Monday, March 3, 2008

Somebody Shoot Me and Put Me out of My Misery Please

Up Front - my two least favorite words in the American Language right now. After spending the better part of the afternoon calling several different phone numbers and getting a huge amount of run around, my day boils down to these two words - "up front".

I guess hurting every day, hemorrhaging for days on end and becoming increasingly unpleasant to be around 2+ weeks every cycle and the fact that this condition is progressive (meaning it is going to get a lot worse the more time that passes) isn't enough. No - health insurance is not for quality of life apparently. Standard insurance applies. I must meet my deductible first or pony up the entire amount on my own UP FRONT because the pharmaceutical company providing the Lupron won't ship the shot without being paid in full first. Lupron is not preventative care so standard plan requirements must be met first. I'm not trying to have a baby - just trying to avoid having a hysterectomy or requiring a blood transfusion this year. That sounds kind of preventative to me . . .

Anyone know what a 3 month 11.25 mg Lupron Depot shot is worth? Oh yeah. Not an amount I have floating around all in one lump sum for a "rainy day" - and I am going to have to pay UP FRONT for two of them. I could wait for our tax return and then pay for it and get the shot then. Given that we haven't filed yet - this could be a few months, or longer. Yeah - that progressive condition thing kind of puts a damper on that plan. Seeing as we are not even close to meeting our deductible, we look into creative financing, which usually involves credit cards. While we would have to meet our deductible anyway - it just wasn't something I was expecting to have to meet all at the same time! Bits and pieces spread out over the year, sure - but all UP FRONT - for two lousy shots??!! You know, I really thought I was done with all this. Oh yes - my particular brand of hormonal imbalance induced infertility and rpl - the gift that just keeps on giving, even after you've retired your basal body thermometer. Yes, sour grapes talking. I bawled for an hour after I got off the phone. My next period is due in the next week or so (or so because she hasn't been too punctual lately, even on bcps) and I have been spending most of of the last 2 weeks already clinging to my heating pad like it's a life raft and subsisting on mass quantities of dt. cola and ibuprofen.

Seeing as either way - I am going to be shelling out a large amount of cash all at once, I might as well just schedule the hysterectomy now and get it over with - since it is an inevitability. The hospital and my doctor bill AFTER , notwithstanding the fact would also work out a payment plan with me. Of course, then my insurance company would probably say we didn't try other treatment options first and deny paying anything on basis of that. I wanted some time to come to terms with this and time apparently is not something I have up front.

Yeesh . . .

1 comment:

loribeth said...

Your post demonstrates what's wrong with the medical/insurnace system (& I'm not sure Canada would be much better...!). (((HUGS))) I hope you can resolve the situation soon, one way or another, & without too much $$ upfront!!