Insurance Update
I know not all of you are interested in all my insurance/cochlear implant mess. For all y'all, there's an update and pictures underneath this post :) For those of y'all that are interested, here's the latest:
I was told when I had my evaluations that I should hear from my insurance within 30 days, approving or denying my cochlear implant. As if that wasn't long enough for me (impatient, you know) the thirty days have now passed, and I've heard nothing. I wasn't expecting THAT. I e-mailed both of the surgery coordinaters from my surgeon's office on July 25th asking them if they knew anything about the current status of my claim, and heard nothing from either of them. I e-mailed my audiologist on Friday, and she said she'd check into it.
I went to my CI meeting on Saturday, and several folks asked what the current status was on my implant. I told them that I was waiting on insurance, and they suggested that I start investigating to see exactly what insurance had, what they needed, and who needed to get what to them, so they could process my claim. So....
Last night I went to BCBS's website and found a "contact us" link. I e-mailed them telling that I thought I would have heard something by now, but that I had heard nothing, and asked them if they needed me to help them in any way...perhaps there was a paper somewhere that they needed? or a phone number? Was there anything I could do to move things along?
This is the e-mail I got from BCBS this morning at about 7:30. One thing I can say about 'em....at the moment, they're on the ball :)
This is in response to your e-mail concerning the status of your
Predetermination for a Cochlear Implant.
As of today, 08/08/2006, a Predetermination has not been received.
The normal review time is 14-21 days. Once the review has been
completed, a letter will be mailed out to you stating whether the
service has been approved or denied.
Please ask your doctor to submit your records to BlueCross
BlueShield so we can start this process for you.
Oy! They're waiting on something from the doctor's office, and they haven't done anything at all towards my pre-approval!!! Only problem is I don't know which doctor, or where, so this morning I e-mailed 'em all. I have already heard back from my surgeon...he said that he is getting his staff busy working on it. I like that man :) I didn't notice until just now that when he replied to me, he CC:d his reply to his two surgery coordinators...the two that I e-mailed July 25th. Perhaps NOW I'll get a reply.
Am I upset? Uh...well....I don't know. I had been checking the BCBS website, and there is a section there for "pre-approvals and referrals". I figured that there should have been something there about the implant, but there was nothing. I've been checking it for several days now, and nada. So I kind of figured that there was a holdup somewhere...I just didn't know exactly where the holdup was. So the e-mails will continue. They will be polite and friendly, but they will continue, until I get my approval (however long that takes). If I have to hold somebody's hand all the way through this thing, I'll do it. I'm just not patient enough to sit back and wait. I want to see some results. Sometimes you just gotta do the thing yourself :) Keep the good thoughts and prayers coming. I need 'em all! :)
I was told when I had my evaluations that I should hear from my insurance within 30 days, approving or denying my cochlear implant. As if that wasn't long enough for me (impatient, you know) the thirty days have now passed, and I've heard nothing. I wasn't expecting THAT. I e-mailed both of the surgery coordinaters from my surgeon's office on July 25th asking them if they knew anything about the current status of my claim, and heard nothing from either of them. I e-mailed my audiologist on Friday, and she said she'd check into it.
I went to my CI meeting on Saturday, and several folks asked what the current status was on my implant. I told them that I was waiting on insurance, and they suggested that I start investigating to see exactly what insurance had, what they needed, and who needed to get what to them, so they could process my claim. So....
Last night I went to BCBS's website and found a "contact us" link. I e-mailed them telling that I thought I would have heard something by now, but that I had heard nothing, and asked them if they needed me to help them in any way...perhaps there was a paper somewhere that they needed? or a phone number? Was there anything I could do to move things along?
This is the e-mail I got from BCBS this morning at about 7:30. One thing I can say about 'em....at the moment, they're on the ball :)
This is in response to your e-mail concerning the status of your
Predetermination for a Cochlear Implant.
As of today, 08/08/2006, a Predetermination has not been received.
The normal review time is 14-21 days. Once the review has been
completed, a letter will be mailed out to you stating whether the
service has been approved or denied.
Please ask your doctor to submit your records to BlueCross
BlueShield so we can start this process for you.
Oy! They're waiting on something from the doctor's office, and they haven't done anything at all towards my pre-approval!!! Only problem is I don't know which doctor, or where, so this morning I e-mailed 'em all. I have already heard back from my surgeon...he said that he is getting his staff busy working on it. I like that man :) I didn't notice until just now that when he replied to me, he CC:d his reply to his two surgery coordinators...the two that I e-mailed July 25th. Perhaps NOW I'll get a reply.
Am I upset? Uh...well....I don't know. I had been checking the BCBS website, and there is a section there for "pre-approvals and referrals". I figured that there should have been something there about the implant, but there was nothing. I've been checking it for several days now, and nada. So I kind of figured that there was a holdup somewhere...I just didn't know exactly where the holdup was. So the e-mails will continue. They will be polite and friendly, but they will continue, until I get my approval (however long that takes). If I have to hold somebody's hand all the way through this thing, I'll do it. I'm just not patient enough to sit back and wait. I want to see some results. Sometimes you just gotta do the thing yourself :) Keep the good thoughts and prayers coming. I need 'em all! :)
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