Thursday, November 02, 2006

The Run Around (also known as how to waste half your life trying to get a question answered from an insurance company)

So, Rachel is going to be receiving Synagis once a month.
About a month ago I got the precert letter from the insurance company - YAY!
A week before her 4 month well baby visit I called the pediatricians office to let them know so they could be ready for it. Nope! Turns out it needs to be administered by a visiting nurse at home. They should contact me - no problem. Riiiiiiight
Then the pharmacy calls last night to tell me they are having it delivered to us today! I call the peds again - they refer me to my insurance company. Thus begins the tale:
I called Anthem. I couldn't figure out who I needed to speak to so I chose pre-certification since Rachel was "pre-certified" for the vaccine. They show no record of it which is odd considering that I have received a letter from them as has the doctor AND the pharmacy that delivers the vaccine (which is being delivered today). The first person I spoke to put me on hold and the next thing I knew I was on the line with the pharmacy who knows nothing about administering it.
Now they are saying that our doctor needs to administer it (which we were told they do not administer it in office at in the Rochester area - either at home or in the pulmonology department of Strong). I was put through to Customer Service to get a phone number for IRIS (or is it Iris' phone number?), they give me the number but guess what? Disconnected number!!!
I call the insurance company back and get the right number only to find out that you need to know the exact person you are calling or else it disconnects you! GREAT!
I call the pediatrician one more time who gives me the visiting nurse number. Okay, but they can't find Rachel in their records. Oh that is because they have her as Baby Girl nolastname! Once we get her name thing squared away they tell me they need a Synagis form from the doctor. Another call to the doctor who has no idea what they are talking about! Call the nursing service back, and the women has the nerve to be annoyed with me about but faxes the form to the doctor! UGH! WHY??? Why all this hassle for someone to stab my poor baby girl in the meaty little thigh????

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