Any of you all who work in health care, or are a consumer of health care, are probably familiar with the process of trying to get a greedy goddamn health insurance provider to approve a drug that is not their first choice in their formulary. This involves what we in the biz call a "prior auth."
After four go-rounds with an insurance company that shall remain nameless, trying to get a drug the patient is *already on and doing well with* approved and which culminated in a suggestion from the insurance people that he try THIS instead of THAT, my boss just faxed them a letter that said (paraphrasing slightly): "I do not agree that [drug name] is an appropriate treatment for this patient. If you, however, would like to take over his care and treatment, I would be very happy to forward all his records to you. Sincerely yours." Then a four line signature listing all his board certifications.
I am not sure any of these people who work in the Prior Authorization departments of major health insurance companies are smart or self-aware enough to recognize heavy sarcasm when they read it, but *we* all LOL'd. Laugh is the best medicine, peeps!
xoxo
2 comments:
Speaking from the Dark Side, my employer does try to listen to physicians. Having one (and 2 nurses) on the payroll helps. No bean counters need apply.
You know what I find ironic? (Or perhaps infuriating?) So now it's illegal for the pharmaceutical reps to give us so much as some free pens, a pad of sticky notes, or a tuna sandwich lunch, just in case the docs are somehow then subconsciously swayed to prescribe their drugs and thus make money for the drug companies. That would be BAD. But OTOH it's perfectly FINE for the insurance companies to outright tell them what drugs they can't prescribe and thus (help) make money for the insurance companies. It makes no sense to me.
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