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How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

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Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#171

Post by bigstrat2003 »

dhc02 wrote: post #111
MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The NHS is a failed system that absolutely nobody is envious of, except brits because for some weird reason, they seem to think that the alternative is poor people dying in the streets. Similar systems as the NHS have been introduced and subsequently canned in favor of more sane approaches in other European countries, which now have better (but still socialized) healthcare as a consequence. There is no central europe…

"The NHS is a failed system that absolutely nobody is envious of" ...except people in the US.

People in the US, by and large, aren't envious of the NHS. For most people, if they've even heard of the NHS they have a negative opinion of it.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#172

Post by francis_t_catte »

yegle wrote: post #152

I too had my bad interaction with my insurance company. Out of blue they start rejecting my doctor's prescription for a very common (and cheap) medication. It took me more than 1 month with my awesome primary care doctor's persistent to figure out that the 1000mg version of my medication is the reason it got rejected. My doctor has to prescribe the 500mg version and I simply take two pills. But no communication from…

I had a similar experience with a common, cheap medication, where my insurance started denying the prescription out of the blue. it took several weeks of back and forth with my doctor, and then a lengthy amount of time on hold with the insurance, company where the exasperated pharmacist and I were eventually told that only 15, 24, and 90 day in person pickup supplies were now covered.

my prescription was for a 30 day supply.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#173

Post by elteto »

ThrowawayTestr wrote: post #42
RecycledEle wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bingo! As someone with multiple "pre-existing conditions" who cares for a stroke survivor (my wife) and a stage 4 chronic kidney disease patient (my mother-in-law,) I suggest we do the following: 1. make private health insurance illegal 2. pass a Constitutional amendment allowing every human the unlimited and absolute right to buy, make, modify, and sell medical things including importing and exporting those items. I…

Is step 3 to eliminate the FDA? The idea of letting randos modify and sell medical devices is terrifying.

This is the typical libertarian insanity: "Regulations are bad, ergo there should be no regulations. And once we get rid of them everything will just work because somehow everyone will still abide by _some_ rules, although they are not required."

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#174

Post by coredog64 »

15155 wrote: post #92
gwd wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is worth pointing out that (at least according to the corporate training I have to take every year) this is considered illegal by the US government for a US citizen to do even not on US soil; if the Feds get wind of it and feel like making a point they could throw you in jail, even with an intermediary "fixer".

The FCPA allows "grease payments" to officials performing their official duties.

As a consultant, I have to take FCPA training an average of 3 times a year. So although I’m not a lawyer, my take is that it’s only allowed if you can point to official documentation that lays out an expedited action fee schedule.

Paying a third party is just as illegal. However, unless you’re expecting to run for Congress, nobody is going to care that you bribed some low level foreign customs agent to get your ink cartridges released.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#175

Post by silverlyra »

epgui wrote: post #48
londons_explore wrote: post #33

Please folks remember that it isn't compulsory to use a companies byzantine process. Instead, check your insurance policy wording that you are covered, spend the money on a new machine, send a single letter to the insurer asking to be reimbursed, and when they don't reimburse within 30 days file in small claims court. They'll pay. They don't want to physically show up in court or have you send bailiffs to their HQ ov…

That would be great if more than 0.2% of the population had a vague idea of how to access the legal system.

and this gets me wondering; what could we accomplish if we took 0.2% of the time we spent writing (let alone reading) internet comments, and instead used that time to engage in our state democratic processes, and help update our public school education standards to build a robust civil society!

my high school made sure I knew how to use both a band saw and a stand mixer; why not a courtroom? that's a systemic failure we could yet address

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#176

Post by philwelch »

thfuran wrote: post #66
genocidicbunny wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunate that you cannot get additional damages against them. That sort of behaviour really needs to be heavily punished -- say, forcing them to cover every single CPAP prescribed for the next year for free, with the executives having to personally pay if the company can't afford to. Byzantine processes when dealing with medical issues should be punished with Byzantine punishments.

Byzantine punishments were more along the lines of castration and facial amputation.

Reminds me of the funniest Crusader Kings bug of all time—a performance issue where the game laboriously calculated over and over again whether or not every character in the Byzantine Empire wanted to blind every other character in the Byzantine Empire.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#177

Post by y-c-o-m-b »

dralley wrote: post #85
robmccoll wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have terrible news about systems built on private health insurance (USA): it will still take 666 days to see a specialist, and you will need a referral from your PCP who may also decide they want to see you in person first. This may be its own scheduling nightmare. Then you may find out that your preferred specialist is out of network for your private insurance. The waits are a generally a supply and demand issue m…

I've never had to wait more than a month to see a specialist in the US

In the Pacific NW for me:

- Dermatologist: 5 months

- Cardiologist: 3 months

- ENT: 8 months (turned out to be a useless appointment too sadly)

According to my PCP last week, endocrinologists have stopped taking in patients that do not have urgent issues and even then it's a 6+ month wait. He said 9/10 of his referrals to endocrinologists in the last year have been denied.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#178

Post by koops »

dmazzoni wrote: post #170

I use Kaiser Permanente as my health care provider. For those who aren't aware, it's one of the few "integrated care" providers in the U.S., meaning they act as both the health insurance and health care provider. Now, Kaiser is FAR from perfect - they have their share of problems. But....this sort of nightmare is not one of them. With Kaiser, doctors are free to prescribe whatever they think is medically necessary, a…

Agreed. The best part is that you don't need to second-guess decisions wondering whether or not the course of action is better financially for the decision-maker.

Re: How to Replace Your CPAP in Only 666 Days

#180

Post by seattle_spring »

dmazzoni wrote: post #170

I use Kaiser Permanente as my health care provider. For those who aren't aware, it's one of the few "integrated care" providers in the U.S., meaning they act as both the health insurance and health care provider. Now, Kaiser is FAR from perfect - they have their share of problems. But....this sort of nightmare is not one of them. With Kaiser, doctors are free to prescribe whatever they think is medically necessary, a…

I'm a Kaiser member and have to get CPAP supplies through a company called Apria. It has been the absolute most godawful experience I've ever had dealing with a company. Worst than a thousand Comcasts. I genuinely don't understand how you could be a CPAP patient with Kaiser without dealing with Apria?
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