Post by Seany-D on Dec 17, 2003 16:08:43 GMT -5
Warning: Mt. Sean is about to erupt. If any reader plans on taking this too close to heart, don't.
Let me tell you how much I hate Olin and student insurance right now.
Monday, I get this bright idea. This idea was "Hey Sean, you're gonna be in Maryland by the end of the week, why don't you renew your scripts so that you won't run out of happy drugs while home?" Being the conscientious fuck that I am, this sounds like a good idea. One med, for high blood pressure (and yes, I'm telling you that for the ironic effect), has refills remaining. The other, an allergy drug, is plumb out of refills. Last time I was in getting prodded by the Olin staff, I asked the doc, "Doc, my allergy meds will run out soon, should I get a refill written now?" His response, in a Middle Eastern accent, was "do not worry, Mr. Davis, you can call me and I will refill when this runs out. Good?" OK. Fine. I am down with that.
So, Monday night, I renew the refillable drug online. Sweet. Gotta love the Internet. Tuesday morning, I call Olin. This was my first problem. I wade through two and a half minutes of recordings telling me "if this is a poisoning, dial this number ... if this is an emergency, dial 911 ... if you would like to marry a tree dwarf, press 8 ... if you are calling to retrieve the foreskin from your circumcision, press 9 ... etc." ... all this to get the GENERAL INFORMATION LINE! Finally, miracle of miracles, a human comes on! I explain to her that I need to contact my doc to get a refill on a script, and that he told me to get him the message and it would be taken care of. She tells me I need the phone info. nurse. Fine. She transfers me. I enter PHONE MENU NUMBER TWO. Now, we've established who the hell I need to talk to, why the fuck do I need to press buttons? Three button presses later, I get holiday Muzak. La la la la ... fifteen minutes pass ... la la la .... and then it disconnects me. Dial tone.
Sean is getting pissed, what with me having a short temper this time of year. I call back and go through the entire procedure again. Finally, after only five minutes of Muzak, I get a human ... and this one is a nurse! I explain my situation, but she says she is the off-site nurse ... seems Olin doesn't get an on site nurse until 11:30 in the morning. Silly me, calling at 10:15! But she'll fax over a paper explaining my request, but I should call and verify that she got the message in the afternoon. Fine. I hang up.
I get to school and go into the seventh circle of hell ... my lab. There's a message on the phone! Olin Pharmacy would like to tell me that they can't do refills b/c it's too soon. Now, I've got 10 days of meds left on a 30-day script, I understand that, but you're telling me that I can't get a refill? They tell me that I have to call the insurance co. to get an override, or transfer my refill home to get charged even more outrageuos pharmacy fees than MSU charges me. Fine. I call the damned company, and they ask me all sorts of cover-your-ass questions, like "when are you leaving? when will you return? how long have you been on this med?" blah blah blah, finally, they say "it's cool ,you can pick it up in a couple of hours". Now, being the smart, intelligent FUCK that I am, I ask them about my other script ... will that one be denied too? Their response is basically "we can't answer that until a claim is put in, but if there's a problem, have the pharmacy call us, as we have this info. already in our computer." Fine. Whoop de doo. I call Olin pharmacy back, and inform them of all this, and ask them about the other (non refillable) script. They say that they haven't gotten a new script written, but they will deal with it when it is time.
Sean does research for awhile ... still shitty results ... how long until I go home?
around 3pm, I call the Olin nurse chick. I get Attila the RN Hun, obviously. Or, maybe she's a nice old lady that just needs more fiber. Anywho, I start by asking her about the fax "I don't get faxes for script refills, I only get notes that you called!". Fine, then I'll explain the situation. "You can't get a new script written over the phone!" Umm, I was assured by my doc that it could be done. "well, he's not here until the first of the year! He's out!" Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? I get charged for visits over 3 a semester, and I asked him about a refill before to avoid charges. "<exasperated sigh> I'll see what can be done. What are you on? Are you allergic to any drugs? Anything else? ("well, I am on allergy meds, so there's something out there that my body doesn't agree with") You don't know what it is? What are the symptoms? Are you on any OTC drugs? Who's the starting fullback for the 1968 Chicago Bears? Can I be any less pleasant when grilling you?" By now, my blood is boiling, and mind you, *this* was *yesterday*
So, finally, Nurse Ratchet says that she can't promise anything, but she'll see if she can get another doc to write a script and get it filled at Olin. Fine. Have a wonderful holiday, you cantankerous #&^(*!!!
Last night I was neither in the lab, nor was I thinking about meds. I almost relaxed, if I wasn't trying to finish up holiday crap. And they wonder why I have high blood pressure.
So, this morning, Nurse Ratchet calls back. She tells me, in a somewhat calmer voice, that the script was written, and called in, and I could pick it up this afternoon. Maybe she had a butt-fuck of a bad day yesterday, I mused to myself. I thanked her, and returned to the hell that is my research.
2:30pm, time for a stretch and a walk to north campus to pick up drugs. I slip and slide my way across ill-cleared sidewalks to Olin. Get there, and this classic exchange ensues:
me -- "Hi, I'm here to pick up two scripts called in separately for Davis"
counter kid -- "OK <ruffles through box> I found one, let me check on the other..."
"<grumble>"
"OK, we refilled this one which you called in, but the new script can't be filled, as it's too soon since your last script."
"I was aware that this would be a problem with the refill, so I called the ins. company and got an override."
"Yes, I see that."
"I was told that you could call the ins. company and get one on this as well..."
"We can't. Our hands are tied."
"What do you mean you can't? I am leaving for another state! The reasoning for getting either filled now is the same! And if it's the clearance that you're worried about, the ins. co. said to call them and they'd handle it!"
"Well, we can't. You can get it filled tomorrow."
"<veins bulge out of forehead> I have to trek up here tomorrow because you refuse to call the insurance company to refill a script?"
"I'm sorry."
"Well, will it be fillied tomorrow then?"
"uhhh, I'll put it in."
Now, if I were thinking clearer at this point, I would have hijacked a phone and called the ins. co. myself, explained the situation, and waited for them to fill it, but I wanted to leave before the ANGRY MOUTH OF VENGEANCE cut loose with something that could have gotten me restrained or worse. I also didn't want to scare the living piss out of counter boy, who looked to be getting nervouser and nervouser as I turned a darker shade of angry crimson.
Looks like a smart Sean will CALL before he ventures out to this kludge of a joint to pick up the fucking scripts that he should be taking so he can BREATHE and LOWER HIS FRIGGIN BLOOD PRESSURE.
Somebody needs a tenderfoot time-out, I guess. Look for a happier Sean-line to debut early next year.
Sean "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Davis
Let me tell you how much I hate Olin and student insurance right now.
Monday, I get this bright idea. This idea was "Hey Sean, you're gonna be in Maryland by the end of the week, why don't you renew your scripts so that you won't run out of happy drugs while home?" Being the conscientious fuck that I am, this sounds like a good idea. One med, for high blood pressure (and yes, I'm telling you that for the ironic effect), has refills remaining. The other, an allergy drug, is plumb out of refills. Last time I was in getting prodded by the Olin staff, I asked the doc, "Doc, my allergy meds will run out soon, should I get a refill written now?" His response, in a Middle Eastern accent, was "do not worry, Mr. Davis, you can call me and I will refill when this runs out. Good?" OK. Fine. I am down with that.
So, Monday night, I renew the refillable drug online. Sweet. Gotta love the Internet. Tuesday morning, I call Olin. This was my first problem. I wade through two and a half minutes of recordings telling me "if this is a poisoning, dial this number ... if this is an emergency, dial 911 ... if you would like to marry a tree dwarf, press 8 ... if you are calling to retrieve the foreskin from your circumcision, press 9 ... etc." ... all this to get the GENERAL INFORMATION LINE! Finally, miracle of miracles, a human comes on! I explain to her that I need to contact my doc to get a refill on a script, and that he told me to get him the message and it would be taken care of. She tells me I need the phone info. nurse. Fine. She transfers me. I enter PHONE MENU NUMBER TWO. Now, we've established who the hell I need to talk to, why the fuck do I need to press buttons? Three button presses later, I get holiday Muzak. La la la la ... fifteen minutes pass ... la la la .... and then it disconnects me. Dial tone.
Sean is getting pissed, what with me having a short temper this time of year. I call back and go through the entire procedure again. Finally, after only five minutes of Muzak, I get a human ... and this one is a nurse! I explain my situation, but she says she is the off-site nurse ... seems Olin doesn't get an on site nurse until 11:30 in the morning. Silly me, calling at 10:15! But she'll fax over a paper explaining my request, but I should call and verify that she got the message in the afternoon. Fine. I hang up.
I get to school and go into the seventh circle of hell ... my lab. There's a message on the phone! Olin Pharmacy would like to tell me that they can't do refills b/c it's too soon. Now, I've got 10 days of meds left on a 30-day script, I understand that, but you're telling me that I can't get a refill? They tell me that I have to call the insurance co. to get an override, or transfer my refill home to get charged even more outrageuos pharmacy fees than MSU charges me. Fine. I call the damned company, and they ask me all sorts of cover-your-ass questions, like "when are you leaving? when will you return? how long have you been on this med?" blah blah blah, finally, they say "it's cool ,you can pick it up in a couple of hours". Now, being the smart, intelligent FUCK that I am, I ask them about my other script ... will that one be denied too? Their response is basically "we can't answer that until a claim is put in, but if there's a problem, have the pharmacy call us, as we have this info. already in our computer." Fine. Whoop de doo. I call Olin pharmacy back, and inform them of all this, and ask them about the other (non refillable) script. They say that they haven't gotten a new script written, but they will deal with it when it is time.
Sean does research for awhile ... still shitty results ... how long until I go home?
around 3pm, I call the Olin nurse chick. I get Attila the RN Hun, obviously. Or, maybe she's a nice old lady that just needs more fiber. Anywho, I start by asking her about the fax "I don't get faxes for script refills, I only get notes that you called!". Fine, then I'll explain the situation. "You can't get a new script written over the phone!" Umm, I was assured by my doc that it could be done. "well, he's not here until the first of the year! He's out!" Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? I get charged for visits over 3 a semester, and I asked him about a refill before to avoid charges. "<exasperated sigh> I'll see what can be done. What are you on? Are you allergic to any drugs? Anything else? ("well, I am on allergy meds, so there's something out there that my body doesn't agree with") You don't know what it is? What are the symptoms? Are you on any OTC drugs? Who's the starting fullback for the 1968 Chicago Bears? Can I be any less pleasant when grilling you?" By now, my blood is boiling, and mind you, *this* was *yesterday*
So, finally, Nurse Ratchet says that she can't promise anything, but she'll see if she can get another doc to write a script and get it filled at Olin. Fine. Have a wonderful holiday, you cantankerous #&^(*!!!
Last night I was neither in the lab, nor was I thinking about meds. I almost relaxed, if I wasn't trying to finish up holiday crap. And they wonder why I have high blood pressure.
So, this morning, Nurse Ratchet calls back. She tells me, in a somewhat calmer voice, that the script was written, and called in, and I could pick it up this afternoon. Maybe she had a butt-fuck of a bad day yesterday, I mused to myself. I thanked her, and returned to the hell that is my research.
2:30pm, time for a stretch and a walk to north campus to pick up drugs. I slip and slide my way across ill-cleared sidewalks to Olin. Get there, and this classic exchange ensues:
me -- "Hi, I'm here to pick up two scripts called in separately for Davis"
counter kid -- "OK <ruffles through box> I found one, let me check on the other..."
"<grumble>"
"OK, we refilled this one which you called in, but the new script can't be filled, as it's too soon since your last script."
"I was aware that this would be a problem with the refill, so I called the ins. company and got an override."
"Yes, I see that."
"I was told that you could call the ins. company and get one on this as well..."
"We can't. Our hands are tied."
"What do you mean you can't? I am leaving for another state! The reasoning for getting either filled now is the same! And if it's the clearance that you're worried about, the ins. co. said to call them and they'd handle it!"
"Well, we can't. You can get it filled tomorrow."
"<veins bulge out of forehead> I have to trek up here tomorrow because you refuse to call the insurance company to refill a script?"
"I'm sorry."
"Well, will it be fillied tomorrow then?"
"uhhh, I'll put it in."
Now, if I were thinking clearer at this point, I would have hijacked a phone and called the ins. co. myself, explained the situation, and waited for them to fill it, but I wanted to leave before the ANGRY MOUTH OF VENGEANCE cut loose with something that could have gotten me restrained or worse. I also didn't want to scare the living piss out of counter boy, who looked to be getting nervouser and nervouser as I turned a darker shade of angry crimson.
Looks like a smart Sean will CALL before he ventures out to this kludge of a joint to pick up the fucking scripts that he should be taking so he can BREATHE and LOWER HIS FRIGGIN BLOOD PRESSURE.
Somebody needs a tenderfoot time-out, I guess. Look for a happier Sean-line to debut early next year.
Sean "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Davis