It's enough to give you high b/p !!
Why do we have health insurance? Okay - easy enough - to pay our bills if we get sick! Now, part two: what gives us the biggest headache? Answer: INSURANCE COMPANIES!
Our family is blessed to have some of the best insurance available, (other than being totally rich and not worrying about medical bills!). We have federal Blue Cross and Tricare standard. Pretty much they take care of anything. And yet...
Yesterday we went to Nashville to see Dr. Haynes who is Scott's Respiratory Specialist and takes care of his Sleep Apnea care. We have been with him 21 years and see him once a year. Scott has had some problems over the past couple years with skin breakdown over the bridge of his nose that is aggravated by the nasal mask he uses with the cpap. We have tried several devices and eventually they all blister his nose.
This year, Dr Haynes had a new nasal cannula that does not sit on the bridge of the nose! Hurrah and Praise the Lord! He wrote a script for it and told me to stop on the way home and pick one up at the usual place. Ahhhhhhh! That it were that easy!
I called the medical supply company from the doc's office - "Just in case" they needed some info from the medical team. Oh No! They had their own agenda and it did not involve Scott getting a mask anytime soon!
I was instructed that we would have to come in for a visit with their resp. therapist and she was not available for several days. Now, come on! This is not rocket science! He has had the machine and slept with some type or the other for 21 years! Just give me the new mask and let us get on our way!
You know that is not going to happen. Finally I called the company yesterday and asked to speak to the very busy resp Therapist - I wanted to confirm that they did, indeed, HAVE the type of c-pap mask we needed in stock. I did not want to get there and find out it was out of stock and I would get it in a week to 10 days. (Why do they always say "a week to 10 days - why not 11 days or 5 days?) I explained our situation - we are not new patients - we know how to operate the system - just give me the new mask. She agreed to speed up the process by "working us in" today.
Okay- I left work early and met Scott and Patrice (his PA) at Apria Healthcare. We went in sat for about 5 minutes when they called us in the office. She handed me a plastic bag with the mask and tubing and said, "Any questions?". NOPE! We left.
Those of us who deal with the medical world know what it was about- not Scott's health care. It was about getting additional money for the medical supply company by claiming he was seen by the "specialist". Bull Hockey!
On a similar note, Dawn and Greg are battling their insurance over Sawyer's physical therapist. It seems the insurance world was concerned when Sawyer did not walk at 15 months but it is ho-hum at 20 months and they do not want to pay. HELLLLLOOOOO! Is it not a more flagrant problem at 20 months when you are behind your milestone? This little guy is ready to cut loose and walk - I know he is - he is teasing us just like he did with his rocking on his knees for months before he actually took off crawling. But until he is up on his feet- giving us a run for our money - come on insurance companies - do the right thing! Throw away the one line answers you give your call staff to rattle back to insurees and use some common sense!
I hope my B/C continues to pay for my Atenolol so the elevation they cause in my B/P can be controlled!
Our family is blessed to have some of the best insurance available, (other than being totally rich and not worrying about medical bills!). We have federal Blue Cross and Tricare standard. Pretty much they take care of anything. And yet...
Yesterday we went to Nashville to see Dr. Haynes who is Scott's Respiratory Specialist and takes care of his Sleep Apnea care. We have been with him 21 years and see him once a year. Scott has had some problems over the past couple years with skin breakdown over the bridge of his nose that is aggravated by the nasal mask he uses with the cpap. We have tried several devices and eventually they all blister his nose.
This year, Dr Haynes had a new nasal cannula that does not sit on the bridge of the nose! Hurrah and Praise the Lord! He wrote a script for it and told me to stop on the way home and pick one up at the usual place. Ahhhhhhh! That it were that easy!
I called the medical supply company from the doc's office - "Just in case" they needed some info from the medical team. Oh No! They had their own agenda and it did not involve Scott getting a mask anytime soon!
I was instructed that we would have to come in for a visit with their resp. therapist and she was not available for several days. Now, come on! This is not rocket science! He has had the machine and slept with some type or the other for 21 years! Just give me the new mask and let us get on our way!
You know that is not going to happen. Finally I called the company yesterday and asked to speak to the very busy resp Therapist - I wanted to confirm that they did, indeed, HAVE the type of c-pap mask we needed in stock. I did not want to get there and find out it was out of stock and I would get it in a week to 10 days. (Why do they always say "a week to 10 days - why not 11 days or 5 days?) I explained our situation - we are not new patients - we know how to operate the system - just give me the new mask. She agreed to speed up the process by "working us in" today.
Okay- I left work early and met Scott and Patrice (his PA) at Apria Healthcare. We went in sat for about 5 minutes when they called us in the office. She handed me a plastic bag with the mask and tubing and said, "Any questions?". NOPE! We left.
Those of us who deal with the medical world know what it was about- not Scott's health care. It was about getting additional money for the medical supply company by claiming he was seen by the "specialist". Bull Hockey!
On a similar note, Dawn and Greg are battling their insurance over Sawyer's physical therapist. It seems the insurance world was concerned when Sawyer did not walk at 15 months but it is ho-hum at 20 months and they do not want to pay. HELLLLLOOOOO! Is it not a more flagrant problem at 20 months when you are behind your milestone? This little guy is ready to cut loose and walk - I know he is - he is teasing us just like he did with his rocking on his knees for months before he actually took off crawling. But until he is up on his feet- giving us a run for our money - come on insurance companies - do the right thing! Throw away the one line answers you give your call staff to rattle back to insurees and use some common sense!
I hope my B/C continues to pay for my Atenolol so the elevation they cause in my B/P can be controlled!
posted by Joanne | 1:29 PM
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