Today, in the “Whose job is it, anyway?”files…
My son’s secondary insurance was notified of his name change two months ago via an interface with SSA and a call from yours truly. I have the updated card in hand. Same number, only difference is the name.
His local pharmacy is citing a name mismatch on the secondary insurance. Even though I have the updated card in hand.
So either the secondary insurance issued a card without updating his profile or didn’t bother to communicate the update to their managing pharmacy. But I also wasn’t able to register him for a transportation benefit under his correct name. So something’s definitely wonky somewhere.
Worst case scenario: I have to have all of his medical organizations re-bill all of his claims for the last three months AFTER the secondary insurance folks fix the error. Like I don’t have enough medical paperwork and issues to deal with. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed, but there is absolutely no reason for it.
But wait, there’s more…
My insurance company switched my care manager to someone else. They notified my boyfriend instead of me even though they really should have my number on file by now.
So I spoke with two of my insurance folks for about 45 minutes this afternoon. They previously demanded my provider write a letter stating why I need to go out of network, out of state, and who specifically I need to go to. They told me this only after they gave me a list of various providers to call in Utah that were in-network. And guess what? No one treats what we think I have. Shocking.
So my migraine doc kindly obliged and wrote them a letter. But now they have a more formal preauthorization process that we had to instigate that takes 1-2 weeks. So they’re going to have to bother my poor migraine guy AGAIN about this in the more formal process.
The ENT suggested I see an allergist at University of Utah while I was down there. I knew of one who appeared to be in network with my primary insurance. I will still have to get a formal referral from a provider here and a preauthorization though my secondary insurance to see the allergist. I sent an email to my insurance company yesterday, to make sure the provider was in fact in-network. The web search said outside of Idaho for me, he was.
I didn’t have time or the capability of looking at the emailed response. So while I had the insurance folks on the phone, I asked the gent starting the formal preauthorization for the neurologist to double check my work. He verified the provider was in network.
I get off the phone, check the email from the insurance through the portal. The email says the allergist I inquired about is not in network.
WHICH IS IT?
I sent a screenshot of what I could see on my end and told the rep I needed clarification since I had JUST RECEIVED DIRECTLY CONFLICTING INFORMATION.
I’m dizzy, my eyes are blurry, the smoke trapped in the valley is wreaking havoc on every part of me. I wish so much that drinking (day or otherwise) didn’t make my symptoms worse.
The migraine gent couldn’t get a test he thought I might need scheduled locally. I had seen some improvement with sodium chloride supplements and a different type of magnesium than I had taken previously. He wanted me to discontinue the supplements so I could get a valid result on the test, but now says I can ask for the test at the University once I get down there.
Whenever that happens. If it happens that the insurance Gods smile upon me instead of their usual habit of smiting me regarding more complex care. I feel like I’m jumping through flaming hoops in the seventh circle of hell right now, and I am quite dizzy on the daily as it is, please and thank you.
It will take 1-2 weeks for the insurance to even authorize my visits to the out of network neurologist, and it took about a week and a half for me to get the helpful supplements out of my system and become a weebly, wobbly mess again.
Some might say I don’t need to be any saltier.
I disagree.
I’m stating my salt supplements again to regain some function while we figure the rest of this out. Keep in mind, the OBGYN and ENT will want to schedule surgery sometime. Follow up ultrasound for endometriosis is early November and sinus surgery won’t be scheduled until January at the earliest…
So in the meantime, I’m staying salty AF for as long as possible.
The Former Idealist 