1. I get a call from Diplomat Pharmacy (there is some irony in that company title) asking if I was ready to make my next order of chemo drugs. I was expecting this call from Diplomat, since CVS Pharmacy was not part of the additions to my insurance. I made the crazy assumption that I would pay the normal amount, $100 for my one week of treatment next month. Well, I about died mid-step when the guy on the other end of the line asked how I would prefer to pay the $4,450 bill; with credit card, check, or online. AHHH!! He said I was getting a discount from a "discount card" (???), that seemed to be 0% in my eyes.
2. I am now in shock. After asking him if he was sure, I passed the phone off to my husband. After Rock talked to him for a couple minutes, the Diplomat guy told us to call our new pharmacy program, URx. While he is calling, I am searching on the computer in my new URx account trying to get a quote on my chemo drugs from there. The only difference online was that they gave me a "10% discount" because of my "discount card". Hate to tell them, but even a 50% discount from an imaginary card would not suit me well.
3. After sitting on hold for a bit, Rock talked to someone at URx. They said to call MUST (my regular health insurance). They were apparently the only people that could help. He called them. They closed 30 minutes earlier.
Next day . . .
4. I call up MUST. They then transfer me to someone else in charge of my region to solve the problem. She tells me that she will "call back in a couple minutes" with a response. An hour and a half later, and there is still no call back. Rock calls this time, only to find out that the woman I talked to is off for an hour long lunch. Grrrr. He left a very good angry sounding message.
5. Wait. And wait. And wait.
6. A couple hours later, I get a call from Diplomat asking if I was ready to fill my prescription. I asked how much the co-pay was (expecting my heart to stop again when I heard $4,450), and she said $200! I started dancing in the hallway, and happily paid. Don't get me wrong, $200 is still twice as much as before, but it is a heck of a lot less than $4,450 for a five day supply of chemo drugs.
That has been the drama of the last two days. Health insurance can be a wonderful thing, but it can also be evil and cut a couple years off my already brain-tumor stressed life. Thank you, and good night.
