make me feel like a failure that > couldn't get treatment for her child. I wonder where they think people get this kind of money? I might have done it if Boone were my ONLY child, or even my only child with major medical issues, but I still don't know how I was supposed to pay for it. Sissi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 13, 2003 Report Share Posted April 13, 2003 I would think that the least they could do was explain that they really honestly didn't expect you to get that much. I didn't get anything until after was 3. I've got another appointment July 8 with a new developmental ped. We'll see what this one says Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 14, 2003 Report Share Posted April 14, 2003 This stinks. Jacquie H Dev Ped Eval? So I took Phoebe to the ped for her 6 week well baby appointment. It is the usual ordeal: packed waiting room, two-hour wait, hurried disorganized staff etc. First off, Phoebe got four shots which scares me to death with all the the autism/immunization suspicions, but my ped felt very strongly about it and I caved. So then I talk to the ped about n and getting him in to see a developmental ped. She gives me a name of someone at the Marcus Institute here in Atlanta, but warns me of the 6-12 month wait. Great ... I am also told these places rarely take insurance. Again, great ... So, um, does anyone know how much these evaluations cost? After all this good news I finally escape the doctors office with Phoebe screaming from her shots. We get home, she takes a nap. And get this ... she wakes up with an eye infection. Blargh! Of all the rotten things. (SAHM in GA) MSN elizabethloht@... n 33, mo, no formal dx Phoebe, 8 wks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 14, 2003 Report Share Posted April 14, 2003 This stinks. Jacquie H Dev Ped Eval? So I took Phoebe to the ped for her 6 week well baby appointment. It is the usual ordeal: packed waiting room, two-hour wait, hurried disorganized staff etc. First off, Phoebe got four shots which scares me to death with all the the autism/immunization suspicions, but my ped felt very strongly about it and I caved. So then I talk to the ped about n and getting him in to see a developmental ped. She gives me a name of someone at the Marcus Institute here in Atlanta, but warns me of the 6-12 month wait. Great ... I am also told these places rarely take insurance. Again, great ... So, um, does anyone know how much these evaluations cost? After all this good news I finally escape the doctors office with Phoebe screaming from her shots. We get home, she takes a nap. And get this ... she wakes up with an eye infection. Blargh! Of all the rotten things. (SAHM in GA) MSN elizabethloht@... n 33, mo, no formal dx Phoebe, 8 wks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 14, 2003 Report Share Posted April 14, 2003 This stinks. Jacquie H Dev Ped Eval? So I took Phoebe to the ped for her 6 week well baby appointment. It is the usual ordeal: packed waiting room, two-hour wait, hurried disorganized staff etc. First off, Phoebe got four shots which scares me to death with all the the autism/immunization suspicions, but my ped felt very strongly about it and I caved. So then I talk to the ped about n and getting him in to see a developmental ped. She gives me a name of someone at the Marcus Institute here in Atlanta, but warns me of the 6-12 month wait. Great ... I am also told these places rarely take insurance. Again, great ... So, um, does anyone know how much these evaluations cost? After all this good news I finally escape the doctors office with Phoebe screaming from her shots. We get home, she takes a nap. And get this ... she wakes up with an eye infection. Blargh! Of all the rotten things. (SAHM in GA) MSN elizabethloht@... n 33, mo, no formal dx Phoebe, 8 wks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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