One very small example of why we need healthcare reform

November 3, 2009 at 4:30 pm | In AdoptThis!, The Sweet Life | 7 Comments

About a month ago, I checked online to see when my supplies were coming from Minimed.

Everything looked fine, except for the test strips, which said “cash pricing” $360

Every other time I’ve ordered them from MM, they have been covered by insurance.

I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with a representative from MM who finally assured me that yes, they were covered.

Guess what happened next?

Test strips arrive, I start using them and… then

Bill. For $360. I call Minimed back (another 30 minutes on hold) only to be told that at some point this year (in the middle of the year) my insurance coverage had changed and Minimed was no longer covered as a supplier of perscription supplies, only durable medical equipment. Ergo, use a different supplier for test strips.

I estimate that I’ve devoted about an hour and a half of time I should be working, not counting the time spent blogging about this (ahem), to fixing this problem, and it isn’t really fixed yet. I have to get a new script for strips (phone maze at the endos office, at least another hour), send it in to the appropriate mail order source, wait for the strips to come, and then*return* the strips I have not used from MM (paying out of pocket for the others).

The impact that dealing with this crap has on our national productivity cannot be underestimated.

Oh, and further aggravation: I just got a phone call from the adoption agency. The social worker who is going to do our homestudy is concerned that I have diabetes and wants a letter from my endo stating that I am healthy enough to parent, before she will do the homestudy visits. I am overdue for an appointment, and if we have to wait for that in order to get our homestudy done, I am going to scream. The reason she wants a letter from the endo is that we saw her to take about our options for this adoption, and I had a low – just your average run of the mill, stuff a glucose tab in my face low – while I was in her office. This translated to “and she said that you had an ‘attack’ in her office, so she was concerned about your health.”

ETA: 2 phone messages left, over 2 days, still no endo appt scheduled.

7 Comments »

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Re: Letter from endo. Gag. Sadly, we have to do the same thing with our foster homestudy. Each year, we have to get letters from our doc saying that neither my diabetes nor my depression would get in the way of our being fit parents. T has to get the same for her depression and sleep apnea. They’re afraid that if the child has an “issue” in the middle of the night, T won’t be able to hear it over the bipap. Insane.

And I hate having to do mail order for any of my meds.

Comment by Blondie — November 3, 2009 #

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Sounds like my year with Express Scripts (who recently wanted me to accept insulin that had sat on the UPS truck for 5 days……) – absolutely disgusting.
As far as the lady goes, get the letter and make her shut up. I am not fond of the phrase, “diabetes attack”.

Comment by Minnesota Nice — November 3, 2009 #

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Narda had to have a letter – NO BIGGIE.

Really.

Comment by shelli — November 3, 2009 #

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- Shell, I’m not worried about the letter. I had to do it before – I’m more peeved because it may take FOREVER to get it from my new doctor’s office and she won’t start the homestudy until she gets it. Also, b/c like MN, I find the phrase “diabetes attack” really irritating, imprecise and utterly inaccurate.
  
  Comment by artsweet — November 4, 2009 #
  
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Argh! Such a perfect example of our current health care catastrophe. Sorry about the homestudy crap too.

Comment by Kerri — November 4, 2009 #

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Wow, an “attack”. Someone has watched Steel Magnolias too many times. Hope all that gets sorted out with minimal drama.

Comment by Genie — November 5, 2009 #

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I hate having to jump through hoops like that. Hate it. Life is busy enough without all of that extra crap!

Comment by Scott K. Johnson — November 8, 2009 #

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