Ah, health insurance
Jun. 17th, 2005 09:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chickenTwo days ago I was diagnosed with a slipped/herniated/ruptured lumbar disk (via the usual symptoms including the telltale shooting pain down the sciatic nerve/right thigh, tingling and numbness in my right root, horrible pain in my right knee, and so on).
Even before I was diagnosed by the orthopedist, my regular doctor said to take 1800 mg of Ibuprofen per day, and on the seventh day, despite taking it with food, I got horrible stomach pains, so my doctor gave me a prescription for 40mg/day of omeprazole (Prilosec), to reduce the stomach acids. Of course the woman at the pharmacy informed me that my health insurance doesn't cover that particular medication, and I turn around and see that what I would have had to pay only $7 to get with my co-pay actually costs $27.99 over the counter.
HOLY COW. $27.99. Yeah, I can't afford that for a few little purple pills, but I also kept hearing my doctor's voice in my head saying, "he doesn't see the GI bleeders". Yes, my new orthopedist (to whom I was referred two days ago by my regular doctor) blithely said that the max. dose of Ibuprofen/day was 3200mg, whereas my regular doctor said 2400mg -- and when I asked my regular doctor to explain this discrepancy, she said, "that's because he doesn't see all the GI bleeders -- we see them all the time". Basically surgeons like this orthopedist don't take an enormous interest in anything but actual surgery.
AAAAAHH. Lovely.
Thankfully when I got home I found out my wife was smart and had saved the unused "sample" Prevacid boxes from when she had to take strong antibiotics! Such a smart, smart bunny. That's a similar enough drug, so that means I'm only a week or so short and in the meantime can probably have my doctor scare up some more samples or write a prescription for some other related medicine that United Healthcare does actually see fit to cover.
Even before I was diagnosed by the orthopedist, my regular doctor said to take 1800 mg of Ibuprofen per day, and on the seventh day, despite taking it with food, I got horrible stomach pains, so my doctor gave me a prescription for 40mg/day of omeprazole (Prilosec), to reduce the stomach acids. Of course the woman at the pharmacy informed me that my health insurance doesn't cover that particular medication, and I turn around and see that what I would have had to pay only $7 to get with my co-pay actually costs $27.99 over the counter.
HOLY COW. $27.99. Yeah, I can't afford that for a few little purple pills, but I also kept hearing my doctor's voice in my head saying, "he doesn't see the GI bleeders". Yes, my new orthopedist (to whom I was referred two days ago by my regular doctor) blithely said that the max. dose of Ibuprofen/day was 3200mg, whereas my regular doctor said 2400mg -- and when I asked my regular doctor to explain this discrepancy, she said, "that's because he doesn't see all the GI bleeders -- we see them all the time". Basically surgeons like this orthopedist don't take an enormous interest in anything but actual surgery.
AAAAAHH. Lovely.
Thankfully when I got home I found out my wife was smart and had saved the unused "sample" Prevacid boxes from when she had to take strong antibiotics! Such a smart, smart bunny. That's a similar enough drug, so that means I'm only a week or so short and in the meantime can probably have my doctor scare up some more samples or write a prescription for some other related medicine that United Healthcare does actually see fit to cover.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 03:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 04:03 pm (UTC)I really hate to whine, because other people have to pay way, way more for their meds -- most people's co-pays are higher than mine, for example (my poor father).
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 05:08 pm (UTC)But at least your regular doctor's office has some idea of the consequences of the ibuprofen dosage.
I wonder if you called the original doctor's office and explained the situation whether they could have given you an alternate prescription? Sometimes there are options that would achieve the same result.
Doctors can be so horrible sometimes.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 05:16 pm (UTC)As my original, real doctor explained it to me, the orthopedist doesn't really care to concern himself too much with patients unless he thinks he'll actually have a chance to operate -- apparently a lot of surgeons are like that -- if they don't think they're gonna get a chance to cut on you, they don't take an enormous interest.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-22 12:02 pm (UTC)Sorry you have to go through this, and I'm so sorry to hear you're in pain! I wish I'd known during the party -- I wouldn't have made you lean over so I could hug you :(.
Remember I have the resources of a medical journal at my disposal; if there's anything I can look up for you, let me know.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-22 03:53 pm (UTC)You couldn't have known then, since I didn't even know then! But thanks, you are the best!