Insurance - not a rant
Jan. 28th, 2020 01:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
susandennisSo, I had lunch and thought about it and practiced my calm and my kind and called the number.
1. A live person answered after 1 ring. She said she was special programs or something to that effect. She required minimal info before asking me what I wanted. I told her I wanted to know if my inhaler was eligible and how the program worked.
She looked up my inhaler and said yes. They call me twice a year and ask me questions. In return, I pay $10 instead of the $147 I paid yesterday for my inhaler. I said ok. She said that she would connect me to a pharmacist and they could do the first questions today and start the program.
2. She connected me with no waiting to Marion. Marion explained some of the same stuff and also looked up to see if there was an inhaler like Spiriva that was cheaper and found one. She offered to call the doctor to switch but I said that wasn't necessary. Then she ran me through a battery of questions about my COPD symptoms and how exactly I use the inhaler (to see if I was using it right). She suggested I call Costco and see if I could get them to refund and rerun the prescription for today and maybe get $137 back. She didn't sound hopeful but said if it was her she'd try. Then she set up an appointment for April 1 - web cam.
3. Then I called Costco. Yeah, that's not happening... damn. If I'd only waited a day. Crap oh damn. BUT at least it was only 1 inhaler and not the usual 90 day supply of 3 that I get.
4. Then I called the Pulminologist's office. I had planned on going in sometime in the next month or two because I only have one month left on this prescription. But, now I want to talk to her about this new stuff and if she's cool with it, get the prescription for it. Usually it takes a month or more to get an appointment so I went ahead and called. This time I specifically asked for the Nurse Practitioner because I like her and I figure I could get in sooner. The appointment lady said "well, Emily has openings today and tomorrow, that good for you?" Wow.
Tomorrow 9:30. The housecleaner will be here so that will work out fine.
The inhaler Marion recommended will not save me money until the fall when I hit the Medicare prescription donut hole. If I can push that gap back a month or so, it could mean a couple of hundred extra in my pocket.
Sooooo
All in all while I still think Humana's process suck gynormous donkey balls, this particular program is kind of a windfall for me and my lungs and my pocketbook.
Happy camper.
And, what's an LJ entry without a little cat update? No work from the vet but Biggie is back to full Biggie. He just brought me some treasures. From the waste basket in the sewing room. Guess I'd better go back there and clean that up. Oh and glory be, the kibble tree needs a refill!!!
All is happy here.
Everybody eats!!
1. A live person answered after 1 ring. She said she was special programs or something to that effect. She required minimal info before asking me what I wanted. I told her I wanted to know if my inhaler was eligible and how the program worked.
She looked up my inhaler and said yes. They call me twice a year and ask me questions. In return, I pay $10 instead of the $147 I paid yesterday for my inhaler. I said ok. She said that she would connect me to a pharmacist and they could do the first questions today and start the program.
2. She connected me with no waiting to Marion. Marion explained some of the same stuff and also looked up to see if there was an inhaler like Spiriva that was cheaper and found one. She offered to call the doctor to switch but I said that wasn't necessary. Then she ran me through a battery of questions about my COPD symptoms and how exactly I use the inhaler (to see if I was using it right). She suggested I call Costco and see if I could get them to refund and rerun the prescription for today and maybe get $137 back. She didn't sound hopeful but said if it was her she'd try. Then she set up an appointment for April 1 - web cam.
3. Then I called Costco. Yeah, that's not happening... damn. If I'd only waited a day. Crap oh damn. BUT at least it was only 1 inhaler and not the usual 90 day supply of 3 that I get.
4. Then I called the Pulminologist's office. I had planned on going in sometime in the next month or two because I only have one month left on this prescription. But, now I want to talk to her about this new stuff and if she's cool with it, get the prescription for it. Usually it takes a month or more to get an appointment so I went ahead and called. This time I specifically asked for the Nurse Practitioner because I like her and I figure I could get in sooner. The appointment lady said "well, Emily has openings today and tomorrow, that good for you?" Wow.
Tomorrow 9:30. The housecleaner will be here so that will work out fine.
The inhaler Marion recommended will not save me money until the fall when I hit the Medicare prescription donut hole. If I can push that gap back a month or so, it could mean a couple of hundred extra in my pocket.
Sooooo
All in all while I still think Humana's process suck gynormous donkey balls, this particular program is kind of a windfall for me and my lungs and my pocketbook.
Happy camper.
And, what's an LJ entry without a little cat update? No work from the vet but Biggie is back to full Biggie. He just brought me some treasures. From the waste basket in the sewing room. Guess I'd better go back there and clean that up. Oh and glory be, the kibble tree needs a refill!!!
All is happy here.
Everybody eats!!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-28 10:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2020-01-29 04:10 am (UTC)Oh... and hi!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-01-29 04:14 am (UTC)incruse elipta
Marion said it is new. Check back tomorrow. I'll report on what the lung guys say about it tomorrow.
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