@#$%^&&* Insurance companies!

[kickysnana]

Rant on:

I am SSDI, Medicare and Part D insurance. My medications changed at the end of last year and the company that I had my Part D with changed their formulary making a couple other plans more affordable and I went with AARP UnitedHealth. When you enroll there is a manditory form that comes out where you attest you do not have third party insurance through a current or former employer, other family member or fraternal organization. On the AARP form this time was the question "Who was your last Part D insurer?". Since that is not mandatory information to get Part D I left it blank.

Today I called in my monthly prescriptions and the drug store called and told me that my insurance was rejected because I had "third party coverage". They asked me to call Medicare and ask why my claim was being rejected. Fifteen minutes later after the agent looked through all his screens he said that the flag was not coming from Medicare Prescription coverage and I should try to call AARP. The Pharmacy had called and gotten no information as to why the flag was on.

After 10 minutes AARP Customer Service answered, and I explained my problem and told that that I had changed the insurance on the website and also called the former insurer and canceled to make sure there was no hold up in January.

So he looked through his screens and said, I can remove the flag if you give me one piece of information. The piece of information "What was your former Prescription insurer". Since this is a set up once a month delivery for me and my Aunt I had no choice but to give them the information so that the delivery could happen. It took 20 minutes and involved three departments.

How dare they hold up vital medicine so they can find out who they are getting customers from?

Rant off.

[MineralMan]

1. I guess I don't understand the reasoning for not giving that

information. I can't see how it compromises you in any way to do so, but it certainly cause a delay for you not to answer.

Can you explain why you would't answer the question? Maybe I'd understand better.

[mdmc]

2. was the question medically necessary?

Or was it asked for a financial / business reason?

You do what you need to do in order to receive medical treatment in America. I guess they could have asked far more offensive and irrelevant questions.. Answer or die!

[MineralMan]

13. No, it wasn't medically necessary. It's a bookkeeping thing.

The insurance company wanted to check with the previous insurer to make sure the policy was no longer in force.

The thing is that providing the information does no harm. Not providing it slowed down access to the medication ordered. You have to choose your battles.

[Raineyb]

3. I don't see where it's any of AARP's business who used to perform the

service.

Just because a company asks a question doesn't mean it's actually pertinent to why you're doing business with the company.

[kickysnana]

6. That is what I thought...

There are legal issues about what they can ask you and this form is to determine if you have additional insurance. But my recourse would be to object and they may or not back down. If it were just me I would not have given the information but it takes both our medicine orders to get it delivered free so I would pay $$$ now and later and I would run out of medicine in about 3 days.

It is optional whether I want to tell them who I had as an insurer last year. Medicare makes sure I don't double dip so this is just marketing information and I resent them holding up my medicine because I didn't answer.

[truedelphi]

4. Why in the world should we jump the non- necessary fences that they keep putting up?

They want this information so they can figure out the demographics of their ads.

AARP has a huge amount of money to spend trying to get new customers. This household gets four pieces of mail a month from them imploring us to become members. Large pieces of mail. Expensive. Often including a plastic card that shows what our plastic-card-in-the-future would look like.

Safeway, the largest grocery chain in the Western states, recently began a policy that insisted that if you bought liquor from them they had the right to scan your driver's license. This gave them your date of birth, your address, your age and physical description and your driver's license number.

Some blogger began a campaign at a local newspaper's blog (Press Democrat) and now Safeway has backed away from that policy. But clerks were telling people that it was no longer legal to buy alcohol in Calif. unless they let their DL be scanned in this manner.

[Vinca]

5. I think the most outrageous part of this is that every insurance company

doesn't cover every drug. Unless you're psychic, there's no way to know for certain what you may or may not need in July when you have to choose a "formulary" in January. It's idiotic.

[jtrockville]

10. Not only that, but

even if you can know ahead of time what drug you'll need, is there any guarantee the plan won't stop covering that drug after you've signed on to it?

We have a very bizarre way of rationing health care in this country.

[DURHAM D]

7. I am curious - how old are you?

I am asking because I don't know much about disability coverage. If you are under 65 aren't you on medicaid, not medicare? Are you paying $110 a month (or some other amount) out of pocket to be enrolled in medicare/medicaid? Is Part D part of medicaid or do you pay separately out of pocket for that and if you are on disability do you catch a break on the monthly rate? I assume the rates are different in different states.

I really am just trying to understand and learn more. I appreciate your response in advance.

[kickysnana]

8. I am late 50's

I was totally disabled in 1988 with MS and Late Lyme Disease but Reagan was blocking all SSDI claims so I applied as soon as Clinton was in office and was approved without any problem Before that I was on Minnesota Care (Medicare). One year after I qualified got SSDI I got Medicare A & B.

Because I went from earning about $17,500 a year in 1984 as an electronics technician, to part time and then to $450 a month on a paper route and total disability my SSDI amount is the same as SSI so I qualified for help paying the premiums for Medicare Part A, B & D. I don't know what the amount is as I don't receive statements about it. The information is probably in the DU Disability group.

I am able to work a few hours a week to pay for my dental, Prescription copays and supplements which are not covered and working qualifies me for some tax benefits in April. We usually use those to fix something on the car.

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. It is easy to confuse SSDI with SSI.

SSDI recipients can be any age.
As long as you have enough work quarters, the same as for Soc. Sec.
Someone on Soc. Sec. Disability is qualified to get Medicare after...I think...18 months of disability...maybe 2 years...I forget the exact time.
Mr. D. gets Soc. Sec. disability, that is how I know.
He is not yet near retirement age.
Medicare is for people on Soc. Sec. or Soc. Sec. Disability.
Medicare has Part A, Part B, Part D.

Part A is no charge, covers hospitals.

Medicare Part B ( covers Dr. visits and outpatient costs) is paid for out of pocket, tho the government takes it out of one's Soc. Sec. check.

Part D is prescriptions.
Part B and D are NOT mandatory, you do not HAVE to sign up for them.
Or rather, you have to fill out a form saying you do not want it, then later if you change your mind, it costs more to get it.

SSI is a disability program if you are not qualified for Soc. Sec. disability.( Not enough work credits).
Under SSI, Medicaid is available. But both SSI and Medicaid are dependent on how much income and resources you have.

Medicaid is paid part thru state funds, some Fed. money, each state has a different coverage amount.

[DURHAM D]

12. Thank you so much for this information.

And thank you kickysnanna as well.

You are right - it is easy to confuse (or in my case I just didn't know the difference) SSDI and SSI. I think the terms are often used interchangeably. Same is true of Medicare and Medicaid. Very helpful.

[bobburgster]

9. I agree with you.

I have always resented the multitude of companies that are always trying to get unnecessary information. A company supplying you with prescription coverage, does not need that info. anymore than the furniture store needs your SS #.