Thursday, July 5, 2007

Deleted? Cancelled? Yeah right

Mike returned from Texas, tired hot and with high high blood pressure. Sparing all the fun details Mike has had some heart trouble in the last few months and has under gone a series of tests and medication changes. Obviously one of the changes we made didn't really help his blood pressure at all. I won't mention numbers or my family will have him admitted to the ER. But they were HIGH! I made him an appointment with his PA but she was out till Tuesday. In the meantime his cardiologist from Spokane called just to check and see how he was doing. What perfect timing. He was able to call in a prescription into our local pharmacy. (This is where the fun begins)

Mike drive the two blocks to our local drug pusher "The Owl" I like going there, they know us by name. He told them two scripts and they told him no worries. SURE!! The nice girl told Mike that it would be over $300.00 as our insurance had been cancelled. Needless to say he was not impressed. You see we renewed on July 1st, but Mike didn't know that as he drove away muttering really nice words under his breath. The Pharmacy tech knowing she was top on his list called me at work to let me know of the problem. I quickly looked online to see that we were still covered then I ventured where no man has successfully gone before... I dialed customer service at our insurance company. I took two tylenol as it rang knowing it was not going to be fun.

Amanda the nice rep asked me all the questions including where we were married and how many pets we had, okay not really but it feels that way at times... and then she cheerfully announced "yes there were having a problem and they were aware that my large group of 55,000 members was showing cancelled, if I would like to pay for the drugs they would be happy to reimburse me." Then she asked if there was anything more she could do for me. I paused drank some diet coke and asked her how long we might apper to be cancelled.... not much longer she assured me. In the meantime just go ahead and go about our shopping. YEAH right, Mike is lucky to have a checkbook let alone $300.00 laying around since he is LAID OFF! I asked if there was anyway she could do an override for these two scripts, she said sure! Now I wondered why she didn't offer this to me orginally so I wouldn't have had to have a mild heart attack while being told I could just pay for the drugs. Does she know what these drugs cost?

I sent Mike back in his buggy to the Pharmacy two hours later with the assurance that Amanda had taken care of him and the drugs would be ready for his normal co-pay. 10 mins later one of our assistants was banging on the door stating a Pharmacy was on the phone with my husband. I am assuming his passed out from high blood pressure or the 110 degree heat we are having today. I could only have hoped. Nope the computer still shows cancelled. But they are willing to charge the drugs to our house account till its resolved.

I know I am supposed to be grateful that we have insurance and its good insurance. But its times like this I wonder why on earth our insurance company would allow 55000 of us to not have benefits today. geesh.... evidently we pissed off some insurance god in some world....

2 comments:

Crystal said...

OH NO! I am so sorry you are going thru that! I hope you become uncancelled quick!

shauna said...

Hope things are going better (and that your insurance is uncancelled...). Nothing can be more stressful than insurance problems when you need coverage. Today. Take care!