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By On November 8th, 2005

Going Backwards in TBI

Every so often, I come across news clips like the following:

” A provider of brain injury rehabilitation services is closing its South Portland center, blaming reductions in the state’s Medicaid program. The Maine Center for Integrated Rehabilitation said its clinic on John Roberts Road will shut its doors Friday. About 38 clients will be affected, said Scott Mayo, the company’s clinical director.”

One of the Gordian knots of brain injury funding involves Medicaid bureaucracy, and the news excerpt above hints at the kind of heartbreak millions of TBI survivors across the country must endure. Medicaid exists to provide services. If it doesn’t pay for services, then service providers dwindle and die. But if services are required, then Medicaid will send TBI survivors to another state to find healthcare–provided the TBI survivor has a) a serious advocate b)plenty of time and c)the right criteria to qualify for a nearby rehab. Medicaid is counting on the fact that TBI survivors aren’t able to make it through the process, so Medicaid ends up saving more dollars while removing services from some of the medically neediest people in our country.

I could rant for days about this, but you can take action. Go to www.nashia.org and find your state’s head injury administrator. Write or call to ask them how you can get involved in brain injury advocacy today.

One Response

  1. I have had a challenging year after 12-11-2013.
    Taking a morning shower before the stress of work,
    at where else? U.S.P.S.
    I was a city letter carrier for over 30 years, a week later
    Blue Cross & Blue Shield Federal stated” your are healed”
    now get out of this hospital bed, go… curb,home,old-folks, or back to work!
    Only the following week later did they get the medical cause of my visit!
    without my knowledge, I had a 1) Stroke 2) with A-fib 3) collapse out of shower door
    and like a tree; fell across the bathroom to the door frame, striking the head and cut
    /crack skull/jaw bone at inner ear, along the right side nerve,(lucky guardian angel)
    did not sever the inner ear nerve to brain. 4) still falling (6′) head hit tile wall, and then
    down to the slate stone floor. My spouse heard the crash, drop coffee, we blamed the
    cat for knocking things off the sink counter… wrong! I was on the floor, head and neck
    shoulders crunched against the corner. 911, cry for help.
    The paramedics at Washington Township Centerville,Ohio got me to KMC the very best!
    looking at head trauma, and diet/medications, job,home. Work/hours/discipline/short-staff.
    The following week did many doctors,neurologist, ENT specialist, heart,cat-sans ,
    did my skull cranial rise from a bruised brain, from a cuma-secuma (bang left,right,left,right
    and left,right) YUP. just fell down, Yup insurance is always right. with eight doctors, staff
    specialist, ex-rays, cat-scans, eye exams, hearing tests, going to therapy till getting well.
    Oh Yes “Blue Cross & Blue Shield Federal! they now how long you need to get over an
    injury, and get back to work, walking, sorting mail, driving, lifting, climbing, seeing clear,
    Well I had a grand medical crew. 1) No more driving! 2) do not leave alone 3) need to
    get help moving, eating, bathing, “life” Well it only took BCBS federal to say six months
    and I was “Healed” amazing, this insurance is Amazing, if only pastors and doctors, and
    GOD Almighty would only listen to these insurance guys. Okay I give, uncle,
    Thank you for the ear and shoulder, I will keep my partner and home therapy, until it is
    okay for BCBS Federal in 2015 to go back and do more healing, body repair. I should
    have given you before and during and after pictures, worth a million dollars!!!
    Thank you, I promise to be more short winded next time. Sir William Earnest
    937-825-0151

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