Prescription plan coverage and the war of attrition with bureaucracy have occupied too many entries in this journal. The sad reality is that this is the reality of living with MS for us.
2007 has rewritten all the record books for my time involved in this yearly exercise. Yes it is uncountable, uncompensated hours every day of every week. Endless frustration looms day after day. As out of pocket prescription debt grows into the thousands it begins to take the air out of each morning’s first breath.
Every year some tiny change in prescription plan insurance creates a collapsing domino effect through Patti’s private plan and it takes X amount of time to get it all restored. In 2007 because there was a change in prescription plan carrier it took over 4 months to get it fixed, the all time record.
I am grateful beyond words that we even have prescription coverage. I never want that gratitude to be lost in the frustration of bureaucratic bungling. Too many people have no coverage.
It just leaves you increasingly uneasy. Living with MS or any chronic illness is expensive. When you do communicate with the bureaucracy of health care insurance it is because you are in need of help, debt and or pain fuels frustration.
Instead you are greeted by electronic voice answering systems requiring you to choose from this menu or that and do you want Spanish or English, then repeating this greeting in electronic Spanish.
Please “say” your account number … “I’m sorry that answer did not compute, please return to the original menu and begin again.”
When you do finally get through to a live person they need to “review your file, please hold.”
For over 4 months, War with Bureaucracy has consumed (or put ‘on hold’) too much of my life …
Caregivingly Yours (Caregivingly El Tuyo), Patrick Leer
Reading the frustration you have to go through I'm grateful we have a National Health Service. It's not foulproof, there are hiccups but I don't have to chase medication for my son, it's free.
ReplyDeleteI'm heaving a big sigh here for you Patrick and leaving a ((((hug)))) I doubt I would fair as well as you, I think my temper would surfice, so I hope the future of prescriptions runs more smoothly for you and others in the same situation. Rache
(((((((((((((((HUGSTOYOU))))))))))))))))Thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteI get frustrated just trying to keep up with my health plan when the claims go through. First I have to submit to my primary carrier, then to my husband's. The doctor's office doesn't make sure it gets to both. I have to follow it through with every doctor visit. Causes great headaches that I have to spend so much uncompensated time making sure my insurance is processing all my submissions properly and in a timely fashion. However, I can't even imagine what I would feel like if I had to deal with it to the degree you do... hmmm.. .... probably a lot like you. Something to look forward to when I am old and sick! (grrrrrr!). bea
ReplyDeletemy sis had the same problem:( she also had a problem of them covering the meds she needs because they are not used just for MS so the government won't cover it. she fought and fought and worked with the doc to find something that the insurance would cover. have a good week
ReplyDeleteDeb
Hello friend. Just letting you know of a new journal. All are welcome! Thanks, Tammy
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