by Brent Frazier
SMITHVILLE, Tenn. - Having four infected, impacted wisdom teeth removed on Wednesday should bring war widow Caitlin Anderson some pain relief. Learning that her dental insurance, through the Army, is non-existent marks the onset of hurt of a different kind.
"Times are hard, they're really hard," Anderson told NewsChannel 5 Tuesday evening, with her daughter, Lilly Grace, now 15 months, at her side.
The 21-year-old is an unemployed mother of one, who does not qualify for TennCare; and the money the military gave her for her husband's death, back in May, is quickly dwindling, she said.
Army PFC Billy Anderson was killed in Afghanistan on May 17, at the young age of 20. His birthday is Christmas Eve, a particularly tough day for his mother Marlene Goodwin.
Caitlin Anderson has health insurance for doctor visits, and little Lilly is also covered. What's troubling the family now is the recent discovery that dental insurance is nowhere on the radar. The military insists, according to the family, that Billy Anderson neglected to submit paperwork that would've qualified his family for such dental coverage.
Marlene Goodwin recalls her son's rush to get ready for deployment one year ago.
"He was just really under a lot of stress, I'm sure," Goodwin said in her son's defense. "I'm sure he had a lot on his mind, deploying, and the military says (dental insurance paperwork) was never turned in."
Caitlin's oral surgery, scheduled for Wednesday, is said to cost at least $1,000. How will she pay for it?
"I'm just going to scrape what pennies I have left together, my family will help me and we'll pay for it tomorrow," the widow said, determined to keep her appointment.
Frustrated as the family might be, Billy Anderson's loved ones don't understand why the military cannot make an exception, at least in this case, to cover the family's dental bills. Caitlin and her mother-in-law said, considering the price Billy paid that seems like a small request.
NewsChannel 5 called the family's case to the attention of the Tennessee Department of Veterans' Affairs, and the State VFW, or Veterans of Foreign Wars. State adjutant of the VFW, Ronnie Davis, said he'd tackle Caitlin's case first thing Wednesday morning. Davis said there are pots of money out there for cases such as Caitlin's: an un-met needs program, and a military assistance program, just to name two.
Furthermore, Davis seemed optimistic that helping the family in the bigger picture did not sound out of the question. In other words, Davis seemed willing to advocate, on Caitlin Anderson's behalf, and appeal to the military about reconsidering the family's current lack of dental health insurance.
Email: bfrazier@newschannel5.com
Caitlin Anderson and her 15-month-old daughter, Lilly Grace
PFC Billy Anderson
