…talking to people about my health care needs, but I am more than sure you all have more important things to think about besides my problems, hmm?
But if you did have the time I could probably figure out why the healthcare systems are in such a BIG MESS!
You see, if you have just a moment, it won’t take me too much time really?
Today I called a number that my insurance company gave me to call if I had any questions.
And that’s where the problems began.
The letter I received was an acceptance for coverage for my yearly cranial/brain MRI for keeping track of my MS that previous years was covered by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America for free, but now BIG SHOT INSURED GAL, not only pays her way with a $432 a month premium, she has a two thousand dollar deductible for such things and when the doctor’s office tried to set up my appointment for it at the local imaging center, one of many, they said it would be $650, since I have not met my deductible. Now, I tried calling the MSAA and see if they knew any in the area that might be cheaper and they gave me the name of a big company called Needy Meds and they were even higher in some locations over $900 than as low as $750! But I have been approved with my new United Healthcare PPO options to have the necessary test, and the fact that they wouldn’t be paying for it, made me annoyed, BIG TIME!
So far to date they have gotten out of me over $2100 dollars just since November 1st!
Paying for my deductible of $500 for medications and the premiums!
And so now I called around and found out that another local less than two miles from my home, imaging center, would do my self-pay MRI for a mere $325 and so that is where I am going! But here’s the rub, since it is self-pay it does not go towards my deductible even though they do accept my insurance, but if I used my insurance they same test would be $750! Do you see why I think the system stinks?
And I called the number on the letter and the woman there had no idea about any of it, Barbara M. with MedSolutions, handed me off to Michelle M. and she dropped my call, the letter even though it had a precertification, (which is not even a word, but that hasn’t stopped me from coining some of my own over these last few years), any-who and I was promptly transferred to another number that had a Quanita K. at GEHA at that ext. who said she would connect me to her supervisor and dropped my call too when she was about to send me to the main number for my insurance. A giant circle of no one knowing the answers and giving me the run around! I looked at the letter again and here I am quoting what it said verbatim, except the phone number; “For additional information about benefits that are covered under your plan, please refer to your PCIP Benefit Brochure. If you have any questions about this certification, please call MedSolutions at (866) XXX-XXXX.” Signed by a doctor named Gregg Allen, M.D. so that is what I did and so I asked to speak to him and they said no nurses or doctors are allowed to speak on the phone, what????
An unconscionable lack of resolve has occurred in my opinion.
No one could figure out that the numbers don’t jive that is why the system is terribly broken and no one cares to try to repair it!
I feel like I have been financially raped!
We are not rich, my whole personal income with these now additional expenses has been reduced nearly six thousand dollars for the year that I know we could find better things to do with!
What I think I might do after this month of investigating prices on individual expenses, I already started with one doctor, I would like to bank the money and use it when necessary.
It’s a little less than two and half years until I am on Medicare and if I am cautious and do what I did before… my meds were about $100 a month due to qualifying for programs without insurance. The one doctor, the internist charges from $25-$182, for an office visit, which means no more health dept and my old doctors might be willing to go back to their old self pay fees of $42 and $62, but I will have to check with the neuro and the ophthalmologist’s offices. Meanwhile, I wish I knew a better way to navigate all of this trying to be healthy crap, okay not so crappy, but difficult when you feel so bad.
The stress is no good for me or anyone else, and can you imagine this is the pre-existing FEDERAL INSURANCE PLAN; some people may be worse off than me financially and health-wise?
Oh what I am figuring out is the gouging, I am not that BIG of an IDIOT that I don’t know about the percentages set up between the insurance companies and the providers of the needs for their client/patients, ha!
Sure in the end the settling for the lesser amounts, but when it comes down to us clients/patients we don’t get that same deal of that discount, do we?
Although, not entirely true, the internist’s billing office says they give a 20% discount if you pay your bill in full before you leave their office, but this is only with self-pay not co-pay.
This is a bit of a conundrum, with should I or shouldn’t I?
Hubby thinks I should say, Hasta La Vista, baby to the insurance company and many others that I have spoken to concur, get rid of the aggravation, what would you do?
No, really?
To us it is a lot of wasted money going down the drain.
Oh well, on this I will have to think a bit longer, on that note of no solutions as of yet, odd how that word keeps coming up with medical thingies… allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you all to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages with whomever you care to and we will too!
And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?!