The Texas legislature finally stepped up and passed the law to mandate insurance coverage for medically necessary cleft orthodontics. I am proud of the 1,680 of you who refused to let them ignore us. We forced these politicians to do their jobs and I will be watching closely to make …
May 7, 2019
Final supporters
My name is Ella Crowe. I am 12 years old and in 6th grade. I was born with a cleft lip and palate. I have had 9 surgeries so far, and right now need braces to prepare for my next surgery. My family has had to fight many times for insurance to pay for those surgeries. Only 14 states have laws in place that require insurance to cover some medical needs for kids with cleft lip and palate. Nine of those 14 cover all medical needs, including orthodontics. One in 700 children are born with a cleft. Texas law does not require insurance companies to cover all needed medical expenses. I want to change the existing law to include coverage of medically necessary orthodontics for children with cleft lip and palate.
Update 2/28/19 - I met with my state representative's office and my senator's office today. Found out we missed the deadline to introduce new legislation this year, but am gathering support for the next session. I will keep this petition open until I reach my goal.
Updates
Reached 1,000 supporters
February 28, 2019
February 24, 2019
The bureaucrats in Austin think they can ignore us just because the deadline passed. They are counting on us to get discouraged and go home but they clearly do not know how hard we have already fought for these children. We are not going anywhere.
Reached 100 supporters
February 21, 2019
377 Comments
We've had several issues with insurance as well, especially for my son's tooth extractions; they continue to want to claim that tooth extractions (necessary for the cleft plan, and some have to be done under general anesthesia depending on where the tooth is) are not medically necessary.
My daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate. She has had 26 surgeries and we are thousands behind in medical debt. Her first surgery was not covered by insurance because it was “cosmetic”, this surgery was for her lip repair and it cost us 70,000.
I’m 19 and also was born with a cleft lip and palate. I’ve had 15 surgeries and I know that it was severely difficult for my mother and thinking about not having insurance through it all sounds so horrible. I hope they get the law passed
My treatment for my cleft lip included orthodontics and speach. It was not a cosmetic issue, it was a corrective necessity of my birth defect. I had missing teeth and misplaced teeth. This should be a covered service
My daughter is 10 mos old and was born 9 wks premature with a cleft palate and will be needing surgery around 1 yr old. I hope this law changes where insurance companies have to cover cleft lip and palate. She can't even eat solids until surgery. It's medically necessary.
Be the change.
My brother and I were born with this issue. If it weren't for the doctor who did amazing pro bono surgeries I can honestly say I don't know what our parents would of done to get us the help we needed. We were born in the 50's.. we didn't have health insurance.
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The Texas legislature finally stepped up and passed the law to mandate insurance coverage for medically necessary cleft orthodontics. I am proud of the 1,680 of you who refused to let them ignore us. We forced these politicians to do their jobs and I will be watching closely to make …
May 7, 2019
Final supporters
My name is Ella Crowe. I am 12 years old and in 6th grade. I was born with a cleft lip and palate. I have had 9 surgeries so far, and right now need braces to prepare for my next surgery. My family has had to fight many times for insurance to pay for those surgeries. Only 14 states have laws in place that require insurance to cover some medical needs for kids with cleft lip and palate. Nine of those 14 cover all medical needs, including orthodontics. One in 700 children are born with a cleft. Texas law does not require insurance companies to cover all needed medical expenses. I want to change the existing law to include coverage of medically necessary orthodontics for children with cleft lip and palate.
Update 2/28/19 - I met with my state representative's office and my senator's office today. Found out we missed the deadline to introduce new legislation this year, but am gathering support for the next session. I will keep this petition open until I reach my goal.
Updates
Reached 1,000 supporters
February 28, 2019
February 24, 2019
The bureaucrats in Austin think they can ignore us just because the deadline passed. They are counting on us to get discouraged and go home but they clearly do not know how hard we have already fought for these children. We are not going anywhere.
Reached 100 supporters
February 21, 2019
377 Comments
I am 42 born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate.... getting insurance is so hard and it affects your health and dental for the rest of your life. I would like to say one surgery Does NOT “fix” it this is an ongoing procedures for the rest of your life! Thank you
We've had several issues with insurance as well, especially for my son's tooth extractions; they continue to want to claim that tooth extractions (necessary for the cleft plan, and some have to be done under general anesthesia depending on where the tooth is) are not medically necessary.
My daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate. She has had 26 surgeries and we are thousands behind in medical debt. Her first surgery was not covered by insurance because it was “cosmetic”, this surgery was for her lip repair and it cost us 70,000.
I’m 19 and also was born with a cleft lip and palate. I’ve had 15 surgeries and I know that it was severely difficult for my mother and thinking about not having insurance through it all sounds so horrible. I hope they get the law passed
My treatment for my cleft lip included orthodontics and speach. It was not a cosmetic issue, it was a corrective necessity of my birth defect. I had missing teeth and misplaced teeth. This should be a covered service
My daughter is 10 mos old and was born 9 wks premature with a cleft palate and will be needing surgery around 1 yr old. I hope this law changes where insurance companies have to cover cleft lip and palate. She can't even eat solids until surgery. It's medically necessary.
Be the change.
My brother and I were born with this issue. If it weren't for the doctor who did amazing pro bono surgeries I can honestly say I don't know what our parents would of done to get us the help we needed. We were born in the 50's.. we didn't have health insurance.
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I am 42 born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate.... getting insurance is so hard and it affects your health and dental for the rest of your life. I would like to say one surgery Does NOT “fix” it this is an ongoing procedures for the rest of your life! Thank you