So, if you follow mw on twitter you may have noticed a couple tweets about my dealings/frustrations with Workers Compensation (WCF) regarding my injured knee.  Here is the scoop.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I injured my knee at work on the day after Thanksgiving.  It has been a real bummer since then.  After my initial visit to the doctor, he wanted to get an MRI to determine what is really wrong.  Well, WCF has spent the past two-and-a-half weeks “reviewing” my case.

During that time I have been limping around with an OTC knee brace basically undiagnosed let alone treated.  Last week I had been doing OK, but when I got up on Monday I didn’t feel as good as I had been.  not sure what I did (if anything), but I was getting the feeling that I certainly wasn’t getting any better!  So, I spent a good portion of the day on the phone with the doctor, WCF, and my personal insurance.

WCF had my claim wrapped up in bureaucratic red-tape and there I was, not being able to move forward.  At this point, after being on the phone all afternoon I wrote an email to the WCF people outlining my disappointment with the way my case was being handled.  My personal insurance said that in such a case they would cover me (less any applicable deductibles and co-pay) even though it happened at work.  They said that I should go ahead and get treated and then if WCF came through we could get reimbursed.

As I was about to go through with this line of procedure, I got an email from WCF saying that they wanted to schedule a follow-up appointment with my doctor before they gave the OK for the MRI.  By the time I got to calling the doctor’s office to schedule this appointment, they had already talked to WCF and told them that they wouldn’t be able to schedule me until next week sometime.  At that point WCF caved and just OKed the MRI.  They then called to tell me this after I had learned it from the doctor.  They also informed me that their company would contact me to schedule it.

Well, after a day of waiting for them to call, it seemed like it was not worth the time.  So, I sent another email to WCF, and what do you know, when you get mad enough and threaten to slap an insurance company with more bills they get their act together.  I told them that If I didn’t have an appointment scheduled by the end of friday that I would do it myself and they could foot the bill.  Well, within minutes I had the number and information I needed to call their company and set up my appointment.  Go figure that they actually used the imaging people that the doctor wanted!

So, We are finally moving forward with finding out what is wrong and fixing my knee.  I am sick of dealing with the insurance people, but now that I understand how to motivate them hopefully things will keep moving.  I will finally (after 3 weeks) get the MRI that I need and even have the followup appointment to get the diagnosis.  I may not get the knee fixed by the holidays, but hopefully I will at least have whatever I need scheduled.

While I don’t always pay attention to the news, it is hard to not hear about the relief efforts that have been going on in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.  The big interesting news is that the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) sent a huge convoy to Haiti to help.  The interesting thing about that is that Israel did it basically completely unannounced.  They didn’t file any flight-plans, they just showed up in  two 747s and a C130 carrying all the equipment that they needed to set up a mobile field hospital including scanning and diagnostic equipment and satellite links for maintaining digital patient files with hospitals in Israel.  Amazingly, in traditional Israeli fashion they literally just showed up with a blatant disregard for any regulations saying: “Hey, we are here to help and we are landing!”

So, while hearing about the entire situation in Haiti, I have been wondering what it has to do with me.  I hate to sound like I am not sympathetic, but I am here living my life, seemingly unaffected, but that isn’t really the case.  It turns out that my family (my uncle specifically) is fairly deeply involved in the efforts.  It started off with a young Israeli woman, Shauna, that he has been sponsoring in her athletic endeavors since the Maccabee Games who is deploying with the IDF to Haiti for the relief.  She went to medical school before making aliyah to Israel and has been competing as a tri-athlete for Israel.

Additionally, he is involved in helping to move doctors from Dartmouth College (his alma mater) to Haiti as the Dartmouth medical school has been looking for people to donate private planes to help move the medical personnel.

We also have family friends who are volunteering their time, money and supplies to actually go to Haiti to help out.  So, when I actually sit and think about it, this is something that affects me.  here I am sitting with my uncle at his beautiful home at Deer Valley in Park City Utah about to go skiing, but we have spent the better part of the morning organizing relief efforts.

Here are two of the organizations that are down there making a difference and doing a good job.  I know that everyone around the world is asking for money and donations, but it is a good cause.  So check these guys out and do what you can.  Don’t feel obligated, but certainly consider doing what you can.

Israaid – This is the civilian company managing the Israeli relief efforts.  At the time of posting their site seems to be down.

Partners in Health – A US organization that seems to be doing very well and working very efficiently.