more stupid complications

[redbird]

!markup
I just heard from my eye doctor's office. One (?) of the eye drops I will need to take isn't covered by my insurance. So they are sending me coupons (she should have handed them to me Monday, but didn't think I'd need them). When I get them, I should call the company to activate them (this may be three calls, one for each medication). Then I take them to the pharmacy and tell them that the 12/31 expiration date doesn't natter, because they company hasn't gotten around to printing new coupons, and they can call the pharmacy to confirm that.

This reminds me of @siderea's post about the hidden cost, to patients, doctors, and everyone else involved, of all sorts of pointless medical paperwork. I also know some of the insurance paperwork is meant to delay things so they can hold onto the money longer, and maybe the person will get better on their own, or change insurance and then this company won't have to pay for whatever it is, or die while waiting for treatment.

Single-payer would be fairer, it would produce better health outcomes, and it would free up enormous amounts of time that people could use doing actual useful work, or playing, or even sleeping.

Comments

[threeringedmoon]

My most recent internal rant is about the mail-order pharmacy that I am supposed to use for ongoing medications, of which I have two. The pharmacy robocalled me to set up the process, then put me on hold for ten minutes so I could speak with a real person. Then the robot said that the real person was not available. I went to the website and spent another ten, fifteen minutes working out how to set up the process online. It is worth the savings, but damn I wonder how people who have a lot less on the ball than I do manage.

[kylinn]

I am forced into using a mail-order pharmacy by my insurance. It saves money, but I can't help thinking that sticking medicine in a hot metal mailbox on summer days to wait - possibly for hours - until someone gets home cannot be good for the medicine.

[pameladean]

That is so ridiculous it has passed through the entire spectrum of funny and come out somewhere else. I'm sorry you have to do this nonsense and hope it goes smoothly, insofar as that is an applicable concept here.

P.

[minoanmiss]

This, so much this.

[alatefeline]

This is true. I appreciate your reflections; and I am sorry to hear that you are dealing with this nonsense. It's pretty much literally adding insult to injury (or ill-health of some sort anyway).

[ranunculus]

I am SO glad we have Kaiser. Dealing with my doctor is: go online make appointment. Walk in, if needed pay co-pay (basic preventative care has no co-pay). See doctor. That's it. There is no other paperwork.
If the doctor thinks I need to see a specialist she will often book me an appointment on the spot. Tests are very often done in the same facility, immediately after the dr's appt. Again, show card walk in get test, leave. Got a prescription? Drop by the pharmacy on the way out and usually they will have the prescription ready or it will be ready in a few minutes.
All medical care should be this easy.