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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 3:45:54
... $75 for 30, my insurance dropped it from their approved list of sleep aids, grumble grumble grumble. makes every little pill precious as gold...
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Posted by Dinah on July 14, 2002, at 9:38:59
In reply to only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 3:45:54
That should put the monsters to sleep. Darn insurance companies. I do hope it works for you.
And very pleased to make your acquaintance too, Tabitha. :)
Unless of course we have met before, in which case I apologize for my absolutely dreadful memory.
Posted by terra miller on July 14, 2002, at 11:48:24
In reply to only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 3:45:54
did you sleep in this morning? if i take my dose that late, i'm sure to be sleepy into noon.... kind of a catch 22 isn't it... i was up that late last night, too.
why did they drop it, do you know?
i have had it up to my eyeballs with my insurance company... they dropped my hospital of choice, which happens to be the only hospital my pdoc admits to...... and my pdoc isn't covered anymore either. i'm could just scream!
terra
Posted by ctrlaltndel on July 14, 2002, at 11:49:15
In reply to only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 3:45:54
I paid for my pills from another patient's spare stash from hospital ..my doc would go crazy...hold on...he is crazy.
Posted by bookgurl99 on July 14, 2002, at 12:03:27
In reply to only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 3:45:54
Did they say why they dropped ambien? I thought it was quite mild . . .
could you try ativan, then? it's helped me sleep without building up much resistance.
Posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 16:51:57
In reply to Re: only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by bookgurl99 on July 14, 2002, at 12:03:27
> Did they say why they dropped ambien? I thought it was quite mild . . .
>
> could you try ativan, then? it's helped me sleep without building up much resistance.Haven't called em yet, cause I've got no privacy at my office (another peeve), but I'm guessing it's just the price. There's probably some dreadful circa 1959 sleeping pill that costs ten cents a pop and has the unfortunate side effect of 48 hours of diahrrea that they'll want me to take instead.
Ativan is a thought. I didn't know it was a sleep aid-- I used to have some for anxiety. My whole problem is just that my mind starts up late at night and I can't shut it off.
Posted by paxvox on July 14, 2002, at 20:22:53
In reply to only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 3:45:54
You know, that really PISSES ME OFF!!!! As MY insurance company has done the same for Ambien as well as other sleep meds (mine cost $85 at the CVS). They sent me the nice little letter telling me I must be some sort of drug addict, and that THEY were only trying to comply with FDA guidelines on hypnotics for insomnia. I guess there have been too many TV commercials for Ambien that it has become "all the rage". Good thing I don't have a terminal illness, my insurance company would probably send me a letter concered about my addiction to Oxycontin!
PAX
Still miffed!
Posted by paxvox on July 14, 2002, at 20:25:47
In reply to Re: only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 16:51:57
Oh, that's the irony. If my Pdoc scribed me 20 mg of Valium or 2 of Xanax, that would be just fine, as long as he didn't say "for sleep" on his script. Of course, those are available in cheaper generics, whereas Ambien is not as yet.
PAX
Posted by bookgurl99 on July 14, 2002, at 21:59:02
In reply to Re: only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 16:51:57
>> Ativan is a thought. I didn't know it was a sleep aid-- I used to have some for anxiety.
Ativan might be able to help with it, even tho' I think it's 'technically' not a sleep aid.
Since you're problem is a hyperactive mind, have you tried meditation or breathing exercises?
Posted by tabitha on July 14, 2002, at 23:27:29
In reply to Re: only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by bookgurl99 on July 14, 2002, at 21:59:02
thanks, yes I've been doing my meditation before bed, I've also tried doing it in bed, but those whirling thoughts have too much energy.
I've always been a nite owl, it seems I sleep fine just not as early as I want. Have been trying melatonin, as I read that can reset your internal clock. Mixed results so far.
Posted by fachad on July 15, 2002, at 10:15:19
In reply to hoping mine doesn't drop it.... » tabitha, posted by terra miller on July 14, 2002, at 11:48:24
> why did they (insurance) drop it (Ambien), do you know?
>
> i have had it up to my eyeballs with my insurance company...You can be sure they dropped it because it costs too much.
If your care costs more than your premiums, they are losing money on you, and they are in the business to make money.
Posted by paxvox on July 15, 2002, at 20:35:13
In reply to Re: hoping mine doesn't drop it....Insurance $$$, posted by fachad on July 15, 2002, at 10:15:19
DING!
Posted by fachad on July 15, 2002, at 21:13:33
In reply to Re: only 2AM, I'm taking an Ambien, for which I paid.., posted by bookgurl99 on July 14, 2002, at 12:03:27
Your post got me going and I did a long post over at PSB on Insurance issues. Here's the Link:
Insurance, Profitability, Utilization, Profiling
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020709/msgs/112416.html
> Did they say why they dropped ambien? I thought it was quite mild . . .
>
> could you try ativan, then? it's helped me sleep without building up much resistance.
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 16, 2002, at 10:56:34
[from http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020709/msgs/112416.html]
> I saw some posts over at social babble on some insurance not covering Ambien, and I just felt the need to enlighten the board to the awful truth about health insurance, especially as it relates to employer provided group plans. There is a lot more to this story than I could post on PSB, but here are the highlights.
>
> Your employer may provide health insurance for employees. In order for them to get quotes for this, you have to have each person that wants to be on the group plan fill out a questionnaire with their health problems, any regular meds, etc.
>
> There are so many things wrong with this I can't believe it really happens. First, are you pleased that the HR staff of your employer knows your medical history, and your medications? That seems like an invasion of privacy.
>
> Also, it means that if you have a "sickly" person on your staff, everyone has to pay more out of each paycheck for their health insurance. I joked to my business partner that we should hire only very healthy athletes until after we get a good quote for cheap insurance. I was only kidding, but an unethical company could (secretly, of course) terminate employees if their medical problems were jacking up the health insurance rates.
>
> But that would only work for one year, because the insurance companies do "utilization reviews" to determine the next year's premiums. They look to see how many claims were made, and how much it cost them. Then they adjust the rates for that group to be high enough for them to make money the next year. They actually look at how much each person cost.
>
> If an employer asks, why have our rates for our health insurance increased 200% since last year, they (some insurance agent) can actually point out that Joe's wife is on Zyprexa, and that s*** costs big $$$. And Jane's husband needed back surgery, and god knows back patients are second only to psych patients for needing ongoing expensive care...
>
> It's the same as auto insurance - if you get tickets and have wrecks, your rates go up. But in the case of an employer provided group health plan, if any one person gets sick or needs meds, EVERYONES costs go up. If the guy in the next cube is a smoker, and gets cancer, next year you won't be able to afford your company health insurance.
>
> Your employer can dodge this practice, called "profiling", by switching health insurance companies each year, but that's a huge hassle to people.
>
> Because the cost of the company provided plan was so high a few years ago, we almost decided we could no longer afford it.
>
> So my wife and I tried to get self pay health insurance. First they told us $600 per month per person, but only if we "got off" certain meds. Then they came back and said that due to our medical history, they could not offer us health insurance, at any price, as private individuals. The only chance of us getting insurance was through a group plan, where our high utilization could be offset by someone else's low utilization.
>
> But the group health insurance costs so much that the business can barely afford to pay its part, and the employees can barely afford to pay their part.
>
> So I am now in a position where I may end up on the street corner holding a cardboard sign that says “Will Work for Health Insurance”.
Posted by Dr. Bob on August 2, 2002, at 14:13:13
In reply to Insurance, Profitability, Utilization... « fachad , posted by Dr. Bob on July 16, 2002, at 10:56:34
Medical non privacy - VERY IMPORTANT!!
Posted by no longer naive on August 1, 2002, at 15:25:43
In reply to http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020709/msgs/112416.html> This is long, but you need to read it to the conclusion. I've found out some horrifying info about how unsafe our medical records are. I speak from experience and only followed the trail because of circumstance and necessity. Those forms you sign to apply for a job, a bank account, an insurance policy usually 'require' an authorization for medical records 'just in case'. I found out some chilling truths by looking at my med records and by talking to others that medical records contain information that point to where to find your psychatric records, your tax info, police records, DUII records, alcoholism treatment 'secrets', and other stuff you wouldn't want to get into many hands. How do you think insurance and other companies get copies of your records? You authorize them to do so and they send clerks from Kinko's and other copy services to rifle through your records, make photocopies, which then pass hands many many times on down the line. These days you can buy info on just about anyone over the internet. How do you think this info gets into so many hands? Well, copy service clerks can make a little extra on the side by selling this information. And they do. Just consider how many hands have handled your 'private' files by just doing routine filing? Then think how many examine them more closely for any number of reasons. Do you think a juicy tidbit doesn't get recounted, and your name and SSN are all over these tidbits. You have no say whatsoever what happens to your info and who can use it because you have legally signed over your privacy rights.
>
> In my records were verbatim conversations I had with my primary care doc and my pdoc obviously spoken into a recorder and then transcribed by a transcriptionist for the report. So right there is another layer of those who have seen my medical data. Also an eye opener was what my docs had to say about me! A psych I was seeing for weeks was very obviously not even listening to me. My history was totally inaccurate. If for no other reason, check out your records to see what they really think about you.
>
> I've heard stories about kids diagnosed with behaviour problems and then growing out of them being stymied at every turn for scholarships, even though they were honor students. Why? because the parents had signed a 'just in case' authorization and schools dug in there to find out that little Johnny had bit a classmate 5 years earlier, and oh, by the way, dad had a bit of an alcohol problem he sought counseling for. And yep, right there was social security info and the authorization to get tax info. You see, the so called medical authorizations you sign also in fine print say things like 'and related records' which is easy to miss, especially when a potential employer is sitting there tapping their fingers and looking at their watch.
>
> An attorney told me, always, always, always take the time to read before signing even if you have to use a telescope to read the print. If something doesn't feel right, don't scratch out and mark up the form, it will only raise a red flag. Instead say something like 'gee, I'd like to take this home and maybe talk to my lawyer. With all the information theft going on, you just can't be too careful these days.' Smile a bit sheepishly and then go home and rewrite the form, sign it and usually the clerk will just say, 'duh, OK' just as long as they can check off their required forms checklist.
>
> If you've already signed away your life (I kid you not, folks), write a letter to all your doctors, and to your managed care facility, hospital, etc. stating that you revoke any and all prior contracts and authorizations and any requests for records cannot be released without specific authorization from you. This way you can head them off at the pass, release only info that you deem fit, and you'll know who is prying.
>
> You'd be amazed a the bills that have slipped through signed by our dear Prez's allowing access to our records 'for security reasons'. Terrorism is definitely a reality, but we're all handing over our rights and privacy without a second thought to assure our safety, or so we're promised. Well guess what - there is no safety, at least not any that our crooked government can provide. Be aware that you are paying a high price for your medical coverage. All covered expenses open the doors to your private life. Whenever you think you're getting something for free or for a good price, like some nice insurance company paying for your health care, ask yourself the question 'who is benefitting here?' In other words, follow the money. Yours truly, from someone who is a former trusting soul to one who is no longer naive.
>
>----
Re: Medical non privacy - VERY IMPORTANT!!
Posted by cybercafe on August 2, 2002, at 2:24:06
In reply to Medical non privacy - VERY IMPORTANT!!, posted by no longer naive on August 1, 2002, at 15:25:43> ... cool, how can i look up other people's info on the internet? ...
>
> ... i want to find an employer who suffers from depression...
This is the end of the thread.
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