Saturday I noticed what appeared to be a bug bite near my left elbow. By evening to was tender, swollen and red. I told Richard that I may have to go to the ER on Sunday if it wasn't better. Woke up Sunday morning with the headache from hell. It was so bad that I was that I was crying and vomiting. The bug bite was about the same. Richard called Heather to see if she would take me to the ER. He has a real issue with hospitals. Wimp! We checked in and I was called to have my vitals taken. Oxygen level-normal, temperature-normal, blood pressure-254/125. WHAT? That can't be right, on comes a different BP cuff. Yep, 254/125. So they get a nurse and she takes it again. Still the same. I go to the waiting room and wait to be called.
They call me back and take me to one of the trauma rooms, you know the kind: right next to the nurse's station, heart monitors, automatic blood pressure cuff, etc. Okay, now I'm worried. They take my BP again the top number has gone UP a little and the bottom number is the same. The doctor comes right in and asks about it. Well, I haven't been to the doctor in almost 3 years. Since Richard lost his job of 28 years and also lost his insurance. :( They give me an IV, take vials of blood and give me 2 pills for the BP. After 4 hours it is low enough that I can go home (I was afraid that I would be admitted).
They give me 3 prescriptions. 1 for headaches, 1 for BP and an antibiotic for the infected bug bite. The ER doctor told me the antibiotic would be $4 at WalMart. Of course, the WM pharmacy was closed. We went to Walgreen's. They tried to put the new insurance through. Denied. Tried again. Denied. So the tech called and the insurance company said Richard was the only one listed (I can feel myself getting upset, again). I was not. I filled out the papers, so I know that I was on them. I asked how much without insurance. $55.00. $37.00 for the antibiotic alone. What, it's only $4 at WM. I told the tech to forget it. I would go to WM today. Well, my sister picked up the other 2 for me and told me to call a local grocery store that advertised free antibiotics. I called them this morning and YES my prescription will be FREE.
So I guess that I am wondering, why. Why is it so expensive at a national drugstore? And why is is free at a local grocery? Does that make sense to anyone?
Anyway, I am feeling some better today. Richard called the insurance co. They said they never received a copy of our marriage license (why they need that, I don't know). I mailed it myself a month or more ago.
When he gets home we are off to the grocery-pharmacy, the library for copies and the post office. Fun, not.
6 comments:
Insurance companies can be a godsend...and a pain in the ass!
Glad to hear you are feeling better though. Wonder what kind of bug it was?!
I thought our NHS was a pain, but OMG yours is incredible!!!! Hope you feel better soon.
Lots of love
XXXXXXX
Oh don't you just LOVE insurance companies???!!! NOT!! I have been having my own issues with ours, its amazing how much we have tyo pay for the premium and then still have to pay out for visits and meds!! CRAZY!!! I hope you feel better soon my friend, I can't believe how high your bp was!! Take care of yourself! :0)~Wendy
Well bless your heart! I hope you stay on top of this and take care of yourself. Get some rest and shame on those drug companies....shame on them!
What an ordeal - and we complain here! Hope you feel better soon.
No fun. No fun at all. You do need to make a trip to the shores of Lake Michigan for a little fun in the dunes. Thanks so much for coming by to visit my blog. I hope you soon have everything worked out with the insurance company!
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