The Best or None at All

You can have the best insurance, with all the perks. You can have low copays and low deductibles (I don’t know if there is such a thing). It doesn’t matter when it comes to getting their sympathy. I spoke about this before, but with recent changes to my prescription insurance, I endured a long drawn out battle with the insurance company. It came back to me that it was my fault that my district switched my insurance.

Delays on my medications

I wish people would understand. I wish people who are not directly affected by Crohn’s would see what a patient goes through when he or she finds out that they can’t get their medication filled. I do understand that these people on the other line are doing what they are told and most likely reading from a script. I just wish that they cared a little bit more. My Humira is taken once a week. If I don’t take this on a weekly basis I can develop antibodies.

Once again, this past week, the specialty pharmacy where I get the medication shipped from had an issue getting a hold of my insurance company. This delayed the shipment of my Humira. I had an all-out screaming match with the insurance company and the specialty pharmacy the day before Christmas.  With a “skeleton” crew working on both ends, I was not getting anywhere. With Christmas day approaching, things were not looking my way.

The insurance company couldn't get a hold of the specialty pharmacy and the specialty pharmacy couldn’t get a hold of the insurance company. I was stuck in the middle. To make things worse, the stress of all of this caused me to have a flare up.

I had to pay for this emotionally

What gets me is that I placed this order three weeks ago. Both parties could not get their act together, and I had to pay for it emotionally. They both apologized for their mess up, but this is the 2nd time this has happened. With no delivery happening on Christmas day, I had to wait until the day afterward to get my medication. So all they give me is an apology? Nobody is penalized for their wrongdoing?

It took me calling my GI doctor to get the ball rolling. He was so disappointed with the insurance company, and the specialty that he wanted them to make sure they get it right from this day forward. But why was he able to get through to these people? Just because he was the doctor ordering the medication makes it ok? The patient should have all the rights. This is a major issue

Will this ever get better?

So how can we fix this issue? How can we stop people from being stuck in the middle?  We have great technology that is supposed to keep us off the phone. Everything is a “click” away. Going forward folks, to cause less stress, get names and numbers of everybody you speak to. Give yourself enough lag time to get your medication just in case you run into an issue like mine. Finally, make sure these people you talk to on the phone understand what you are going through. One day this will get better. It has to... right?