Broke diabetic in desperate need of help

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#1

To make an extremely long story short.

I use a Medtronic minimed pump and this year has been a nightmare! In February I ordered my supplies and got a huge 680 dollar bill. I paid the bill thinking it was the deductible. Well 3 months later I just ordered my supplies and now I have another 600 dollar bill! My insurance didn't pay for anything! I called my insurance and they told me they had dropped Medtronic as a supplier. I talked to people at the hospital and they're telling me otherwise. Everyone's beating around the bush and not helping me. Any advise? I'm 20 years old making $8 an hour no tips how can I afford something that's helped me so much? I would hate to go back to shots just in 8 months of having the pump I dropped my A1C from 12.4 to 8.8 I cant go back. HELP?!

#2

Call insurance company. Explain your situation. Ask to speak to supervisor. Do everything you think of that might help. Maybe the doctor’s office has a front desk person willing to call for you. Find out which pump supplies are covered after medtronic’s is dropped. Explain that you need to transition. Ask the doctor for new prescriptions. Resubmit the bills to insurance company with a statement.

#3

Is Minimed just dropped period? I get Minimed supplies, but it's done through a third company. And I would think the insurance company would have to let you know, or Minimed would have, about being dropped. I would call them first: they want to keep you as a customer and get paid. They can have their insurance guy call the one at the insurance company. They have access. Good luck.

#4

Gosh, Your post gives me chills. I hope you get things resolved. I would do everything in writing starting with your insurance. There can probably be a third party resolution but until you start writing it down you are only talking to administrative people who are not trained to fix problems like this.
I admire you for working and feel that you will be able to resolve the problem if you go through the grievance process. Some companies are changing "states" so it is important to leave a paper trail. Go to PAP Programs for help in the interim.

#5

I am sorry for the situation. Chance are Medtronic is an out of network supplier so your payments while not counting as 100% toward your deductible will likely count at 50% to 70% toward deductible. However you will likely need to submit them in writing to the insurance company, I yeah I knwo ti si a pain in the patut.

For future orders the insurance company will have a substitute supplier. Ask them for a new supplier. It will be a supplier that can give you all of the medtronic supplies in network and working with your insurance company.

Do press your insurance for relief of the prior purchases, chances are not very good they will credit your prior purchase as being in network. But if you keep at it who knows they might cave.

I wish you the very best. Let me knwo if I can help in some way.

rick

#6

Medtronic usually conducts a full investigation and provides a complete disclosure of the fees I am incurring. In my case three years ago they advised I need to seek a different supplier and gave me a list suppliers who were in my network. Actually they have done that twice.

I dont know what happened here, but it sounds like a breakdown in the customer care process.