Loathing and Rage: The HMO edition.
I am not a stupid person. A little scattered, maybe, but not dumb. And when I got my new medical benefits, I specifically asked about mental health coverage, to make sure I didn't need to see a "network provider." And I read the materials I was given, because I know that fucking up in this area can cost beaucoup money. And it seemed to me, from my investigations, that if I saw someone "in plan" the coverage was brilliant, and if I saw someone "out of plan" it was less brilliant, but still there.
WRONG-FUCKING-O.
A phone call today (just trying to track down the proper way to send the billing in for reimbursement) reveals that not only do I have to see someone "in-network," it must first be authorized through Blue Shield's contractor, United Behavioral Health. And that neither of the counselors I have been seeing for over two months now are "in-plan." And that I have no coverage for out-of-network care.
More than a thousand dollars. Normally, I call stuff like this (library fines, late fees, parking tickets, money paid as a consequence of not reading the fine print) "stupid tax." And it's a reality of life when you're as scatterbrained as I am. But this is fucking ridiculous. I tried. I asked questions. I was fucking careful. I WAS NOT STUPID. And now I'm a thousand dollars down with no recourse.
The worst part, of course, is that it's almost impossible to find someone "in-plan" with these networks who is (a) any good and (b) accepting patients; also, months of building background and rapport with the current counselors are now fucking wasted, as I will have to start over again with new people. I almost just want to quit; say, "fuck this, I don't need therapy this badly" except that I do, as is clearly evidenced by the fact that just this minor setback has me almost in tears.
How do people who aren't smart, who don't know to ask questions and read the material, ever supposed to navigate this shit, if even I can't figure it out? This is beyond ridiculous.
GodDAMNit.
WRONG-FUCKING-O.
A phone call today (just trying to track down the proper way to send the billing in for reimbursement) reveals that not only do I have to see someone "in-network," it must first be authorized through Blue Shield's contractor, United Behavioral Health. And that neither of the counselors I have been seeing for over two months now are "in-plan." And that I have no coverage for out-of-network care.
More than a thousand dollars. Normally, I call stuff like this (library fines, late fees, parking tickets, money paid as a consequence of not reading the fine print) "stupid tax." And it's a reality of life when you're as scatterbrained as I am. But this is fucking ridiculous. I tried. I asked questions. I was fucking careful. I WAS NOT STUPID. And now I'm a thousand dollars down with no recourse.
The worst part, of course, is that it's almost impossible to find someone "in-plan" with these networks who is (a) any good and (b) accepting patients; also, months of building background and rapport with the current counselors are now fucking wasted, as I will have to start over again with new people. I almost just want to quit; say, "fuck this, I don't need therapy this badly" except that I do, as is clearly evidenced by the fact that just this minor setback has me almost in tears.
How do people who aren't smart, who don't know to ask questions and read the material, ever supposed to navigate this shit, if even I can't figure it out? This is beyond ridiculous.
GodDAMNit.
posted by The Stute Fish at 17:25
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