Not Listening
Excuse me for a tiny moment while I vent some frustration. A nurse just called me back. I HATE dealing with these damn nurses on the phone.
Basically, she said so-and-so has talked to your insurance multiple times… blah blah blah…. and repeated everything I already fricking know about my coverage. I SAID THAT in my voicemail. I ALSO SAID that I JUST TALKED TO the insurance people who confirmed the $1500 limit. Which apparently falls on deaf ears. Because the nurse basically said to talk to so-and-so. Great. Fabulous. Do you listen to my messages at all?? Or do you just call me back?? Seriously??
She did say however that injectible cycles can cost “between two and four thousand dollars.” Obviously she didn’t take the time to look up the protocol that I was given. They even phoned it in to the pharmacy. I guess I’ll have to call the pharmacy to find out how much it will come to.
However it’s looking more and more like I’m going to have to cancel the injectables cycle to save that money for IVF.
Fabulous. I hate how “helpful” the damn nurses are. ARGGGHHH.
OK, here’s the deal. The nurse, unfortunately, is right. Meds are SO expensive. For my injects cycle the follistim alone was $1500, though I didn’t use it all. Basically it runs about $1 per unit, and for an IVF cycle, you can guesstimate that the lower limit you will need is 150U/day for 10 days. You may stim faster, so 8 days, or you may be a low responder and need 250U or more per day. So factor in $1500 for the follistim. Lupron is about $450 for two weeks. Ovidrel, for the trigger, is about $125. Progesterone in oil is probably about $100, and BCP is maybe $30. So that adds up to over 2K already, and that’s if you don’t need more than the lower limit of follistim.
You can get meds cheaper overseas, but most insurance companies won’t reimburse for that.
I just don’t want you to pass out when you call the pharmacy :)
Good luck!
Thanks SO MUCH for that!! That helps a lot. And yes, it will prevent me from passing out when I call. LOL
OK. First off. You hate dealing with “those damn nurses on the phone”? Here’s a newsflash for ya! They HATE dealing with you on the phone!
Next. Why would you ask a CLINICAL NURSE about costs? Doesn’t your RE’s office have a billing department? ‘Cause here is another newsflash for ya, SHE DOESN’T WORK IN BILLING. So why would she know the costs and details of your insurance?
Third. The nurse probably was well aware of your “protocol”. However, she cannot give you a dollar figure for the meds BECAUSE everyone stims differently. So you have never done an injectibles cycle. How can she predict whether you will start at 150 IU and stay there for 9 days, or will you be a poor responder and get bumped up to 300 IU BID and do that for 14 days….. You seem like the inflexible type that would complain because “the nurse told me THIS is what it would cost”. I wouldn’t answer you either.
Finally, in your shoes…. I would do an injectible/IUI cycle before you move on to IVF. Why? Because it will give your RE some info on how you stim. Otherwise, you could waste an IVF cycle on a protocol that you might have already found out doesn’t work for you.
Good luck, and lay off the nurses. Most of us mean well and do a good job (at our own job).
K
I have always thought that the best nurse I ever knew was the only one who ever explained that all to me. Many seem to think that they have to act like they know everything, rather than just explaining that they are not xyz.
(Edited.)
Kathy, you have no clue about my clinic, the situation, the nurses. You’re reacting purely on the fact that you are a nurse. Over-reacting. Was I a little harsh? Yeah, sure. I was frustrated. I said as much. “They hate dealing with you too”? How do you know? Do you work there? Do you deal with me on the phone? I’m willing to bet the answers to all of the above would be no.
If there’s a billing department I don’t know about it. It’s pretty hard to ask someone you don’t know exists, don’t you think? You might know the ins and outs of the business – I don’t. I was told to call the nurses with any questions. If they think I would be better served by talking to someone else I would think it would be reasonable to expect they’d tell me who to talk to.
“You seem like the inflexible type that would complain because “the nurse told me THIS is what it would costâ€. I wouldn’t answer you either.” Wow. I’m not even sure what to say to that, except that you don’t know me. You know parts of me – the little parts I write. Don’t assume how I would or would not react.
If you don’t like what I write don’t read it. I stated right up front that I was venting some frustration. Take it with a grain of salt.
Kathy I know you are banned, but give me a break. I have dealt with nice nurses, but some of them can be beyotches! Maybe its lack of sleep or frazzled nerves, the blogger just wanted to get off some steam. I hope to hell you are more professional in real life than your posts, because I wouldn’t want to deal with your stank attitude either.
Hey Stacey! Don’t think either of us asked for your opinion, but thanks for coming out. Do you alway butcher the English language? My “stank attitude”, as you so aptly phrased it, is only directed at people like you. Sometimes when people are “beyotches” you should stop and look at what YOUR ATTITUDE is. Perhaps you are being a beyotch?
Best wishes.
Kathy
Please refrain from using my blog to flame. I welcome comments, even those that don’t disagree with me, however I require people to remain respectful – to me and other commentors – or the comments will be deleted.
Sorry Nat.
Yes I do butcher the english language at times. Did not want to flat out curse on your page.
:)