Is there an insurance company in the house? US healthcare cutting its own throat
by Kay B. Day

This morning I phoned our pharmacy to check on a prescription for my daughter. She uses, very sparingly, a very expensive acne cream called Differin®. The last time we got it filled was in March, to the tune of a co-pay of $121.00 against a total cost of $168.99. So now you see why she uses it sparingly.

Meanwhile our doctor, whom we adored, left the Baptist Primary Healthcare Practice to return to teaching. The really good ones rarely hang around in today’s medical marketplace where time is rationed in profitable billable hours. Anyway, a couple days ago we had to ask a doctor we’ve never seen to take care of calling in a new prescription for the cream.

After spending the better part of 45 minutes this morning following prompts on our chain pharmacy’s message center and holding the phone for someone to talk to us because the prescription wasn’t listed, we finally got a human being. “Yes, the doctor faxed in the prescription this morning, and it’ll be ready around 1 p.m.”

All was well.

Then the pharmacy called me back. “The doctor has to call your insurance company to get this approved.”

Read more at Covering Florida.

Submitted by Kay B. Day (view blog) on Thu, 08/23/2007 - 12:17

Comments

 

Drives me insane

Totally and completely insane. Every time the pharmacy calls to say "we have to get your insurance company's approval" I just want to scream. The insurance company knows squat about my health needs and those of my family members. I trust my doctor to prescribe meds I need and my darn insurance company should too.

Bah.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

Submitted by Denise on Thu, 08/23/2007 - 09:35
 

Ditto on Denise's comment.

About the "phone-finger tag" all these companies put us through now a days...As soon as I hear the computer simulated annoying voice...I start hitting "0", "0", "0", "0"....I found if you do it enough times you will usually get a simulated voice telling you that you will soon be connected to a "representative" (code for "actual person").

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at Women 4 Hope and Informed Voters

Submitted by Catherine Morgan on Thu, 08/23/2007 - 10:41
 

Requiring an insuror's

Requiring an insuror's approval should be illegal. It suggests distrust of doctors, I think.

We just got this prescription tonight. I paid for the whole thing. But at least I will reimburse myself through our HSA acct.

I think there should be a straight tax deduction for healthcare. That would be the single most effective thing politicians could do.

Oh, I forgot. Politicians aren't into effective! :)

Sorry I missed these comments--I just discovered the comments feature and now I'm backtracking trying to answer everyone!

Best regards, Kay Day( kayday.com)

Submitted by Kay B. Day on Fri, 08/31/2007 - 16:46
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