Follow up is essential.

October 15, 2025

Hi there!

I’m Erna, the author of Care Fully.

My caregiver journey started over 20 years ago, when I was 21 years old. As a newly minted college graduate, my life was just beginning. I had no idea how to deal with the ups, downs, and in-betweens of caregiving for my Mother.

Care Fully is a play on words. The questions I am asked and the questions I still have drive each issue of this newsletter.

We “care fully” by balancing our needs as a caregivers with those we provide care for. My goal is to offer up experiences and information to support your caregiving needs.

If this edition was forwarded to you, please sign up for your own copy here.

This week’s newsletter spotlights:

  • Insurance claim denials.

  • Links of note.

  • Doctor approved AI.

INSURANCE

Insurance denials seem plentiful.

Insurance claim denials increased 16% between 2018 and 2024.

A few years ago, I experienced this while awaiting approval for an MRI to provide more details for an upcoming surgery.

I also remember having lengthy discussions when my Mother’s insurance stopped covering one of her medications.

One proactive step we can all take is becoming familiar with common reasons claims get denied. This list of 10 can help. The first reason on the list, “lack of medical necessity” is cited more times than not.

When you start your paperwork, confirm you’ve completed everything. Follow up with your doctor and the insurer. Play it extra safe and follow the paper trail yourself, to ensure you’ve removed any bottlenecks.

And, if your claim is denied, visit this site for tips on navigating through the appeals process. Read this post for a few more suggestions including seeking help from your employer.

News for you.

  • Looking for a few ideas to use smart technology in your loved ones home? This post offers a few suggestions.

  • The Paid Leave tool helps folks see leave benefits options available in their state. The team behind the tool released a report with insights about paid leave. One finding found for states offering paid leave, only 30-60% of folks use it. We need more education and follow up detailing how caregivers can take leaves based on their specific scenarios.

AI AND YOUR HEALTH

Doctor approved AI makes for a good headline, but . . .

A recent Time article offers up a few ways to use AI for health concerns. While I am not someone who does this, I still find it is interesting to see how folks experiment.

If you were going to ask Chat GPT (or its equivalent) a medical question, the article encourages us to ask questions about medical facts.

For example, asking something akin to “what do plasma cells do” narrows the type of responses we would expect to see. Why? It is because the response is “not specific to a scenario. It’s general, and there’s a textbook answer.”

The more “textbook” our question, the greater likelihood of us receiving an accurate answer.

But, we should remember to exercise caution. Verify and follow up with research to confirm the information you receive.

As with any technology, think twice, thrice, or perhaps even eight times about adding your personal health information into any AI system.

TILL NEXT TIME

Thanks for reading my newsletter. If you like it, please:

  1. Share Care Fully with a friend using this link.

  2. Are you thinking of ways to spotlight caregiving in your company? Reach out to me if you’re looking for a speaker or support to help plan your event. Email [email protected] for more information.

If you’re interested in a newsletter platform, check out this one.

Take care,

Erna

Did this week's newsletter share something that supports your needs?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.