We were enjoying being first time parents. At last we were all together at home – Daddy, Mommy, and little son. Joshua was thriving after his 2nd heart surgery and was the happiest, most contented baby I could ever ask for. I felt so blessed. But now the hospital and doctor bills started pouring in. No problem, we had insurance.
Sometime back, before we were expecting Joshua, our main supporting home church had contacted us. Back when we first went on the mission field, we were treated like church staff and therefore were on the church’s employee health insurance plan. This was great! But then things changed, and the insurance company said they would no longer cover overseas employees, while living overseas. The church had felt bad about us not being covered in the field, so they took out a private policy on us, in addition to still being on the church’s health plan. Wow. We felt really loved and valued!
But when the hospital and doctor bills started arriving and we submitted them to the insurance companies, we got rejection notices on all of them. The insurance company wouldn’t pay – neither one of them. One said “pre-existing condition” – which it technically was, in utero, but we certainly did not know about it. The other said, that we had not alerted them that there was a new dependant to cover (which of course most insurance companies are alerted when sent hospital bills for the baby’s birth, but our hospital bill in Kenya where Joshua was born was so low, we did not even submit the claim). Now what? How on earth were we ever going to pay this huge bill for 2 heart surgeries and all the attendant expenses? Now I was worried.
How do I cut such a long story short? Through a series of miracles, God provided and truly amazed us. First, just as our church had fully supported us emotionally and with prayer throughout Joshua’s surgeries, now they stepped up to bat with our insurance dilemma, telling us not to worry because they would somehow help us out financially. We had no idea how it would happen. We just had to trust God. It just so happened that the insurance commissioner for our state went to our church. It also so happened that the lead pastor knew him quite well. Next thing we knew Chip received a call from this insurance commissioner asking for details of the case. “Technically”, he said, “You don’t have a legal leg to stand on because according to the letter of the law, both insurance companies are correct and are not obligated to pay” (our hearts sink). “But let me see what I can do” (the glimmer of hope returns). And we wait…
When the news came, we were both shocked to the core, finding it difficult to believe what had happened. Chip received a call saying that the bills would be paid in full by the insurance companies. Wow! Great news, indeed! Chip proceeded to ask which company would be the primary coverer and which would pay the balance. “Oh, you don’t understand, Mr. Kingsbury. They are both paying in full!” What?! We did not understand. Our experience was that when 2 companies are involved there is what is called coordination of benefits and one becomes the primary company to pay and the other takes up the slack. The voice on the other end explained that because one was employee-based coverage and the other a private policy, when they agreed to pay, they both would pay in full – no coordination of benefits. “So, are you saying there will be payment above and beyond the bills?” “Yes.” “Well…who gets the money?”, was Chip’s query. “You do, Mr. Kingsbury… you do!” We were absolutely floored! Not only had God provided every penny for all those huge bills, but we were paid a considerable amount to boot! Isn’t that just like God – so extravagant with His love?
Because the church had had the big heart to take out the private policy on us, we decided that after outfitting a shipping container with essentials we needed and buying our return plane tickets to Kenya (which prior to this we didn’t have a penny for), the right thing would be to donate the balance to the church – still a considerable sum.
How could we ever doubt God’s provision again? Being human beings, we would continue to worry over finances from time to time, over the years whenever we would look at the dire situations and the impossibility of it all. However, God has never allowed us to be in such a state as to not be able to pay bills, or rent, or to go to bed unintentionally hungry. Things have frequently been tight, and we have always had to live frugally, but our needs have always been met and we have never felt like our kids have had to suffer. When things get scary financially, it does my heart good to look back and remember the huge miracle of provision after Joshua’s surgery. It’s a great remedy for worry!
0 Comments