It Beats the Alternative

Every time anyone says anything about getting older, someone invariably says "It beats the alternative." Does it? After a solid week of dealing with medical office and insurance company personnel, I've concluded that if this is what I can look forward to for the rest of my life, well "Jesus, take me now." 

I've struggled to navigate the healthcare system in Florida ever since we arrived here in the summer of 2019. Mark had an Aetna Medicare PPO plan when we left Texas and we were able to transfer it to Florida for the remaining five months of the year. But not without cost. They actually sent me an invoice for the $2.10 difference in the price for those remaining five months. (Anyone care to calculate what it cost them to send that invoice and then process my check?) 

At the time we moved, I had regular medicare with a supplemental policy. Time and time again I was told by the doctor's office staff that they didn't take regular medicare but they'd be happy to refer me to an insurance agent who could set me up with the Humana Advantage plan that they did take. I ended up calling Medicare to try to find a doctor and they confirmed what I already knew - if they take an advantage plan, they take regular medicare. But if the office staff won't make an appointment for you, it doesn't matter. 

And since Mark was on a  PPO, we didn't think it was critical that we were having such a hard time finding a GP (general practitioner). Until I called the specialist he wanted (needed) to see and was told that they didn't make appointments for anyone who didn't have a referral. Foiled again by the office staff!

We had to go to an urgent care facility to get our prescriptions renewed and then we went to a doctor who was able to write a referral, even though we technically didn't need one.  

So for 2020 we switched Mark to a different Advantage plan. The doctor he was going to see also took regular Medicare and he put through a referral to the hematologist. All is well, or so we thought. Then came COVID. We did not want to sit in crowded waiting rooms, so we took advantage of the telehealth visits. That worked fine for the GP but for the hematologist, not so much. You see, the hematologist needs to have blood test results. In order to have blood test results, you have to have a blood test. In Texas, the doctors did that in their offices. In Florida, they want you to go to a lab. The lab needs to have an order from the doctor in order to know what tests to perform. The doctor can give you a sheet of paper with the order or they can send it to the lab electronically. Since we weren't going in to the office, they told us they would send the order to the lab. 

Mark scheduled his appointment and went to the lab who claimed they didn't have an order. He called the doctor and the young lady there said she'd send the order over. Again Mark made an appointment. And again he went to the lab who once again claimed they didn't have an order. The result of the next call to the doctor was that she'd sent it and she was not sending it again. Alrighty then! We need a new doctor. But it didn't seem urgent since he was pretty much in remission. 

And that brings us to 2021 and Death Panels. We'll talk about that tomorrow.