Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Heads up for fellow women on insurance... (bit tmi)

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Heads up for fellow women on insurance... (bit tmi)

    So...found out today that Anthem/BlueCross won't cover birth control except on the seriously expensive plans. We're talking, the agent told me it'd probably run me $500/mo, minimum. And even then, I'd have to fight for every bit of it, because Anthem is now terming birth control as a "lifestyle choice".

    On January 2014, they are doing a sweeping change to the entirety of women's insurance, especially birth control, making it that so the only option they will pay for, at all, is generic bc pills. You know, the $4 ones.

    I had to call today because I found out that I only have one option for bc now, really, and Anthem won't cover a shred of it. The agent I got was extremely sympathetic, and surprisingly, was in the exact SAME situation as I was. She recommended some...non-orthodox methods for me to get it at an affordable rate...and proceeded to tell me about the Anthem changes. She hinted (with a freaking hammer) that I should look into switching insurance companies, especially come January, because of the new changes. She said, and I quote "It's their way of...ahem....complying with AHA. It's a nice little loophole so they don't have to bear the cost of covered birth control, like the law is requiring."

    So, yep. Check your plan, check with your insurance agent, and...I don't know what else to do right now. I'm ticked off, I'm furious, and it's a complete sham. I know adult life is mostly trying to avoid getting screwed over constantly, but come on.
    By popular request....I am now officially the Enemy of Normalcy.

    "What is unobtainium? To Seraph, it's a normal client. :P" -- Observant Friend

  • #2
    Yep. That was one of the main reasons our company switched. Complete BS, but they also decided my Epipen wasn't a "medical necessity" and wouldn't cover it. Glad to be rid of them.
    "If your day is filled with firefighting, you need to start taking the matches away from the toddlers…” - HM

    Comment


    • #3
      Quoth Crossbow View Post
      Complete BS, but they also decided my Epipen wasn't a "medical necessity" and wouldn't cover it. Glad to be rid of them.
      you have got to be shitting me. Would they rather you died in an anaphylactic event?
      The best professors are mad scientists! -Zoom

      Now queen of USSR-Land...

      Comment


      • #4
        Quoth fireheart View Post
        you have got to be shitting me. Would they rather you died in an anaphylactic event?
        The Austin Lounge Lizards have your answer: Go Ahead And Die
        I am not an a**hole. I am a hemorrhoid. I irritate a**holes!
        Procrastination: Forward planning to insure there is something to do tomorrow.
        Derails threads faster than a pocket nuke.

        Comment


        • #5
          And this is why I dumped Anthem/BC/BS. I had a flavor of them (Empire BC/BS) my first year at the company I work at and I spent more time arguing with them to pay things that they were supposed to pay for (like well woman visits). At one point, our HR manager had to step in and get nasty with them. When open enrollment came around I switched over to United Health Care and never looked back.
          Random conversation:
          Me: Okay..so I think I get why Zoro wears a bandana
          DDD: Cuz it's cool

          So, by using the Doctor's reasoning, bow ties, fezzes and bandanas are cool.

          Comment


          • #6
            Quoth fireheart View Post
            you have got to be shitting me. Would they rather you died in an anaphylactic event?
            Nope, Crossbow is dead serious. They denied coverage for my epipen as well.
            At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

            Comment


            • #7
              Quoth Crossbow View Post
              Yep. That was one of the main reasons our company switched. Complete BS, but they also decided my Epipen wasn't a "medical necessity" and wouldn't cover it. Glad to be rid of them.
              Quoth mathnerd View Post
              Nope, Crossbow is dead serious. They denied coverage for my epipen as well.
              Yeah and apparently they denied a woman who needed a mole lasered off. It "wasn't a medical necessity, but a lifestyle choice".

              Seriously, I hope these guys get in trouble, and get in trouble BIG TIME.
              By popular request....I am now officially the Enemy of Normalcy.

              "What is unobtainium? To Seraph, it's a normal client. :P" -- Observant Friend

              Comment


              • #8
                All I can say is that is uber bullshit. You can get BC pills from Planned Parenthood (shit, your whole woman testing/care there), the Costco pharm and the WallFart pharmacy. Are yours expensive kind because you need full strength or can't use generics?
                And...what if you used your GP to say it's for acne control vs BC? There are ways around it. If the companies want loopholes, fine, fuck 'em, find your own.

                And I'm sorry they're being bastards. *hug*
                In my heart, in my soul, I'm a woman for rock & roll.
                She's as fast as slugs on barbituates.

                Comment


                • #9
                  The only generic type of BC are pills, and no, I can't take those. Eeeeeverything else is name brand. So yeah, they wanted me to fork over $93 a month, and this was the Wally World pharmacy to boot.

                  freaking insane.
                  By popular request....I am now officially the Enemy of Normalcy.

                  "What is unobtainium? To Seraph, it's a normal client. :P" -- Observant Friend

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    My employer owns my health insurance company. We got a raise a couple of years ago that just about covered the increase in health care premiums. Coverage declines and costs increase.

                    And if you see insurance ads telling employers that they can save money in providing health care it is by requiring ever increasingly stringent requirements for their employees. They have tiered premium plans. Those that can meet the requirements have lower premiums than those that can't.

                    Where I work...Smoke or use tobacco? You're pretty much hosed. (Though now they won't hire a tobacco user.) Diabetic? Better hope you have no other medical problems. Overweight? Better be losing weight unless you're at an acceptable BMI.

                    Can't speak to women's issues, only that insurance companies like everyone else is charging more for less.
                    I'd tell you where to go, but I work there and I don't want to see you everyday.

                    My photo blog.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Quoth fireheart View Post
                      you have got to be shitting me. Would they rather you died in an anaphylactic event?
                      Sure. Anthem didn't hold the life insurance policy...

                      Seriously, though... the only way they were convinced was for the plan manager at my company (a real pit bull when she wants to be) reminding them that covering a couple of epipens a year was cheaper than the ambulance ride (or Lifeflight), emergency room visit, and critical care bills. And they WOULD be paying those...
                      Last edited by Crossbow; 05-30-2013, 01:22 PM.
                      "If your day is filled with firefighting, you need to start taking the matches away from the toddlers…” - HM

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Not to mention the wrongful death lawsuit my family would be filing on behalf of my kids because my reaction to tomatoes is so severe that the epipen only buys me enough time to get to the hospital. Without it, I really don't have enough time for an ambulance to even get to me, let alone save my ass.
                        At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          ...Sorry to be slightly OT...but tomatoes?

                          Oh...wow. Big hugs, mathnerd. Big, big hugs.
                          By popular request....I am now officially the Enemy of Normalcy.

                          "What is unobtainium? To Seraph, it's a normal client. :P" -- Observant Friend

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth Seraph View Post
                            ...Sorry to be slightly OT...but tomatoes?

                            Oh...wow. Big hugs, mathnerd. Big, big hugs.
                            theoretically, you can be allergic to almost ANYTHING.

                            I've heard of people carrying epipens for latex allergies. And yes, I have had epipen training.
                            The best professors are mad scientists! -Zoom

                            Now queen of USSR-Land...

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth Seraph View Post
                              ...Sorry to be slightly OT...but tomatoes?

                              Oh...wow. Big hugs, mathnerd. Big, big hugs.
                              Sure. Not the first time I've heard of it. Try being Sicilian and allergic to tomatoes.
                              And yeah, wrongful death lawsuits would have flown.

                              I've seen allergies to tomatoes, mushrooms, grapes (that sucks), shellfish, corn (that REALLY REALLY sucks), bees (me), nuts, bananas (and latex), soy, even animal fat (thank you, deer ticks). You really can be allergic to almost anything.



                              I'm also allergic to stupid. It makes me break out in snark.
                              "If your day is filled with firefighting, you need to start taking the matches away from the toddlers…” - HM

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X