Tonya Update
Welcome to Day 19,
Today was a complete fiasco. We found out that Tonya's pain pump alarm is going to go off tomorrow (Tues.). This is a must do to get filled up. Now comes the good part. We had to figure out a way to get the pump refilled and allow Tonya to be able to come back to the hospital. My suggestion was for Tonya to go to Huntsville by ambulance, even if I had to pay out of my own pocket, so she could get this done and return to her hospital room.
First of all, I contacted a friend of mine at Anniston Rescue and told him the delima. He said since Tonya was in the hospital already and needed a care item that was a necessity and was not provided at that hospital the ambulance ride would have to be absorbed by the hospital. He then contacted an administrator at the hospital and the warped ball began rolling.
Of course then a case manager had to contact Blue Cross and okay things. Several hours rocked on and the case manager told Tonya after about 3 hours they were still waiting on Blue Cross to contact them back. Tonya called a Blue Cross rep and talked to someone, who in turn talked to their supervisor, who said, since there is not another facility closer that provides that service Blue Cross will pay for the transfer by ambulance there and back.
The case manager came back in around 330 and said Blue Cross will only pay if you are admitted to another hospital.
I think this is the hospitals way of saying , we are not absorbing the cost of an ambulance ride to Huntsville and back. So now, get this and listen closely. Tonya has to be discharged from Stringfellow on Tuesday, go to Huntsville and get the pump filled, then come back to Stringfellow to be readmitted. All in the same day. Of course the central line that the surgeon has put in will have to come out and then be replaced again when she comes back. Now do you understand why I said earlier the ball was warped?
If anyone knows of someone who works at Blue Cross in a high up position, please let me know a name and number so I can call and ask some questions. I would like to know what brainless boob comes up with these hairbrained ideas. It seems insurance companies work very hard to get out of paying for something but boy you better not miss one premium or you won't have coverage for long.
That's about all my rant for now. Oh, one other thing. The infection control doc said this morning that all cultures are coming back negative so they are now checking for auto immune diseases, like lupus and so forth. They sent out a butt load of blood work over the weekend. I still don't know what we are going to do about the fever. Maybe we will know more after this scan on Thursday.
Blue Cross. What a joke.
Until tomorrow,
Brian
Today was a complete fiasco. We found out that Tonya's pain pump alarm is going to go off tomorrow (Tues.). This is a must do to get filled up. Now comes the good part. We had to figure out a way to get the pump refilled and allow Tonya to be able to come back to the hospital. My suggestion was for Tonya to go to Huntsville by ambulance, even if I had to pay out of my own pocket, so she could get this done and return to her hospital room.
First of all, I contacted a friend of mine at Anniston Rescue and told him the delima. He said since Tonya was in the hospital already and needed a care item that was a necessity and was not provided at that hospital the ambulance ride would have to be absorbed by the hospital. He then contacted an administrator at the hospital and the warped ball began rolling.
Of course then a case manager had to contact Blue Cross and okay things. Several hours rocked on and the case manager told Tonya after about 3 hours they were still waiting on Blue Cross to contact them back. Tonya called a Blue Cross rep and talked to someone, who in turn talked to their supervisor, who said, since there is not another facility closer that provides that service Blue Cross will pay for the transfer by ambulance there and back.
The case manager came back in around 330 and said Blue Cross will only pay if you are admitted to another hospital.
I think this is the hospitals way of saying , we are not absorbing the cost of an ambulance ride to Huntsville and back. So now, get this and listen closely. Tonya has to be discharged from Stringfellow on Tuesday, go to Huntsville and get the pump filled, then come back to Stringfellow to be readmitted. All in the same day. Of course the central line that the surgeon has put in will have to come out and then be replaced again when she comes back. Now do you understand why I said earlier the ball was warped?
If anyone knows of someone who works at Blue Cross in a high up position, please let me know a name and number so I can call and ask some questions. I would like to know what brainless boob comes up with these hairbrained ideas. It seems insurance companies work very hard to get out of paying for something but boy you better not miss one premium or you won't have coverage for long.
That's about all my rant for now. Oh, one other thing. The infection control doc said this morning that all cultures are coming back negative so they are now checking for auto immune diseases, like lupus and so forth. They sent out a butt load of blood work over the weekend. I still don't know what we are going to do about the fever. Maybe we will know more after this scan on Thursday.
Blue Cross. What a joke.
Until tomorrow,
Brian
posted by LCDR William S. Fortner, USN (RET). | 10:38 PM
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