Dr. Zu has yet to call the insurance company
with a protocol. (treatment plan)
WTF? Can you believe this...the doctor is holding things up? I cannot understand why. Karen (my case manager) thinks that he may not have decided on a protocol yet. He told me that the protocal would be the same as he said two weeks ago.
All this time I thought the delay was the insurance peoples fault....obviously, it is not. Turns out it is the doctor.
Unbelievable!
Now it is much later, I emailed Dr. Zu, he responded within the hour.
He said,
"I have asked my office to get authorization last week. I just checked with the girl who does auth, she is working on it. She told me we should be starting treating you this week."
So I don't think the delay was actually him, but rather his office.
Tmw is another day....
Moving on up
6 years ago
4 comments:
Get in contact with him and ask him what the hold up is!
Ask your medical staff to write a letter now for your Zophran and any other additional meds you will need for your treatment to combat side effects.
I have a friend here in Seattle who was turned down by insurance for her Zophran but instead of telling her they told the pharmacy who never informed her. When she went in for her first chemo the nurse asked where her zophran was. The pharmacy did not give it to her and never said anything about the insurance company refusing (she had other meds too so did not know).
Luckily the nurse was able to call the pharmacy and get 12 tablets and then the clinic wrote a letter to the insurance so that she will have the zophran throughout her entire treatment.
The zophran is the antinausea medicine. I can't remember if I told you about it. You will need it.
It is best to get on top of this early before the treatment starts. Other issues I remember the insurance having a problem covering: you are charged an fee when the IV nurse inserts your IV. For some dumb reason the insurance expected me to insert an IV myself! Since you have lymphoma which in involves the lymph system, you will most likely need a flu and pneummonia innoculation prior to the treatment or during the first cycles. The insurance may also have a problem covering that as well. You need to address this with the oncologists to find out what you will need IN ADDITION to your chemo cocktail and have them draw up a letter PRONTO to submit to insurance.
Another important drug which you may or may not need (I am guessing you would given the type and stage of your cancer) is "Neupogen". In the very first onset of chemo your healthy cells are going to be hit hard. Generally it is when you are given a higher concentration of the chemo and/or your body needs to adjust to this attack. As a result, your blood counts will be hit hard. If your counts at each treatment are too low, treatment will be delayed. Taking the neupogen helps offset this imbalance and encourages red blood cell growth so that there are no interuptions in the treatment cycle.
Are you comfortable and confident with this doctor?
How about your nurse? Have you met your nurse yet?
I hope this gets ironed out for you soon! I know the waiting part can be frustrating. Take advantage of doing things now that you might not feel like doing while in treatment.
- Beck
Aww KC ! The waiting sucks!
Use this time waiting for treatments tho too get things all lined up for you.
Hopefully the Dr & office will get things rolling for you ASAP~
Hang Tuff hun!
HUGSSS!!!
Paula
oh I can fully believe where the office staff slacked on this. Having worked in an office myself for many years, all it takes is one slug to screw up the process! Keep on their ass! Sic 'em KC!
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