Elective Medical Procedures in the US and France

My best friend’s five year old son was recently diagnosed with a sensory integration disorder. This explains a host of concerns they’ve been having about him, from not yet being toilet trained to not knowing when he is hungry, and she feels confident that his diagnosis is a good thing.

My three month old daughter was found by our family doctor to have trouble turning her head to the left when lying on her back. This is by no means serious, and has in fact become something of a joke amongst my friends and family.

What are the recommended treatments for each child?

Well, my best friend, who lives in the US, has to petition her insurance company for coverage of her son’s occupational therapy. If it is not covered, she has to choose what she will cut from her budget in order to cover it, or do his sessions at home, herself.

My doctor prescribed five sessions of physical therapy for my daughter. They are covered at 60% by the national universal health plan, and the remaining 40% is reimbursed by our private insurance. For what basically amounts to a neck massage. For a three month old.

I’m not complaining about the medical care, and I’m more than happy to take my daughter to have her neck massaged. But I think it’s shameful that my best friend might have to choose between car insurance and getting treatment for her son.

It’s just not possible to say that the health care insurance in the United States is not scandalous and doesn’t need to be changed immediately!

(Off my soapbox now, back to regularly scheduled programming.)