Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
One thing I haven't noticed in this thread is something that should be made known. Where I live (and I assume it's in other states too), doctors, pharmacists,and dentists have the ability to access a database that lists all your prescriptions, the doctor that wrote them, and the pharmacy where they were filled.
If that information is available to anyone who writes you a script, I would think the insurance company (right or wrong) has the right to notify the doctors involved.
I don't know, personally I think this somehow doesn't sound right to me. If others know about a common database and "sharing" of patients information, I would like to hear about it. I think our personal private information may not be so private as we would like to think. Anyone read George Orwell's "1984"?
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
I am new to the whole pain management procedures. I have posted on the spinal board and the pain managment. I posted once about how mad I was that my pharmacist contacted my doctor saying I was receiving pain medication from 2 doctors. A prescription of darvacet that I received, made me sick, so I never took it. Then I was referred to a Neurosurgeon, who prescribed me loratab. No one knew the whole story but me & my neuro. Like I said, I'm new to all of this. I, never in a million years, would have thought that there is such a big deal about a few pills. I've been educated real quick!! I called my pharmacist and explained the whole thing to him. Since then I haven't had a problem. I never knew the extent of abuse that goes on with these pain pills. It makes it hard for people that really need them. I hope things work out for you.
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
Hi,sorry to hear your delema! Just wondering,did you sign a opiate contract? I had to,and when I went to the E.R in the past,I had to refuse pain med. because of the contract[which states-you cannot accept any opiates what soever from another doctor] maybe your insurance thought[if you didn't] you were under the contract,and broke it?
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
My health insurance is through Cigna and I was poking around on their web site this morning. I found a press release from just last week announcing a new, more intensive monitoring system of its members who use narcotic analgesics. While the example they gave of the type of patient they hope to catch with this new program of theirs was pretty extreme, the issue does concern me that by tightening their controls they may end up interfering in the care of legitimate patients.
Also, if Cigna is taking a look at this issue, I'm sure other major insurers are too. All the more reason to be careful! Only accept pain medications from the one provider who should be caring for your chronic pain condition. Also, pick one pharmacy and use only them. By consolidating your own care like that, you will be protecting yourself from unwarranted suspicions.
__________________
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How charged with punishment the scroll.
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul."
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
Laenini, I read the same newsbreif as I have Cigna also. I can see it now, them notifying our employers of use of narcotics while on the job. I just forsee trouble ahead. I'm not sure if thats leagal for them to do that or not. But thanks to the guy that they referenced about abusing and the other abusers, crap like this is going to happen. Hope you have a nice weekend! Mud...
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
Hi Madhatter: You brought up something interesting that really confuses me and I hope you can clarify. Before I ask you a question, I hope the OP comes back, I'm starting to worry what happened?
I see a pain mgt doc and I don't remember signing a opiate contract, but maybe I did; but are you saying, if I was in an accident and was sent to the ER, they couldn't give me pain meds? Or are you saying that if I went to the ER for pain (no recent injury or emergency surgery), and I asked them to write an rx they couldn't do that and I'm not suppose to ask either? How would the ER know I signed a contract?
I've never been to an ER, so hopefully I'll never have to get an rx there, but is that what your saying?
I've had several surgeries after starting with my pain mgt doc and of course the hospital gave me pain meds post op. Obviously this is new to me
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
Desertbloom,
I signed a contract with my pm and to my understanding i am not allowed to ask or receive scripts from other doctors. I believe the ER would be different if you were receiving meds as an inpatient care situation. I think the contract states something more to the effect that you will only seek treatment for your pain from your pain doc. For instance you can't go to your primary and ask for additional meds for pain. I hope this somewhat answers your question. After my surgery i did receive minimal meds from the hospital to take home but before i filled them i called the doc to ask....If a person is honest and upfront with the doc everything will be fine. Another situation i had was that i got refered to a different pain clinic for a discogram and when i was about to leave they were going to write me a script for pain but i had the responsibility to tell them that i was under contract with my other doctor.
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Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
OMG, this just happened to me this week with Cigna.
I will try and make this short. In January my PCP decided to take over my pain meds. I was with a pain doctor for over 8 years.
Anyway, my PCP wanted to change me to Avinza, well the conversion was WAY off and I went into withdrawals, I guess this scared her and she wanted me back in pain management ASAP.
I went to my appointment with my pain doctor. After signing in, the receptionist announced in front of a full lobby of patients and said "You have been dissmissed from this practice". I was so mortified and embarassed, I started to cry. The office manager took me in the back room to explain what happened. Apparently, CIGNA wrote a letter to pain doctor telling him I was getting my meds from PCP. No big deal, that was true. But, I WAS NOT getting meds from both doctors at the same time.
I am so upset now, because I need to be back in Pain Management and feel like I will be "blacklisted". Does that happen? I live in Florida and I have never been this scared before. Am I going to have a hard time now trying to get pain doctor??? I feel Cigna invaded my privacy!!! I can understand if I was getting meds from different doctors at the same time but, this is ridiculous.
I am now past due for refill on my Duragesic and going through withdrawals because of this crap. My PCP agreed to Rx a 30 day supply until I get into a new pain doctor but, its a holiday weekend and I am so screwed.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Take care,
Cpapp31
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
Hi dub1: Thanks for the explanation. I can see that you couldn't get meds from more than 1 dr. but I thought the op was suggesting that you couldn't get meds inpatient either!!
I had surgery twice while seeing my pm, and when they offered post op meds for home, I told them I didn't need them, because I didn't. Anyway, I hope I never have any probs like some of the others.
Hi cpapp: I hope you get this straightened out, it doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. Maybe if you got your claims papers showing the dates of the rx's it would help to have proof in black and white. I know my insurance has a web page where you can print all of your claims with the pharmacy, dr, date, rx, etc on it. Maybe that would help. Sorry I don't know more about how all this works.
Thanks for the info dub and good luck cpapp and the original poster (sorry forgot your name).
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
HOLY CUPCAKES!
This is rediculous...Im so glad that this thread go started though, because IM looking around for different insurance, and Ill steer clear of Cigna. But unfortunatley Im afraid big brother is watching us all and it wont be long before all of them are doing it
deleted: inappropriate
xoxoxoxox,
IZZY'SMOM
Last edited by Administrator; 05-07-2008 at 04:17 PM.
Reason: inappropriate political comment
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
Man, oh Man!
Several people have mentioned it in various ways. I don't like the idea of "being watched". I guess I'm just paranoid.
Cpapp31, I live in Florida, too. The last time I looked (which was a while ago), we didn't have a Prescription Monitoring System--as I think they are called. AND...What makes this so weird for me is that I do everything "right". I use one doctor. I use the same pharmacy. I would rather lick the bottom of my shoe before going to the ER. NONETHELESS, THIS WHOLE THING IRRITATES ME. I know that I am just letting it worry me, but I get the feeling that it could lead to other things!!
I have very good insurance for the most part. My insurance company is Principal, and the Rx portion is always listed as "Advanced PCS" (through Principal, I assume). I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I pay $10 for a month's worth of generic medications. The only medicine I use that is not generic is Vytorin (for lipid stuff).
Again, the idea of this communication is bothersome. CPAPP31, THE IMMATURE PART OF ME WISHES YOU WOULD HAVE PLACED THAT RECEPTIONIST IN SERIOUS NEED OF HER OWN PAIN MANAGEMENT!! There is no reason for that behavior. If there was any problem, the office manager should have taken you back--before the receptionist made the scene--and asked you about the situation. After all, many of us have the innocent need to visit multiple doctors.
I'm not on a pain contract of any kind, but my pharmacist would eye me sort of funny if I walked in with too many opiate Rx's. Do you understand what I mean? Plus, my insurance would immediately let any pharmacy know about any OTHER pharmacy. When I had to get something filled while out-of-town (in a different state), the pharmacy questioned me about the medicines I just had filled prior to traveling. They said the Rx insurance cross-referrenced medications.
I'll say it one last time...I don't like the whole idea of the computerized big brother. I'll have to put a thicker amount of aluminum foil in my windows. That's what protects us, right? (I'm kidding, of course. If I'm not, please commit me.)
Finally, where on earth is letthatsinkin? I hope everything is OK with him! After all, we need an update.
Sincerely,
Jon (Conductor)
P.S. IZZY'SMOM...I really hope that cup cakes are HOLY. That would give me a religious reason to ingest them in large quantities!
Last edited by conductor; 05-27-2007 at 05:06 PM.
Reason: Adding P.S.
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
Hi jon...
I wanted to say Holy ****, but i would have gotten the boot!
And for you Cpapp I would have probably given that receptionist her own need for PAIN MGMNT...What a B*tch. and to think she works in a PM office. Hoe she gets a b*TT ache that doesnt ever go away. Ppl like that annoy me to no end.
xoxoxoxox,
IZZY'SMOM
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
Conductor: Florida may not be far behind on the PMP train. I live in CA, and even if you do everything right, you can have a very hard time finding someone to treat your legit pain. CA is testing the real time monitoring, to cut down on the fraud etc. but I know in the end the patients who need treatment will somehow be adversely affected. You can not find more than a couple of drs that will write rx's for narcotics, and if you find one it's limited to a month of treatment post op, at that point you are forced to find a pm, in an area where there weren't any until a year ago (where I live) we now have 2 drs for this with a population of over 100,000.
Re: Insurance wrote letter, now doctor wont write scripts
For Conductor (and anyone else who may be interested!)
"Advance PCS" is the name of a Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) company. Most medical insurance companies do not administer their own pharmacy benefit program. Instead, they hire a company that specializes in the provision of pharmacy benefits in a cost effective manner. Principal must be the name of the medical portion of your insurance, while Advance PCS is the name of the pharmacy portion. Other large PBM companies include: Express Scripts, Goldnet, Argus, Merck Medco, Med Impact, and many, many others. PBM's control the purse strings and collect all the data. In my opinion they are the "Big Brother" of the pharmacy world and to make things even scarier most consumers don't even know they exists. Anyone who uses their pharmacy benefit on a regular basis should learn a little more about these incredibly powerful organizations.
__________________
"It matters not how straight the gait
How charged with punishment the scroll.
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul."
