The nonsensical application of insurance of any kind always sparks fury in me and a recent trip to the pharmacy rekindled that rage.
My doctor prescribed a new medicine. The pharmacy wouldn’t fill it because it needed “preauthorization,” a word too many people have learned these days. Basically, the insurance company tells the pharmacy to call the doctor so they can call the insurance company to send a form to the doctor who sends it back to the pharmacy.
First off, why isn’t the prescription itself not enough authorization. It’s not like I wandered in off the street and ordered a round of Xanax with Oxy chasers. My primary care physician said, “My patient needs this medicine.” That should be enough. Without insurance, the medicine runs about $400.
So, the pharmacy wasn’t going to fill it without this hall pass from the insurance principal. I started to leave when my wife reminded me to check Good Rx, a free coupon app. I opened the app, which I didn’t even have to log into if I didn’t want to (and I didn’t), and found a coupon code to get my $400 prescription for $24 without insurance.
So I bought it.
That leads me to my next brain-numbing question. If I can do basically nothing and get it for $24, why isn’t it priced at $24?!
That is all. I don’t want to go on a full tirade, but I just get so angry knowing there are likely thousands of Americans filing bankruptcy daily because of medical bills and insurance snags so hundreds of people can stay obscenely wealthy.