It’s like they are in a vacuum. They should at least volunteer to RX Lantus for you in case of an emergency? My “plan” (sic) is just to go to the ER if there’s an emergency. It’s like insurers are so sure that you will get the stuff and sell it on Ebay or whatever that they get squidgy about docs rxing stuff over the phone in htis manner so they pretty much obligate you to do a stupid “drive-by” appointment with no information exchanged, basically rubbing diabetes in your nose.
I’m glad you are mentioning the phone tag too. I get that at my doc but, so far, they resolve stuff.
I was dumped onto an Endo by my internist when I asked for a CGM. I knew about CGMs, the internist didn’t.
So with the endo, I take the kind of list you wouldn’t believe. If this happens, then I need… If that happens, then I’ll need …
I only go every 6 months. I’m going to … so I won’t be around in 3 months. Yes, they only get paid if you go in so I preempt by asking if he wants me in there taking up space for the drivers license medical form which will be due in another 2 months, or, here it is fresh from the online site, you can sign it now, and then I offer to show my records.
I FAX requests so it’s on paper in his office and there’s a record on the fax machine when I requested. I never talk to a secretary except for appointments. When it comes to that for medical requests, I WILL find another doctor.
It’s too bad we can’t form a union.
You have my deep condolences, believe me. Obviously my methods were born from the type of thing you describe.
Yeah, I can see them not wanting to fill the scripts out for you as they are following federal guidelines. Those guidelines say YOU have to see the endo every so many weeks as they will not approve coverage of the scripts. It is a most stringent rule but a big pain in the tookus!! Try to grin and bear that kind of behavior. Of course, if you are still unsatisfiled with the DR or PA, feel free to explore your options til your heart is content.
Endo office just called, and I think office girl was whispering. She stated the little wicked nurse *** suggested I come in to go over the units I need for Lantus and how I should adminster, omg. Normally I might because it has been eight years, but…I wrote down the dosages when I went off the pump and yes I would start out with less, but lordie, I am the one that told the endo’s office that lantus was not covering me 24 hours and that I found out online to split the dosages of lantus after 6 months of struggling, grrrr.
The office girl, still whispering stated that there was scribbling all over the RX so she would call my pharmacy and give me my two dang vials of lantus. She said this was for when I would be going off the pump or did you say vacation, ahhhhh, yes for the third time I am going on vacation and my pump might die, and yes I was much nicer on the phone.
“During my research I have determined that the German system is the very best in the world.”
I experienced 20 years of diabetes care in Germany. In the early days the insurance paid for 100 urine strips per month. Later the insurance paid for 100 BG strips per month. I found it hard to control my diabetes with 3 strips per day. If I lived in Germany today I would be assured not to have a CGM. For me the US system works out much better.
Picked up my Lantus today, and insurance would only give me one vial (30 day), bunch of crap and boy was it pricey. I have crappy insurance which is going to get crappier (is that a word) next year.
Sometimes I think doctors and insurers spend more time talking to each other than they do talking to us. Like there’s a secret dialogue, similar to junior high kids gossiping about each other. Perhaps they txt?
Ohhh that is so frustrating!!! I’ve been really luck recently to have a doc who knew I didn’t have health insurance so she didn’t require me to come in more than once per year.
I think if someone was clearly neglecting their 'betes or it’s a teenager, for example, then I can see why the doc might be so strict and stubborn…but you are a grown adult!
I had that happen to me 2 years ago with a PCP. I called late Friday morning to cancel my next appointment & when they asked if I was rescheduling, I told them I was switching doctors. The pharmacy called me to let me know. I did file a complaint with the state licensing board and in the State of PA, that doctor did not do anything wrong. They said they would keep my complaint on file in case anything else ever came up with him. I also went to all the doctor review sites & wrote what happened.
I think that is part of the problem my endo sees mostly pediatric diabetics, perhaps non compliant. I stay because I have been through 2 other endos and I really like the physician assistant, who I see more of, just so happens after my message was left with the PA the endo and his wicked nurse got hold of it.
I love, love love my primary MD but she stopped treating my D when I went on the pump, but for years she ordered my syringes, insulin, etc. She so gets the D better than my endo as one time she called me at home as I was really traumatized by an insulin change, and she stated D effects every cell in your body, long story, but that said a lot to me, about her understanding and vast knowledge of my overall health.
Survived my vacation with pump surviving past warranty date.
Leaving Chicago went through security with no problems.
Found out during vacation that I could decrease my basal even more to try to avoid my standard low at 4:30 pm, but now my basal is at 00.00 from 12:30-4 (no insuliin, so odd to me).
Stuck my new Lantus, pump supplies, juice, candy all back in my carry on upon returning from FL and beep, beep, beep at security leaving FL and they wanted my carry on bag opened up.
I had to have a pat down, omg, but the woman was very nice and she understood all my crap in my carry on but she said they won’t like the juice boxes, but she said you need that. Then she said oh I like that VO5 hot oil for my hair too, too funny. I said my pump never sets the alarm off she said it may not be your pump. Pat down is thorough she found my Driver’s License in my back pocket and then she made me handle my pump and did some dusting of my hands. She also said she would be careful around my pump, she just got it.
After all that I got to keep my juice boxes, my VO 5 hot oil treatment , and it was determined it was my barretts in my hair that set off the alarm (I never wear them -VO 5 was not doing the trick ).
I’ve never heard of a guideline saying you had to see an endo every few weeks! I don’t see an endo at all, actually, but just my primary, and he gives me a year’s worth of prescriptions. I do end up seeing him more than once a year for this or that, but I’d shoot myself if I had to go to a doctor every few weeks!!
If you are on Medicare and need diabetic supplies, you need to see a doctor every 90 days - that ruling started April, 2010. And they wonder why Medicare is going broke!
Yikes, you’re right, Kelly, that’s crazy! I do understand that as people get older, their health needs often increase, but you would think by the time you get to 65 you are capable of making decisions about your own body! This whole trend to over-regulate things in the U.S. is one reason I left the country when I retired…not sure why I returned anymore…lol. I will have to register for Medicare when I get there but everything will still be covered on the insurance I retired with, for which I am VERY grateful! I am switching to Kaiser (HMO) this year, and am trying not to walk in the door in rebellion mode against being told what to do. I even get pissed off when I open up my Medco (online prescription) website and it says, “Zoe you have met four of your diabetes goals”. And guess what? They are Type 2 goals! Hello???
It is not just old people, but also people on disability like me. I think it is ridiculous. Plus, you often have multiple doctors. I have at least 2 that I have to see every 3 months, not to mention the other ones. You can’t even say that you will see them every 4 months just to not have to see doctors so much. Whatever doctor signs the diabetes stuff has to be seen every 90 days.
I had an email a couple weeks ago that I had a very important message from Medco. They noticed I am not taking a statin and because I am diabetic, I should talk to my doctor about taking one. What even ticked me off more was you had multiple choices how to get rid of the stupid message - I have talked to him, I will talk to the doctor, or I him. None of them were I don’t want to talk to the doctor!
Sorry, Kelly, I forgot that people on disability also utilize Medicare. Yes, even though I have been on a statin for a long time (though not sure I need it any longer - long story), I really hate the blanket message that everyone needs to take them.
Thanks for the info about Kaiser, Judith, I am a bit anxious about switching, but being mostly retired I really can’t justify spending so much more money with my Anthem insurance. I had Kaiser years ago and that was the impression that I had, that if you advocated for yourself you did just fine. I am a bit concerned about the test strip thing as I currently as a Type 1 get 900 for the 90 day period. I tested more than usual these last 3 months due to starting on a pump and ran out for the first time. I was shocked to see how expensive they were at Walgreen’s! I got some on EBay for a lot less, but still it was expensive! I’m going to ask the women in my Type 1 Group who have Kaiser how many strips they get.
Yeah, you shouldn’t have to tell the doctor to give you positive strokes. I guess that’s why we come on here, to hear it from people who really know how amazing it is to lower your A1C that much! So did you ever get a doctor to prescribe the strips you needed?
My one suggestion with the possibility of pump death: might be easier to just MDI with 4xNPH a day in this case. NPH is available no prescription - over the counter.
I know a lot of folks badmouth NPH but really it wasn’t that bad.
