jennickels (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jennickels) wrote2014-10-21 11:30 am
jennickels) wrote2014-10-21 11:30 am
things i hate: insurance companies
Why can't insurance companies and doctors be on the same freaking pages?
I'm so tired of trying to find a doctor for the kids. They tell you to look online at their list of doctors that accept the insurance. So you do all that, find a doctor near you, go to make the appoint only to find out they don't accept that insurance. The fuck?
It's twice as bad now that we're on Medicaid. The way it works in Washington is you go on Medicaid (or Apple Health or whatever they want to call it) but it's administered through an insurance company--in our case United Healthcare (which is what we had before). It's a special plan for Medicaid recepients and isn't that different than the regular plan.
The doctor they originally listed for the kids on their cards doesn't fucking work in Vancouver. Her office address is in Spokane, which for those that don't know is on the complete other side of the state over the mountains. And the phone # they have listed on the card is a Seattle one (that's 3 hours away). For fuck's sake.
So I spend days trying to figure out how to change this--had to go to the United Healthcare site to search for a doctor that accepts the community plan. Did that, found a few not far from here and chose one of the closer ones. I finally convince Patrick to make the call to UHC (because you can't do it online and I can't making phone calls) to change the doctor on the card. That goes nice and easy, new cards will come in 10 days, but we can print new ones sometime tomorrow. He even backdated it so any services we get this month will be covered. Terrific.
We call the doctor to make an appointment only to find out they don't fucking accept Apple Health. *headdesk*
And actually we called UHC a couple weeks ago about wanting to change doctors for the kids because the one they gave us doesn't work here and all they did was give us a list of doctors, including the one I chose. And as I recall now, they told us to figure out which ones actually accept the insurance. What is the point of providor lists that don't list doctors that accept the insurance and have doctors that don't work in the area? There are only like 8 doctors on the list to be begin with, with one that doesn't work here and another that doesn't take the insurance, that leaves like 6 to choose from.
I have a feeling we'll have to drive 40 minutes through traffic to go to some clinic on the other side of town because no real doctor offices will accept Medicaid.
What really pisses me off is that a few years ago I took Jack to the doctor before he had insurance and told the Dr. we were going to have to get him on Apple Kids. She said that was fine and that they accepted that, but when I finally got him on it, the Vancouver Clinic (which is just a large chain of offices all over the city, including on in our town) is not listed as accepting it from any of the insurance companies we were offered. Although the Apple Health site says they should accept it.
Oh, not to mention the Apple Health/Medicaid website is completely useless. It has almost no actual information, half of it is outdated, and half the links don't work.
Brenna needs a shot to stay in school. It's our final notice and if we don't get it done they're kicking her out. Jack still has not had any shots (except the 3 he got that one time). He's four and has to have all his shots before next year so he can start school. I thought once we got on Medicaid and everything settled we'd get it all done, but no--it can't be that simple.
Now I'll probably have to take Brenna to the free clinic and wait in line with a bunch of sick people for four hours to get one fucking shot. And they only do shots on the first 3 Wednesday evenings of the month (I think) and the clinic is across town somewhere. What's the point of insurance if no one accepts it and we have to use the free clinic?
I just want to cry.
Which reminds me I need to go pick up my prescription. I forgot all about it over the weekend and realized last night that I hadn't taken my pills that morning because I didn't have any! Which meant I couldn't take them last night or this morning. I can already feel myself slipping. Ugh.
I'm so tired of trying to find a doctor for the kids. They tell you to look online at their list of doctors that accept the insurance. So you do all that, find a doctor near you, go to make the appoint only to find out they don't accept that insurance. The fuck?
It's twice as bad now that we're on Medicaid. The way it works in Washington is you go on Medicaid (or Apple Health or whatever they want to call it) but it's administered through an insurance company--in our case United Healthcare (which is what we had before). It's a special plan for Medicaid recepients and isn't that different than the regular plan.
The doctor they originally listed for the kids on their cards doesn't fucking work in Vancouver. Her office address is in Spokane, which for those that don't know is on the complete other side of the state over the mountains. And the phone # they have listed on the card is a Seattle one (that's 3 hours away). For fuck's sake.
So I spend days trying to figure out how to change this--had to go to the United Healthcare site to search for a doctor that accepts the community plan. Did that, found a few not far from here and chose one of the closer ones. I finally convince Patrick to make the call to UHC (because you can't do it online and I can't making phone calls) to change the doctor on the card. That goes nice and easy, new cards will come in 10 days, but we can print new ones sometime tomorrow. He even backdated it so any services we get this month will be covered. Terrific.
We call the doctor to make an appointment only to find out they don't fucking accept Apple Health. *headdesk*
And actually we called UHC a couple weeks ago about wanting to change doctors for the kids because the one they gave us doesn't work here and all they did was give us a list of doctors, including the one I chose. And as I recall now, they told us to figure out which ones actually accept the insurance. What is the point of providor lists that don't list doctors that accept the insurance and have doctors that don't work in the area? There are only like 8 doctors on the list to be begin with, with one that doesn't work here and another that doesn't take the insurance, that leaves like 6 to choose from.
I have a feeling we'll have to drive 40 minutes through traffic to go to some clinic on the other side of town because no real doctor offices will accept Medicaid.
What really pisses me off is that a few years ago I took Jack to the doctor before he had insurance and told the Dr. we were going to have to get him on Apple Kids. She said that was fine and that they accepted that, but when I finally got him on it, the Vancouver Clinic (which is just a large chain of offices all over the city, including on in our town) is not listed as accepting it from any of the insurance companies we were offered. Although the Apple Health site says they should accept it.
Oh, not to mention the Apple Health/Medicaid website is completely useless. It has almost no actual information, half of it is outdated, and half the links don't work.
Brenna needs a shot to stay in school. It's our final notice and if we don't get it done they're kicking her out. Jack still has not had any shots (except the 3 he got that one time). He's four and has to have all his shots before next year so he can start school. I thought once we got on Medicaid and everything settled we'd get it all done, but no--it can't be that simple.
Now I'll probably have to take Brenna to the free clinic and wait in line with a bunch of sick people for four hours to get one fucking shot. And they only do shots on the first 3 Wednesday evenings of the month (I think) and the clinic is across town somewhere. What's the point of insurance if no one accepts it and we have to use the free clinic?
I just want to cry.
Which reminds me I need to go pick up my prescription. I forgot all about it over the weekend and realized last night that I hadn't taken my pills that morning because I didn't have any! Which meant I couldn't take them last night or this morning. I can already feel myself slipping. Ugh.
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We did get it straightened out, though. The doctor's office called us back and said they did accept the insurance (I have no idea why the receptionist didn't know this and who knows how many people she turned away because of it).
Brenna and Jack go for shots on Monday.