Insurance Information
The financial effect of having a child with a chronic illness, such as a rheumatic disease, can be significant. The direct medical costs for professional services (doctor fees, occupational and physical therapy fees, lab tests, medications and hospitalizations) can be quite high. Thankfully, many of these costs are usually covered by insurance.
Some insurance providers require you to obtain a referral from your child’s primary care physician before your child sees one of our rheumatologists. Referrals may also be necessary before your child can see other specialists or providers (occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists). It is important that you keep referrals up to date. Talk with your insurance provider about referral requirements before starting treatment.
In addition to patient referrals, insurance providers will sometimes require prior authorization before covering the costs of equipment, special tests, therapy or certain drugs. Our financial services representative can help you navigate this often confusing process.
Cincinnati Children’s has compiled a Ongoing Support Resources directory to assist families in dealing with a child’s chronic illness. Follow these links to reach information and resources that can help explain insurance issues and assistance as you learn to handle your child’s condition:
