By Katie Patrick
When someone calls Catholic Social Services in need of financial assistance, it’s usually because, for one reason or another, they have fallen behind in rent or utilities. Many things can disrupt a household’s ability to pay the bills, including illness, job loss, or the unexpected death of a family member. Natural disasters such as a fire or flood can also affect a family’s financial independence, prompting them to seek temporary assistance.
When I took calls and processed requests at our Lincoln office, I remember many of these scenarios and the families that we were able to assist. However, there is one unique request that we have received several times in the past few years from our office in Hastings: financial assistance to pay for cranial helmets for infants and young children.
While Medicaid claims to cover these expenses under the Durable Medical Equipment and orthotics benefit, additional qualifying metrics weighing the severity can leave a percentage of infants ineligible and thus at risk for continued deformity in life. In other words, Medicaid is an option and has the ability to provide coverage, but not all doctors’ recommendations guarantee coverage.
Additionally, a family may have private insurance through their employer or the marketplace but, with a high deductible, not be eligible for any financial hardship assistance—despite living paycheck to paycheck. The cost of a cranial helmet is $2,400; enough to put even a stable, middle-income family at a loss for payment. This is where you and the work of Catholic Social Services come in.
Twins in utero have creative ways of sharing space, and while it may cause a mom some extra indigestion and hard nights’ sleep, there’s not much that mom can do (trust me, I know!). When Meredith came to the CSS Hastings office last year in need of a cranial helmet for one of her twins, our case manager, Diana, was quick to assist. Meredith shared that her doctor advised her to get a cranial helmet for her 3-month-old child. Measurements were taken by the local company, which also confirmed the child needed the helmet. Unfortunately, Medicaid deemed it cosmetic, but the doctor urged Meredith to seek financial assistance so that her child’s cranium, with proper structure, would correct itself—eliminating any long-term negative effects on the child’s life, including bullying due to visual deformity. What parent wouldn’t?
Meredith’s husband works full-time, but they were able to save only a portion of the funds needed to buy the cranial helmet. CSS was able to meet them halfway and provided the balance. An order was placed, and payment—which is required upfront, primarily due to the reality that the company making the custom helmets rarely receives a payout from Medicaid—was made.
Where do we receive funding to help families like Meredith’s? From you! One way you can provide such help is through our Bountiful Harvest Banquet and Silent Auction Sunday, Sunday, Oct. 12 at the Hastings City Auditorium. You can attend and bid in person, but you can also bid remotely online. Visit us at csshope.org as we continue to post exciting items and local experiences, including ReWild Ranch, Nebraska Football tickets, a 2002 VW Beetle, Our Lady of Good Counsel retreat package, and a gift card to Twist’d Joker Tattoo (you’ll have to outbid my husband on that one!).
Bountiful Harvest is a fun event that brings together the community for the purpose of celebrating and supporting the mission of Catholic Social Services so that we can continue to serve those in need.
Meredith’s twins today are happy, healthy — and a handful. Meredith stays in touch with Diana and often comes to CSS for diapers. We are increasing our distribution of personal care items, such as shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc., so we were also able to pack a bag of needed items for Meredith and her family. We are so grateful to all of our donors who help us connect with families by meeting their needs, whatever they may be.
