[Diabetes-talk] Final "No"!

Sat Sep 17 22:41:25 UTC 2016

I am so glad you persisted, and this time, you won!!!  And sometimes you 
can.  I know of at least one instance in my life when an insurance company 
wouldn't pay for something, and in my case, the doctor got disgusted with 
them and wrote a note, and I sent my own little note with it, and it worked.

Mark Tardif
Nuclear arms will not hold you.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2016 6:24 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Veronica Elsea
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Final "No"!

I think we chase after the small victories where we find them and keep
working. Truth doesn't mean give up! <grin> I just finished a big fight with
Blue Shield because they've suddenly decided that all diabetics will happily
used one of three Accuchek meters. That clearly wasn't me. I called and
began one of many long discussions, working my way up the food chain. By the
time I'd reached pretty high up, I was rather worked up, shall we say? I
pointed out that I had no intention of
Sacrificing my health just because they'd made a sweetheart deal with
another company. Would you believe, they actually tried to tell me that I
could continue to use my meter of choice but just had to use the AccuChek
strips? After I finished laughing I pointed out how little they knew about
the things they were controlling, which meant that they didn't deserve this
bonus or profit. I finally told them that either they were going to
authorize my meter or I'd contact the state insurance commissioner and I'd
go to the media and expose this practice of denying accessible meters to
people who are blind. Fortunately, within five minutes, I had a permanent
authorization on file. Now, granted, it doesn't always work this way. <grin>
But at least it did this time.
But when I decide how to respond to any given denial, I mean situation, I
start by reminding myself this is about what they'll pay for, not what I'm
entitled to. The next step is the discussion with my doc or someone to begin
to strategize. I try my best to figure out how to end up with something
other than, stuck! Hopeless! I can't have, fill in the blank. Clearly we
can't always just pay for something out of pocket because insurance
companies are greedy. But at least it's worth being as creative as we can be
in searching for allies. Sometimes there's no getting away from major
disappointment, but this is how I keep myself from landing in the perverbial
gutter. At least here we know that most everyone on this list is going
through similar things so it doesn't have to feel so personal, if you know
what I mean.
As for cost, frankly, I really wish they had never allowed TV advertising of
drugs here. From my business, boy do I know how much those commercials cost,
between making them and paying for air time. They'd have so much more R and
D money as well as pure profit if they'd quit doing that. And these days, so
many of those drugs are just so incredibly specific, my doc should be
telling me about them, not the other way around. It's like many in the
medical profession have just obficated their responsibility, either having
the patients coming in and dictating the treatment or dishing out whatever
the latest drug rep brought in. Time for some cultural changes, in my
opinion.
And yes, on some days I do just get angry, cuss and fuss and carry on about
things. But sometimes I just have to hang out in that place before the
creative ideas show up.
So hang in there, everyone and thanks for the company.
Veronica

"Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now available on
iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide Dog Glee Club.
To learn more, visit:
http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
                Veronica Elsea, Owner
Laurel Creek Music Designs
Santa Cruz, California
Phone: 831-429-6407

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Mark Tardif via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2016 8:41 PM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Cc: Mark Tardif
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Final "No"!

Those are some unpalitable truths, but unfortunately they are indeed true.

Mark Tardif
Nuclear arms will not hold you.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Mike Freeman via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2016 5:16 PM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind
Cc: Mike Freeman
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Final "No"!

It's all about profit. Morals never enters into the situation. And in other
countries, guess who pays; everyone pays via a government tax. People don't
want to do that in this country. also, you should understand that this is
what it means to be a minority i.e. a blind person in this country.

Mike Freeman

> On Sep 15, 2016, at 07:38, Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
> <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> But when it comes to drugs and medical treatment, profit shouldn't be the
> priority. A patients health should be the priority. In this country, many
> drug costs have gone up 200% all the way up to 500% just because a company
> wants to make money. Many are finding that insurance will no longer
> approve
> certain medications because of this, or will only pay a small percentage,
> leaving individuals to pay heavily out of pocket. Test strips and insulin
> are two medications that have seen an increase as much as 200% inflation
> in
> costs, and all so a company can make a profit. It's hurting a lot of
> diabetics. This is a growing problem in this country, and as of now,
> nothing
> is being done about it. Everything our government insist on regulating,
> and
> yet these companies are allowed to rack up cost, hurting patients, all for
> profit's sake.
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> Joy Stigile via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2016 11:12 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Joy Stigile <joystigile at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Final "No"!
>
> Hi Mark,
>
> Just remember an insurance company is there to make a profit just as much
> as
> our favorite stores!
>
> Warmly, Joy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> Mark Tardif via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2016 6:19 PM
> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Mark Tardif <markspark at roadrunner.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Final "No"!
>
> I'm sorry for my last post, but it really does bother me that the purpose
> of
> insurance companies seems to be to deny, deny, deny, and the bean counters

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