Apr 13 2008
My essay to the Insurance External Review Board
I have one last shot at getting approval for my required medial meniscus transplant. We can send in any documentation that we feel shows why I should have this surgery to the insurance External Review Board. This board is “above” Blue Cross Blue Shield so what they say goes, but apparently this board rarely overturns the insurance company’s denial. Along with letters from my surgeon, pain specialist, and physical therapist, as well as studies showing how meniscus allograft transplants can improve one’s quality life, I’m sending the following essay:
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Christy Hammond, and I am a 21-year-old student attending the University of Michigan. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan recently denied my request for a medial meniscus transplant for my left knee, which my surgeon Dr. Frank Noyes believes will reduce my pain level by half. I am writing this letter to appeal to you and personally ask for you to please reconsider through the External Review Board.
While growing up in Michigan, I was the definition of a tomboy. I lived to play sports and was active around the clock and year round. Like many young kids, I wanted to become an Olympic sprinter. As I grew older, I soon realized that I would never be fast enough to achieve that dream. However, my love for the sport of track and field persisted. I ran the 100m dash and started the 4×100m relay in sixth grade and continued through tenth grade. As a freshman in high school, I took sixth place at regionals for my division.
In my sophomore year of high school (2003), I tore my ACL during the first hour of basketball tryouts. After a lot of hard work in rehab and countless hours in the weight room, I was able to return to my beloved sport. While my 4×100m relay team finishing fifth at regionals was certainly great, my proudest track accomplishment was actually improving my 400m time by nine seconds following my ACL reconstruction. Unfortunately, that race was my last one.
In the summer of 2003, my knee buckled while I was on vacation, and I was never able to run again. I do not know if I can ever accurately describe the emotional pain that I feel when I watch my friends and former teammates run. Running is such a beautiful joy that I miss terribly. When my surgeon told me that at the age of 17 it was unlikely I would ever run again, I cried and begged God to let me run again.