Technology, Meds and Insurance...big brother watching?

My understanding, is that they can pass on your medical information to these third parties because they’re contracted/In a business partnership with the health insurance entity. It’s just damn shady to me

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If the problem is Medicaid, There are different rules in every state. There is a push to get better outcomes by following up with reminders or hospitals and insurance companies will be assessed a penalty. It can also be a marketing ploy to get folks to switch drugs or sign up for services.

Try “I only discuss meds and PHI with my physician”. I don’t seem to have any problem saying NO.

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I had the same thing happen on my United Healthcare Medicare Advantage Plan. They kept calling an sending me letters saying that I should sign up for assistance program whereby a nurse would come to see me to check my meds and “help” me monitor everything. I told them I wasn’t interested since I have comprehensive care at a local medical center which has a diabetes center also. They didn’t care. They kept sending me things and calling me until I sent a letter to their corporate headquarters complaining about being harassed. After much follow up with various people at United Healthcare, they finally decided to take me off that “special help” list. In the end, it’s all about money. They want to see if they can do away with some of your meds or reduce their costs any way they can.

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Yve65, where I work, it is a state agency and the state pays for part of the employee’s benefits including health insurance. My understanding was that the yearly completion form was part of the state’s agreement with the insurance company to stop employees from smoking, including a smoking cessation plan.

So, they were basically trying to figure out all the employees who smoked so they could figure out a way to charge them for their insurance (since they are a greater health risk) or force them into a smoking cessation plan. But legally they had to send it to all 1,000 employees. Note: The executives pretty much knew who smoked, you could outside and count them off. :slightly_smiling_face:

Now they are trying a new route of saying the building and the perimeter of the building is non-smoking, so the smokers go to their cars. LOL! :smile:

The non smokers argued that since we don’t smoke and had completed the form 3 years in a row via e-mail and by phone call, it was highly unlikely we would take up smoking. D’uh.

But we still get harassed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield trying to get us to change medications or take up whatever new health program flavor they’ve come up with, I e-mail or call and tell them I opt out.

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This should explain it. This is how they play.

As Pole’s computers crawled through the data, he was able to identify about 25 products that, when analyzed together, allowed him to assign each shopper a “pregnancy prediction” score. More important, he could also estimate her due date to within a small window, so Target could send coupons timed to very specific stages of her pregnancy.


Now its all connected “data mining” I think they call it. I think thats what that means.

I think this is all non sense. Count me out. If a store coerces me into a “rewards” program I always use the same fake phone number and give them my spam e-mail address I never use. My alternative name too if they really push it with the data collection for the “sale” price.

This auto parts store, the worst, dude like insisted on all my info. I said no thanks to the name and address thing and the guy gets all pushy. I Walked out.

Rewards program… Its just so “rewarding” to not get charged extra as a punishment for not joining it.

Seven Eleven is pushing that now too, phone number and do you have the app ? Oh please, just sell me my coffee ! I don’t want to type in my phone number or play with the stupid cell phone.

What do I get “rewarded” with ? Maybe a dime every time I touch that germy keypad ? No thanks.

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Do not download that 7-11 app. It’s a horrible spam filled advertisement mess.

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I have a flip phone LOL but thanks !!

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And the irony of all of this: My husband had some pain in his leg the other day. Urgent care just sent him home, but when it looked worse today, I sent him to the ER. It was a blood clot (DVT.) The ER wanted him on the pill form of meds, because Coumadin has some more risks, and he has a very physical job where he just might injure himself. The ER ordered the pills, the Medicaid plan said no, you have to take injections of Coumadin for at least three days while we ponder approving the pills. A prior auth is required for a blood clot? A fairly large, and we dont want it to get bigger blood clot??? I’ scared, very disturbed and praying we get this approved quickly. Apparently the pills do not carry as great a risk of bleeding.

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The 90 days between visits is also a Medicare requirement, and they monitor it strictly. Not 91 days, 90 days. I haven’t had private or employer insurance in a few years, but it wouldn’t surprise me that they would model the same as the government programs re: OV.

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I suggest just go buy the pills.

Most expensive is the 5mg 30 tablets $64.00

Get a partial fill. 3 days worth $6.40

truemedcost. com/coumadin-price/

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No, we’re talking the $545 pills, which have less problems than the other. Eliquis. What the ER ordered. The cancer cente ris now going to try to get the approval. Until then we have the injections and Warfarin pills. I taught hubby how to give himself an injection today. One of the nurses was asking why I didnt do it for him. I said he needed to learn and he was very proud when he did it for the first time…:slight_smile:

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This is hilarious. I don’t take insulin I take aspirin. OMG. love the sarcasm.

I’ve gotten those calls before too. And generally it seems like they have no idea the difference between T1D and T2D. And certainly no idea about CGMs.

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In my State they call this chronic conditions management. I dislike it too and feel it’s over the line and invasive. It’s employers and insurance companies way of cutting costs. My employer, self-insured just tried to make us get test strips through a particular company. All I could think is the floodgate of calls and case management I would get if I opted to go this route. Healthcare is so personal and my journey is private between me and my doctor.