Oh goodness. I think I have found my next food allergy/asthma battle. Nope, it’s on well meaning family members that still give us pistachio as gifts, un-food allergy and asthma educated teachers and coaches, poor medical care or self centered classmates. It is my insurance company and drug manufacturers. I just dropped $406.00 last night on two Epi Pen® Jrs and one regular Epi Pen® and three inhalers. I still need to purchase two more inhalers and one Epi Pen in a few weeks when those expire. I am quite grumpy about this and want to stomp on something.
I am cranky for two reasons:
- I don’t understand why my insurance company won’t cover life saving medications. Do they understand the cost of the ambulance ride and advanced services? Not to mention a life that can be lost???
- I don’t understand why the cost of Epi Pen®’s are climbing to insane rates. Hum…what ever happened to the supply and demand theory? More children have food allergies now and yet my costs have doubled since my son was first diagnosed in 2000. Why the big costs???
This is just not okay that life saving medications are so expense and unattainable for some. I am having a hard time swallowing this today. I can work these costs into my family’s budget. But what about those who can not? It is not okay that I need to rework my family’s budget so the the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies can increase their profits. This is moral unacceptable.
What I plan on doing:
I plan on calling my insurance company this week and ask them to cover my Epi Pens that must be kept at school and at home. I will contact my physician for a letter stating how many Epi Pens I must purchase annually to substantiate my request.
I plan on calling Dey, the makers of Epi Pens to ask why the prices keep going up on Epi Pens.
I plan on checking out Twinject and other auto-injectors.
What I think will actually happen:
- My insurance company will tell me to write a letter of appeal and then I’ll start a lengthy battle that might end with a credit.
- Dey will tell him their costs have risen with the new design and offer me a $20 off coupon.
- I will learn more about other alternatives and maybe make a move.
- I will look around for ways to continue to battle this out with the insurance com
Can anyone give me advice on phoning the insurance company? Has anyone else done this?
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..