Friday, September 21, 2007
I have given calls to all the right people and still no medication. I am upset.
It doent pay sometimes to call and ask for help.
It hasnt accomplished anything for me.
Why would they prescribe the medicine if I cant get it.
I feel let down by my doctor and insurance company.
All I need is a danm paper signed and turned into my insurance company.
I tried to help with the problem and that lady at the office was not very friendly to me about my issue.
I am just going to report this problem to the doctors office when I see that doctor agian.
Hello,
After reading your gripe, I wondered who you had called to get help in obtaining your medication and why you are having a hard time getting it? Is your doctor prescribing the medication for some off-label problem? Is the medication one that is rarely used or so expensive that most insurance companies won't pay for it?
In all my days of getting medications from psychiatrists and having them paid for by insurance, I can honestly say that there is only one psychotropic medication that has been refused by my insurance company. That was Provigil, because my doctor prescribed it for excessive sleepiness due to the medications I was taking. That was an off-label diagnosis, so Blue Cross would not pay for it. All I had to do was get my doctor to prescribe it for shift work disorder (which was also true, in my case), which was one of the conditions the medication was specifically designed to treat, and my insurance company paid for it.
As in my previous post on your other issue, if your doctor is not being helpful to you, it is time to change doctors. Don't forget, you are paying for their services; you deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and professionalism, just like any other paying "customer" should be treated. If you don't like the services you are getting here, then take your business elsewhere. I don't know your circumstances, so that may take a little doing, but ultimately, it would be worth your while.
Your therapist and your doctor should be your advocates, working for you and your benefit. If they are not doing this, then find someone else who will.
Best of luck,
Kay
Kay thank you so much for the good advice.
I will talk to my doctor agian and if that dont help I will ask for further assistance.
Vanessa
Hey Vanessa!
I hope some of what I mentioned to you will be helpful as you attempt to get the services you rightfully have coming to you. I remember feeling "stuck" with some bad doctors and/or therapists, until someone told me that they were working for ME and that I could do something about it. It was like a light bulb came on in my head!
Best of luck to you and keep me posted! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Kay
Hi
I have got my meds from the Same place the doctors are. They had to give me samples because my insurance denied my claim.
The Doctor wrote to my insurance and told them I was not bipolar now I have a depressive disorder. The insurance cant justify the meds if I dont have the disorder.
She really messed me up with my insurance now.
I know I am bipolar due tho the fact that the last three doctors I saw said I was bipolar.
I am not depressed all the time. I go threw mood swings. Low and manic phases.
I have to go and tell this doctor that I dont agree with her. I may have to change Doctors if I cant get her to help me.
I dont know how to fix things with my insurance now. I am really upset about this whole mess.
I am still keeping a record of all this.
Vanessa
Hey Vanessa,
Wow, I really felt badly for you when I read your post. I can't help but wonder what kind of mental health agency or private practice it is that you are using. Why on earth would your doctor suddenly change your diagnosis? Didn't she realize it would affect your insurance and what meds they would cover? Did something in your life change?
I don't want to sound overbearing or give you any unwanted advice, but I would think seriously about getting a completely different doctor and therapist. Are your doctor and therapist both in the same clinic? If they are, I would check out other clinics and/or private practices. Be sure to get your medical and psychiatric records from the doctors who said you were bipolar. Those records are yours, and you have a right to have copies of all of them. The doctor's offices may charge you a nominal fee for the copies, but it would be worth it. Once you have the records, you could send them to your insurance company for proof of your diagnosis.
The only problem is that your insurance company will most likely go by what your current doctor is saying. I agree with you that you should talk to your current doctor and find out why she changed your diagnosis. Did she also plan to change your medication regimen? If so, do you think the new meds would work for you? Are you scared to give new meds or less meds a try?
I know that, once I have been on certain meds for a while, I feel very vulnerable when my doctor starts talking about changing them. I recently decided that it was time for me to quit my daily dose of Klonopin. I was glad that I made that decision (with my doctor's approval), but I felt kind of scared about no longer taking the Klonopin. This is probably silly, since I only take .5 mg of Klonopin per day. I am just waiting for the Klonopin I have left to run out and then I will no longer take it. Wish me luck!
I think it is natural to get somewhat psychologically attached to the medications you are taking. Who knows, maybe you will do just fine without some of the meds you are used to taking. Still, according to my psychiatrist, you should be slowly weaned off all medications, so I would really talk to your doctor about that. Tell her you don't want to just stop taking the meds all at once. Tell her you need for her to leave your diagnosis alone long enough for you to get weaned off some of the meds. If you totally disagree with your doctor, then definitely, get yourself a new doctor, if you can. Again, you are the one paying for their professional services. If they don't give you what you expect, ditch them and find someone who will.
One other thing: did you ask your doctor why she changed your diagnosis? It is pretty unusual for a doctor to just up and change a diagnosis in the middle of treatment. Maybe she saw something different in you? Are you aware of any major changes in your life and/or your behavior?
Whatever the case, I wish you well on all of this. It sounds like you have been given quite a bit of hassle from your doctor and your therapist. You don't have to put up with that. It is your life and your money. Stand up for what is right for yourself. You do not owe these doctors or therapists anything. If they do not treat you the way you want to be treated, fire them. Unless you live in a small town, there must be other choices for you. Give them a try. What have you got to lose?
My doctor changes my med routine every now and then, depending on my life circumstances. If I end up in the hospital, due to depression or mania, she usually tweaks my medications or changes some of them. Generally, when things are going along the same every day, she does not change them. That's why I asked you if something had changed in your life. It has not been my experience that doctors change my diagnosis without some major life altering event or some big change in my behavior and/or thought patterns.
I hope some of this is helpful for you. I am glad you are staying in contact with me. Keep me informed and let me know how things go for you. If I can help out with anything else, just send another share post. I am no expert, but I do have the benefit of years of personal experience with bipolar/depression as well as years of professional knowledge (via jobs and education) of it. I would be glad to share anything I can that might be of use to you.
Keep up the self-advocacy - be good to you!
Kay