Follow The Money

Amazing how the phone ringing late at night or early in the morning is ten times louder than during the day. It sends a shock wave through me and I find I am holding my breath as I check the caller ID. When I see that it is her, I exhale even as my heart drops. Oh dear, what now? I’m sure there’s going to be something new to deal with every day from this point forward.

This morning, at 7:30 sharp, she has a question. Yesterday she received a letter from the insurance company that provides her medicines inquiring who had pulled the plug on the meds she has been ordering faithfully for more than a decade. My husband told her to list her primary care doctor’s name because he did, indeed, determine that she didn’t need the BP or the diuretic or the cholesterol med. These meds prescribed for her years ago by a cardiologist after her heart by-pass were probably contributing to her constant dizziness. This dizziness went away right after she stopped taking them, so, apparently the doc knew what he was doing.

But, consider this, the INSURANCE COMPANY wants to know WHO told her she doesn’t need the meds anymore.

Let's back up a bit. A month ago, or so, she reordered her typical 3 month supply. They come by mail. I remember her fretting about checking her mailbox because she was expecting the order. Weeks later, after the doctor pulled the plug on the meds and the Home Health nurse did her evaluation and noted the meds had been suspended, we were helping her bring in groceries. Suddenly she opened up a lower cabinet and pointed out that she had no idea where the extra meds had come from. There were several boxes, equivalent to 3 months supplies in each.

Last week she was telling me again that she had no idea where those additional meds came from. I offered that perhaps she had forgotten and ordered them again. She couldn’t confirm that but she added that the insurance company had double charged her one month.

She still did not get it. She didn’t connect the double order in her cabinet with the double charge on her credit card. That’s when I suggested that perhaps she should notify her insurance company that she was no longer on those meds in case she forgets she isn’t taking them and orders them again.

The insurance company wants to know who cancelled her meds but they didn’t question the double order and the additional recent order? So, the only thing they check up on is when it impacts their revenue?

Sometimes the fog lifts, just briefly, and I get a glimpse of the ugly underbelly of the beast that runs us. The pharmaceuticals and those with very specific special interests have more power over us now than we can even imagine.

Three words: follow the money.