Last night I went to refill my Lantus. This was the first time w/ a new prescription (b/c the old one ran out, no other reason) and with my new insurance. After waiting 20! mins to drop it off, I returned two hours later for pick up. I really really hate one of the “pick up” interns. She has a serious attitude problem. When verifying addresses, she makes the old immigrants yell and says she cna’t understand, when I’m standing in the aisle and can hear fine. She always gets my name wrong and then says “are you sure you called it in today?” as I stand there telling her she is looking under the wrong letter. Anyway, I lucked out and got someone else.
"That will be $50."
me: "$50? My max copay is $45 and not for this.“
At this point Miss Attitude is giving me a dirty look-even though I’m not at her register.
I ignore her, and just pay.
This morning: Call insurance. I talk to the pharmacy specialist who verifies that Lantus is $25 copay. She tells me that pharmacy had run the prescription a bunch of different ways before they finally got approval. She suspects that the pharmacy is the problem, but can’t figure out exactly what it is.
Call CVS. Ten mins on hold. Finally talk to pharmacy tech. " I don’t see a problem. 100u/ml. One vial is all the insurance will pay for.” I want to talk to the pharmacist. Ten more mins on hold. While the muzak plays, I look closely at the sticker sheet. Fifty day supply?
She finds teh hard copy of the prescription. Seems right. I ask about the fifty day supply thing. She says in that exasperated voice "1000ml divided by 20 units (max on my RX) is 50. That vial is 50 day supply. The $25 copay is only for 30 day supply. If you get more, you have to pay more copays"
me: "Insulin only has a shelf life of 28 days. I have one vial. Check my previous script for the lantus. It was for 28 day supply."
I’m put back on hold.
She’s back. "You’re right. I’ll change it."
me: "How do i get my $25 back?"
More sighs. "Come by later. We’ll credit you."
I’m sure others have these kinds of issues. I really hate that I had to spend an hour this morning trying to get my $25 back. Stupid stupid people. The life of a PWD.
Oh damn I hate that muzak.
My mom managed all this sort of thing until I was about 24 or 25, so I’ve only been doing it myself for about 10 years. I can tell you, the stress it’s caused me and the time it’s cost me is unreal. A few months back, I completely lost it on the phone with the insurance company, crying hysterically, yelling and cursing at the insurance company lady. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I spend several hours a month on the phone trying to straighten stuff out about who’s paying for what, why this or that wasn’t covered. After having had my CGMS and sensors covered for almost a year, I found out yesterday, they aren’t going to cover them anymore. This time, I just hung up on the lady before I had my meltdown.
Of everything about diabetes, I think the money and insurance (or lack thereof for some people) is the most unfair. I can live and cope with the 'betes. It’s the financial part that brings me to tears regularly. Like, what horrendous crime to humanity did I commit in my last life to deserve this?
I definitely feel for you, Jackie. 