Gaslighting

 Fighting with Tricare is quickly becoming a job that I am not being paid for.  Our admissions director just called, and updated us on where we stand in our current situation.  Tricare is still trying to deny that ViaMar is certified as a residential facility.  All while there are other MILITARY families with children as patients at ViaMar.  Both myself, and ViaMar have received letters stating they are denying our request for care.  I am so confused and frustrated at this moment.  

It is time to call in the big guns.  I did a little digging, and found the email for the representative for our congressional district.  Quite a few people have suggested I reach out and that they could be of service. So I reached out to Lois Frankel of District 18 in Florida. This is the letter I sent:

Good morning,

I am reaching out as a parent, my husband is in the Navy and currently deployed.  Our oldest child, is anorexic and desperately in need of care immediately.  We have done the work for him to get a referral for a facility here in Palm Beach County, ViaMar. Our pediatrician sent in the referral to Tricare for them to approve, unfortunately, Tricare is denying residential care based upon a mistake they made.  They are claiming the facility is not certified for this level of care through Tricare.  This is a gross oversight on their part.  The facility is in fact certified as a residential treatment center through Tricare/Humana insurance.  They have all the paperwork necessary to show this is indeed the case.  Tricare continues to drag their feet on this life or death situation concerning my child and his mental and physical health needs.  Please, as my representative for our district, help us.  I have been told that you could be very helpful in this situation, that a phone call from you and your office would help Tricare to move more quickly to right this situation and grant my child access to the care he needs and deserves.  As a military family, it is heartbreaking that those who are supposed to have our best interest at heart, actually do not.  While my husband is away serving his country, medical care is being withheld from our child.  I sincerely hope you take a moment to look into this situation and find a way to help us. 

Thank you.

Here is the problem, I just received a basic out of office auto reply from her, basically telling me to stay safe from COVID.  As though that is the problem I am dealing with right now. Now I do realize that Congresswoman Lois Frankel is probably entirely too busy to actually read my email herself.  I get that.  However, I would hope it would get passed on to someone else.  It feels like that will not be happening.  There is a phone number, to reach out to her staff, which I plan to call shortly.  

This entire process has left me continually disappointed, frustrated, and in tears countless times.  I would have cried this morning, except I had a face mask on and it wasn't ready to be washed off.  

I have said this I don't know how many times, BUT WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT??  It shouldn't be this hard.  

Tricare, I am ABSOLUTELY looking at you right now.  You are dragging your feet, you are leaving my child to dangle out here in the wind.  Life or death clearly means nothing to you.  We hang on your every whim.  You gaslight and manipulate. You're like that hot guy everyone wants, you choose a girl you think will do whatever you want the moment you whisper her name.  Then you wink and tell her you will call her later, which in Tricare language, means you will deny you ever knew us.  You need to do better.  

Much Love (except Tricare)