Ready to Cry
I just want to cry... I'm practically in tears here at work. When I got married, we decided that I would switch to my husband's health insurance because his is a PPO and you don't need referrals for things and you can see out-of-network doctors for only a slightly higher copay. But what I should have researched further was their mental health coverage, because none of the people I've been working with for that are in their network. And they don't let you see out-of-network people for behavioral healthcare except with a $600 deductible and then only at a 50% rate.
Anyway, so I was talking to the new insurance's customer service about what to do, and they said all I had to do was call the office of my current therapist & the nurse practitioner who is in charge of my medication management and have them agree to see me at the insurance co's in-network rates. So, I went through the channels to do that, and I got the approval. So that was all set, right? No.
I then had to call back my insurance company to confirm that this was all set and have them call the dr's office billing coordinator to confirm how things would be billed. This is when they said to me "Wait a minute, who approved this?!" And I answered "My doctor's office!" And then she said "No, who here approved this?!" And I said, the woman who I spoke to last night at this very same number! And then I was put on hold and transferred around. I was then told I'd have to switch to an in network doctor for my medication management but that I wouldn't have to change therapists. Then after a long time of being put on hold, they told me I really had to change therapists too.
I find all of this horribly upsetting. Like I'm totally in limbo and I have to start from scratch. I've been working so hard to feel better and right now I don't even have a doctor or therapist. My old therapist called me back after I had to cancel all of my appointments, and she said that she'd see me without charging me to wrap things up and say goodbye. And she suggested I try calling the dr's office billing coordinator (the one who did approve the thingy mentioned above) one more time and explain the situation and see if she can think of anything else to do.
I don't know why it's all so upsetting. I mean I'm not madly in love with my therapist or the nurse practitioner who manages my antidepressants. Though I felt like I was making progress with my therapist finally, and I'm just such an anxious and shy person that this is just such a major change for me. Now I have to start all over from scratch and it's making me feel extra depressed and extra hopeless. And if I didn't know that I would have horrendous withdrawal symptoms from going off of my antidepressant, I might just forego switching and just stop seeing anybody altogether. But that's what those cheap motherfuckers at the insurance company want, isn't that? Wouldn't that make them richer? If I didn't go get treatment? And I just got a refill for my antidepressants from my general practitioner? I'm going to milk those fuckers for every benefit I am entitled to, now that I realize what a big mistake it was to switch to K's insurance plan.
I don't know, maybe I should find out what the actual cost for therapy is through my therapist...maybe it's worth the $600/year out of pocket + 50% thereafter. Ugh it's all just so frustrating.
I don't even know what I want to do, what the ideal situation would be. I just wanted things that were fixtures in my life to stay the same while I worked on getting better and improving my life, picking up the pieces of my messy life. I suppose seeing a new therapist could be a blessing in disguise. But I don't feel ready for any sort of change. I feel like I'm being pushed out of an airplane without a parachute. Isn't that dramatic?
It's times like this when I feel like an angsty thirteen year old instead of a responsible adult.
Anyway, so I was talking to the new insurance's customer service about what to do, and they said all I had to do was call the office of my current therapist & the nurse practitioner who is in charge of my medication management and have them agree to see me at the insurance co's in-network rates. So, I went through the channels to do that, and I got the approval. So that was all set, right? No.
I then had to call back my insurance company to confirm that this was all set and have them call the dr's office billing coordinator to confirm how things would be billed. This is when they said to me "Wait a minute, who approved this?!" And I answered "My doctor's office!" And then she said "No, who here approved this?!" And I said, the woman who I spoke to last night at this very same number! And then I was put on hold and transferred around. I was then told I'd have to switch to an in network doctor for my medication management but that I wouldn't have to change therapists. Then after a long time of being put on hold, they told me I really had to change therapists too.
I find all of this horribly upsetting. Like I'm totally in limbo and I have to start from scratch. I've been working so hard to feel better and right now I don't even have a doctor or therapist. My old therapist called me back after I had to cancel all of my appointments, and she said that she'd see me without charging me to wrap things up and say goodbye. And she suggested I try calling the dr's office billing coordinator (the one who did approve the thingy mentioned above) one more time and explain the situation and see if she can think of anything else to do.
I don't know why it's all so upsetting. I mean I'm not madly in love with my therapist or the nurse practitioner who manages my antidepressants. Though I felt like I was making progress with my therapist finally, and I'm just such an anxious and shy person that this is just such a major change for me. Now I have to start all over from scratch and it's making me feel extra depressed and extra hopeless. And if I didn't know that I would have horrendous withdrawal symptoms from going off of my antidepressant, I might just forego switching and just stop seeing anybody altogether. But that's what those cheap motherfuckers at the insurance company want, isn't that? Wouldn't that make them richer? If I didn't go get treatment? And I just got a refill for my antidepressants from my general practitioner? I'm going to milk those fuckers for every benefit I am entitled to, now that I realize what a big mistake it was to switch to K's insurance plan.
I don't know, maybe I should find out what the actual cost for therapy is through my therapist...maybe it's worth the $600/year out of pocket + 50% thereafter. Ugh it's all just so frustrating.
I don't even know what I want to do, what the ideal situation would be. I just wanted things that were fixtures in my life to stay the same while I worked on getting better and improving my life, picking up the pieces of my messy life. I suppose seeing a new therapist could be a blessing in disguise. But I don't feel ready for any sort of change. I feel like I'm being pushed out of an airplane without a parachute. Isn't that dramatic?
It's times like this when I feel like an angsty thirteen year old instead of a responsible adult.
1 Comments:
Oh, I'm so sorry.... I really really hope this gets worked out soon for you. What a terrible situation to be in.
I'd recommend you at least try to find someone on your new insurance. Go see them at least once. Maybe you won't feel comfortable and won't want to return, but maybe you will. And it'd save you money as well as taking care of you.
If you don't like them, you're in no worse situation than you are now, and you can find some way to pay for the therapist and doctor you are comfortable with.
Nothing's more important than your mental health. Take care of yourself.... and in the meantime while you're waiting for your prescriptions to be renewed, treat yourself well.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home