Thursday, October 8, 2020

Fun On The Medical Merry-go-round

 

    July 15, 2014 at 2:07 AM

    OK, so I call in a prescription refill to my favorite pharmacy.  When I go to pick up the prescription, 3 days later, I'm told two things: First, that this prescription needs to get refilled by the mail-order pharmacy that my health insurance plan now prefers, and second, that the prescription has expired and I need to contact the Dr. for a re-issue.  The Dr. tells me that the prescription was issued 3 July 2014, for a 3 month supply, and to reissue it now would be "inappropriate".  I have no record of this reissue, so I have to take it up with my pharmacy.  Who also have no record of the reissue. 

    This switch to mail-order is something I missed the memo on.  Most likely I got something in the mail about it, but assumed it was junk mail, because I get so much other medispam. 

    I call UHC to get set up with their preferred mail-order pharmacy, and the automated system transfers me to who it thinks I need to talk to.  Which is wrong.  The person I talk to gives me contact information and transfers me to a different mail-order pharmacy.  Which is wrong.  Since this rep can’t help me either she transfers me back to UHC.  Where I go through their automated system again, and, despite demanding to speak to a representative, I get transferred to the wrong mail-order pharmacy again.  Where the call gets dropped. 

    I call UHC _again_.  I go through their automated system _again_.  Despite demanding to speak to a rep again I get transferred to the wrong mail-order pharmacy _again_.  I explain to the rep from the wrong mail-order pharmacy what’s going on.  She puts me on hold, and _she_ calls UHC.  After an unusually long time on hold she gets back to me with the contact information for the right mail-order pharmacy. 

    I get set up with the right mail-order pharmacy, give them the contact information for my doctors.  And they can’t help me. 

    I call the doctor’s office again, give them the contact information for the pharmacy.  And they can’t help me either. 

    So I get onto the right mail-order pharmacy’s website, and use their search tools to get my prescription records.  The prescription was written on 3 July, alright.  Of 2013.  And the last refill was back in May of this year. 

    I call this information in to the doctor’s office. 

    And the doctor won’t reissue the prescription without seeing me.  Which message I don’t get until an hour and a half after the office is closed, because the call got to me during my daily back-to-back-to-back flight schedule insanity.  Given this doctor’s history she won’t have a schedule opening until f-ing September. 

    Fun with the thrice cursed medical merry-go-round. 

    Now, tomorrow, I get to get up with the birdies, call the doctor’s office again, and see if I can salvage this CFIP. 

    Comments
    • Dana A. Snowden Sorry you have to go through the wringer, my friend. We had the same situation with our sons who needed their medication ASAP. Adrian's supply is 3 months' worth, and we went through that dance. We called UHC and opted OUT of the mail-order and forced Walgreens to honor the prescription written by the doctor. Dylan, on the other hand, has to have his visits every 2 months to get a new prescription written out for his meds. -sigh- What really gets me is the idiots out in the general masses are blaming a SINGLE person in the government for this "mess" when in reality, it's the CORPORATIONS that are profiting from our dependency that ought to be blamed for this snafu. SMH

  • Alan Petrillo Indeed. So tell me again how we have the best medical system in the world?

  • Dana A. Snowden We don't. -chuckle- After taking my stepfather-in-law to the ER yesterday for his left shoulder injury, I realized just how the hospitals are jerking us off with their supposed "costs." They aren't even institutions for "quality health care," but more of an extension of their corporation sponsors. It's even more pathetic when you hear of CEOs of hospitals, and it really does give you pause and wonder what the hell they're really charging us all for. I'm sure they charge for the linens, the amount of O2 being pumped into your exam room, the number of latex gloves used during your visit, and all kinds of other little things they like to nitpick with the insurance companies to make them pass the bill on to us. It would be nice to move to Canada. -sigh-

  • Robert Humphreys All about seeing patients and having a recurring revenue stream...

  • Alan Petrillo Bobby: Partially. It's also about industrial strength ass covering, and avoidance of malpractice lawsuits.

    I can't really complain too loudly. I'm the one who allowed myself to run out of my medication. At least this time I don't have to wait 6 weeks for an appointment, as she was able to fit me in next week.

  • Alan Petrillo Laura, I finally broke down and scheduled an initial consult with a rheumatologist. She can't fit me into her schedule until the middle of September.

  • Dana A. Snowden Any progress with a IPA to a different department? If not, then put in for Sup here at IND. There's a posting on SWALife for that. :)

  • Alan Petrillo Sup? BITE YOUR TONGUE!


  • Alan Petrillo Actually, if I transferred into another department I'd lose boodles of seniority. No thanks. I like being able to get at least part of my weekends off.

  • Dana A. Snowden I don't blame you, Alan Petrillo. I just hope you get better soon. I know your back has been bothering you for a very long time, and Tampa just doesn't seem to be the relaxed station it once was. :(

  • Alan Petrillo The whole frigging company isn't what it was when we hired on. But I have deep roots holding me in Tampa Bay, and I expect I will for quite some time. I do want to wander some, but for me Tampa Bay will always be home.
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