Switching Insurance Plans

At first, I wasn't concerned about switching off my parents' insurance plan and onto my own plan through work. However, I freaked out a little with the switch fast approaching. 

What if my current doctors aren't in network? What if my medication is no longer covered? What if I have to find new doctors and I go into a bad flare while waiting for "new patient" appointments? What if I have to find a new doctor and they want me to do a colonoscopy?

Those thoughts above are toxic. The negative and worrisome mindset is addictive and exhausting. I had to shut it down and go back to being nonchalant about the whole thing.  When dealing with insurance and doctors, I expect a crisis on the horizon. On the flip side, I am an adult and I probably have as much experience with insurance and doctors as your grandma. Plus, I have others with more experience in my corner. My plan is to take it one day at a time and handle any changes as they come because worrying about the "what if's" won't be beneficial.

Before I shut down the negative thoughts, I called my pharmacy to inquire if I had any refills available for Cimzia. To my surprise, I did. Wow, I got the refill without having to call my doctor to request it because the pharmacy communicated with my doctor! Anyways, I asked if I was cleared by insurance (still my parents') for a refill, or if I had to wait for my refill clearance to become available (I can only refill once every 3 1/2 weeks or so, so the refill window is sometimes tight). To my surprise, I was cleared for a refill. Long story short, my September dose of Cimzia was covered by my parents' insurance and will be here this week, which means I have a longer period of time to figure out my new insurance plan. It's a huge relief!

I'm Taking My Positivity Back

I'm taking some of my positivity back. My pharmacy didn't follow through with my doctor's office, so they aren't really helping me communicate any. My gastro's assistant didn't fax the prior authorization form to the pharmacy like she said she would, or at least the pharmacy didn't get it. So, the insurance still hasn't gotten the prior authorization from the doctor either and I still don't know if this month's dose of Cimzia, which I'm supposed to inject on the 13th, will be covered by insurance or not. 

There has to be a better way for doctors, pharmacies, and insurance companies to communicate on behalf of their customers. Would other patients hire me to be their advocate, get things done, and keep track of who is slacking on their behalf? I would totally pay someone a monthly fee to handle these kind of issues, keep me updated, and most importantly to make sure things are getting done in a timely manner. It's so annoying and stressful.