Many states, perhaps all, have financial assistance that can be applied for called Reimbursement of Nonrecurring Adoption Expenses. Our state, if a family qualifies, will give you $1500. Last year we received this money after we adopted Kaylee. This year we applied again last spring and were approved---which MUST be done before the adoption is final. We were planning on using this money to help pay the insurance deductible (long story) which is due BEFORE Jackson has his surgery in 3 weeks.
Today I received a phone call from the supervisor in charge of final approvals of this money. She told us she was going to deny our claim because we didn't have a letter from a doctor in China written BEFORE the adoption stating Jackson has a "handicapping condition". I told her how disappointed (a major understatement actually!) I was to hear this as we had done everything we thought we were supposed to do and had been approved already. She said, "Well, you would have adopted him anyway wouldn't you?". Is this insinuating we're in this for the money? Then she said "Well, it's ONLY $1500 and you can still apply for the federal adoption tax credit anyway". It's apparent she really doesn't know how that works.
She was insistant that unless we can come up with a letter dated before Sept. 8th written by a medical doctor in China stating "handicapping condition" it would be denied.
I even asked if we could have our pediatrician write such a letter agreeing with the medical information written on Jackson over a year ago in China and then adding the wording they want to see, but she again said no. Has to be from a doctor in China written before September!
So, I called our wonderful agency (CAWLI) director, who is also Chinese, and asked if she could help us. She said she would try.
In the meantime, I'm just reminded again how tiring and often frustrating it is to deal with beaurocracy. Especially when promised something and expecting it only to have it yanked away.
I also got a very interesting phone call yesterday from Shriners Hospital in Galveston wanting to know if we could come down TODAY for an evaluation! Uh, no. Seems they are seeing patients in the Houston Shriners until Galveston reopens. She was surprised no one had contacted us before now and even more surprised when I said I had been unable to contact them! I've left messages and one time even with a real person! She said "But someone is always here!". More importantly, do they always answer the phone or return messages????
At least we know that option is once again open if we need it. We still don't have a final decision with Dr. Fearon locally although things look promising. We probably still won't know for certain until the week before the scheduled surgery.
Well, my "break" is over, as I hear the kids running around screaming, Andrew getting frustrated, and the dog getting yelled at!
Jennifer
