I’m writing today to praise the boys of South Park for helping us understand how futile it has become to get a health insurance company to do the right thing.
That South Park video is more documentary than satire. As a doctor in network with some of the United Healthcare plans, they are a nightmare. They won't even give us a full list of which procedures they require pre-auth for. Since we don't know what needs pre-auth and what doesn't, we get pre-auth for everything which just delays care. Ultimately, they give the pre-auth for everything we submit, which leads one to believe it is just a sham requirement done in the hope that people either give up and go without the recommended procedure or people go to an out of network provider and pay out of pocket. Either way, it is a win for the insurance company that does not give a damn about the live human being that literally pays them for nothing.
I'm in prior auth hell right now. I have one drug--that may enable me to walk again--being denied because the prescription is for a non-FDA approved use of the medication. The insurance company just called me to give me the contact information for the manufacturer's discount program--which feels like a slap in the face: "We won't cover this medication, despite that being out jobs, but the people who make it might." The manufacturer's program requires you to be using the medication for an FDA-approved reason. And around and around the carousel of broken dreams and calamitous nightmares goes...
I and all U of Michigan retirees were pushed into a Medicare Advantage plan unwillingly. Anyway to get some publicity and try to get U of M to reverse its decision?
That South Park video is more documentary than satire. As a doctor in network with some of the United Healthcare plans, they are a nightmare. They won't even give us a full list of which procedures they require pre-auth for. Since we don't know what needs pre-auth and what doesn't, we get pre-auth for everything which just delays care. Ultimately, they give the pre-auth for everything we submit, which leads one to believe it is just a sham requirement done in the hope that people either give up and go without the recommended procedure or people go to an out of network provider and pay out of pocket. Either way, it is a win for the insurance company that does not give a damn about the live human being that literally pays them for nothing.
I'm in prior auth hell right now. I have one drug--that may enable me to walk again--being denied because the prescription is for a non-FDA approved use of the medication. The insurance company just called me to give me the contact information for the manufacturer's discount program--which feels like a slap in the face: "We won't cover this medication, despite that being out jobs, but the people who make it might." The manufacturer's program requires you to be using the medication for an FDA-approved reason. And around and around the carousel of broken dreams and calamitous nightmares goes...
Nader calls it MedicareDISAdvantage and I agree. You should too!!
I and all U of Michigan retirees were pushed into a Medicare Advantage plan unwillingly. Anyway to get some publicity and try to get U of M to reverse its decision?
Well, most Americans believe that only sinners get sick, if you get sick you pray and providing healthcare is communism!
well, it is because (Americans believe) that providing healthcare is communism