Sarah's Battle Against United Healthcare for Kennedy Krieger's Feeding Clinic

UPDATE: We won the case. View our victory video at www.tinyurl.com/sarahs-victory

This is Sarah's story. PLEASE help us in any way you can to get the treatment Sarah desperately needs. E-mail us at prowellfamily@gmail.com with any advice or suggestions. Thanks in advance! Please understand we are NOT looking for money or donations of any kind. We just want people to contact United Healthcare on our behalf to help persuade them to change their minds. We don't have a specific name or address to give anyone as we deal with a different person every time we contact them.

There is a cause page for her: http://www.causes.com/causes/553850

Here is the text of the video:

Meet our daughter Sarah

She's 5 years old

loves her dance classes

is learning to play ice hockey,

and is a huge fan of ELMO!!!

She is autistic, has food allergies, and a history of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

This is causing severe feeding issues.

She is in kindergarten, yet all she will eat is baby food, yogurt, and applesauce.

This is just some of what she eats in a typical week....

Despite the best efforts of her parents, several therapists, and a feeding program at a local children's hospital, Sarah still cannot eat normally.

We took her to Kennedy Krieger Institute for a feeding evaluation to see if they could help her.

They felt that with a 6-8 week intensive feeding day program, they could get her to eat solid food, and we finally had some hope!

Unfortunately, our insurance company, United HealthCare is crushing that hope.

They refuse to pay for Sarah's treatment.

We have appealed twice, losing both times.

Since August, Sarah has taken real interest in table foods, trying her best to eat them. She tries to eat them but simply can't because she has severe texture sensitivity and lacks any chewing skills.

Solid food causes her to gag or vomit. She simply has no idea how to chew food, so solid food also poses a choking hazard.

UHC thinks it's okay for her to be in kindergarten eating baby food.

We hide her baby food in plastic bowls at school so the other kids don't spot the jars of baby food in the cafeteria and laugh at her.

United Healthcare refuses to pay for her treatment at Kennedy Krieger, citing a different reason every time.

They've called Sarah's problem a "food aversion" which usually refers to someone who can eat a food, but chooses not to.

Sarah physically can't eat solid foods. We have medical proof of this.

United Healthcare called KKI's program a "behavior modification program" as if it is simply a matter of punishing Sarah until she eats solid food.

KKI's program is a comprehensive program using gastroenterology, behavioral psychology, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nutrition, and social work.

In United Healthcare's latest denial they have abandoned their earlier arguments and now simply call KKI's program experimental.

KKI has provided proof of thier success rate, peer-reviews, and various studies showing their program works.

KKI has proof that United Healthcare has paid for this program in the past for other patients. They just want to see if they can get away with not paying for Sarah.

We can't afford to pay out of pocket for KKI's program, and without treatment, she continue to only eat baby foods. Somebody HELP!!!

United Healthcare, please change your minds and help Sarah learn to eat like kids her age.

Please pass this on to your family and friends. We are hoping with as much awareness as possible.

Please e-mail us at prowellfamily@gmail.com with any advice, information, etc. that may be able to help us.

Thank you, Rob, Amy, Sarah, and Sean Prowell

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• sarah
• united
• healthcare
• kennedy
• krieger
• feeding
• disorder
• autism
• battle

[girv0011]

My name is Faith and I came accross your youtube post

I am 24 years old and I still struggle with texture sensitivity . Everything was pureed for me. At the age of nine, everyone forced me to eat soldis, and a lot of the solids I can handle texture wise today are carbs. I do know of a recipe book called Deceptively Delicious and it has secrets for hiding veggies and such.

Hope this helps a bit.

[MyGrayce]

Hang in there. Keep up with the appeals. If I may make another suggestion, does you area have an agency that advocates for adults and children with disabilities? There may be a staff person there who can give you some further ideas or guidance. Some of these agencies have lawyers that can help with advocacy. Hope this helps.

[ajl1239]

Remember to share this video with your favorite media folks on Twitter (i.e. @MMFLINT @MADDOW @KeithOlbermann etc.)

[CindyPDX]

Our one twin son Cameron has autism (now 7 years old) went through this at Sarah's age with the baby food. It's been an up hill battle with eating and other things that come along with Autism. We've taken safe baby steps to help him along, but NOT with the help of the pediatrician or our insurance co. They've made it hell to get ANY help for him. I still can't get him to eat fresh fruits, vegies, meats, beans, or rice etc. We're on our own...it's a wonder these children survive.

[ajl1239]

Let the media contacts at UnitedHealthcare know you think of their cruel denial of care: Daryl Richard Ph. (860) 702-5795 daryl_richard@uhc.com Tyler Mason Ph. (714) 226-3530 tyler.mason@phs.com Lynne High Ph. (952) 992-5708 lynne_m_high@uhc.com Cheryl Randolph Ph. (714) 226-3441 cheryl.randolph@phs.com

[BrookeandCorey]

To the parents of Sarah. Please email me at brookebe@gmail.com. I think I may be able to help. I have two sons who were born premature and have battled with insurances as their healthcare cost would have run somewhere in the millions. Jayden is in one of the feeding programs at Kennedy. Please contact me. I will send you my phone number and then we can talk and try to get her into that program.

[ajl1239]

Have you heard anything from United Healthcare? You're right - they approved this same treatment two years ago for a girl named Isabelle. We need to call them out on their hypocrisy.

[525desdemona]

This is my niece as well :) Thanks to all of you for watching this, passing it on or who may have sent advice or encouragement!!!

[ajl1239]

All: If you watch this video, please share it on Twitter with tags like: #unitedhealthcare, #p2, #hcr, and #singlepayer or #publicoption.

[domesticsuperheromom]

Hello. I am a mom with 2 boys with severe autism and much like your daughter they both are on very self-restricted diets. 1 son will only eat grilled cheese or peanut butter sandwiches and homemade chocolate chip cookies I bake and my other son only eats grilled cheese, pretzel sticks (a certain brand and type) and my cookies.

I know all too well the battles of getting insurance to cover anything having to do with Autism therapies.

I would be more than happy to help in any way I can. I d