I do not intend this to be a complaint blog about the cost of mental health care, interventions, getting the right accommodations, etc. BUT I will detail out of pocket expenses for unique kiddos. I hope the tone comes across as dismayed but grateful. Dismayed that SO many cannot do these things for their children that we found necessary, even when they find out about them and have at least some level of access to them. Grateful because we are able to - it takes a massive spreadsheet and micro-managing budgeting down to the dollar, but we are able. We give up vacations, visiting family, put off home improvements, eat in, drive used cars, do our own yard work, say NO to outings, but it is all worth it and we are so utterly and eternally grateful that we are in a position to give those things up to make the therapies, supports, etc. happen for our kiddos. When I talk to friends with less unicorn-like kiddos, conversations may edge towards how expensive kids can be. Growing out of clothes, outgrowing bikes, sport fees, tutoring fees, movie costs, gaming costs, etc. I have stopped replying with anything but a "don't I know it" and no longer add, "yeah, add $140/week therapy costs"... I get the three-headed stare or a very kind attempt at solving that issue by saying "can't you use someone in network?". This used to lead to explaining what a HDHP is and how mental health is never really covered under those and meeting the deductible is catastrophic health issues only ($9000 out of pocket). So, it is easier to just know that we are making the right decisions - healthcare and financial - and stick with the "don't I know it" because we do. We really do and we are intensely grateful for it.
Annual expenses for being different
Weekly Psychologist $140 x 52 = $7280
Monthly Psychiatrist for 2 kiddos $120 x 2 x 12 = $2880
Weekly OT for 2 kiddos $50 x 2 x 52 = $5200
IEP Navigator for 2 kiddos $1000
Weekly Vision Therapy $80 x 52 = $4264
Medication 1 $97 x 12 = $1164
Medication 2 $25 x 12 = $300
Medication 3 $25 x 12 = $300
No WAY am I trying to tally up the probiotics, omegas, Kavinace supplements
Annual cost in CASH = $22,388
Confession - that all happened in a single year, but not this year. That was a tough year all around - emotionally, financially, marital, etc. We got through it with all the amazing professionals behind those line items. Doing all of that got us to stable mode, so now, we're more like this:
Bi-Weekly Psychologist $140 x 26 = $3640
Quarterly Psychiatrist $120 x 2 x 4 = $960
No OT
IEP Navigator for 2 kiddos $1000
No Vision Therapy
Medication 1 $97 x 4 = $388
Medication 2 $25 x 12 = $300
Medication 3 $25 x 12 = $300
Annual cost this year is $6588.
But here's the deal, many differently abled kiddos do not have parents that can afford out of pocket mental health care. Even a GREAT in network psychologist didn't come anywhere close to handling what we needed with The Critter -flexible, demanding, kind, SMART, persistent, diligent, creative. She is herself a unicorn in her field and nothing less would have reached The Critter(or dare I say, me?).
So, next time you see a vote come up or a political position on Early Intervention, teacher assistants, special education, paraprofessionals, IDEA funding, consider that caring properly for these kiddos who cannot get outside help benefits us all. As the last post stated, these are OUR neighbors and OUR community, not some otherness that can be ignored.
