Politics with dr’s and insurance co

    • Anonymous
      April 5, 2010 at 9:47 pm

      Has anyone here had problems with their Insurance companies? My sister Diane has been in intensive care now for a month and they want her to go to the rehab center and the insurance company is saying ok but they will not cover any tests that they will need to run on her they will only pay for them if they are done at the hospital. This whole thing is making me sick. The longer my sister is in the hospital and not in the rehab center the longer it will be for her to recover. When my sister acts agitated they think her back might be hurting so they give her pain medicine and she sleeps. How can she get started on the road to recovery while she is sleeping. I feel the nurses just don’t want to deal with it. Please if I am wrong correct me because I really need some encouragement. I am so scared for my sister’s recovery she is 63 years young and I know it will probably take longer anyways but why are they doing this?

    • Anonymous
      April 5, 2010 at 11:06 pm

      Much of what I have read about GBS is that we will recover from this disease (I know, its a syndrom) with or without interention. However, rehab can make it quicker, more complete, or easier. So, while this isn’t an answer to the insurance question, please feel comfortable your sister will recover. I think our insurance system is in such an uproar right now that it is difficult to say much. If you are having serious problems have your congressperson’s office contact your insurance company for clarification – I bet you’ll see things happen in a positive way soon. Or, call the “Action” person on your local evening news team and ask for their assistance – again, it will get the process moving. Good luck.

    • Anonymous
      April 6, 2010 at 8:28 am

      Cathe, I noticed you were diagnosed in December of 2009, How are you doing? The one thing that I wish is that my sister could open her eyes, It’s so hard to tell if she is sleeping or awake. This whole thing just breaks my heart. My sister is an hour and a half away and I work full time and I am my dad’s caregiver he is 86 and has Parkinson’s and I have an autoimmune disease, but I am there every Saturday and Sunday and I just cry because I see my sister probably very frustrated with depending on others to know what is bothering her, she can’t even tell us if she has an itch. My sister and I are very close we are best friends and I feel so useless because I do not know what I can do. Going to see her and holding her hand just doesn’t seem like enough. I do read her cards to her, but her husband took them home because he thought they would be moving her. I keep telling her that she will pull through this and be back to normal but I am not so sure she believes me. How can I convince her?
      What were you thinking about when this happened to you? I know they have those flash cards but they are no good when her eyes are closed.
      I know this thread has nothing to do with the ins problem but you seemed like such a nice person to answer my question and I noticed when you were diagnosed and I just thought because it is still new to you and here you are answering peoples questions that you could give me a better hindsight on this terrible thing.
      Thank you from the bottom of my heart you are in my prayers also

    • April 6, 2010 at 9:52 am

      I would encourage you to contact the foundation to see if there is someone in your area that would visit your sister. It would be a testimony of sorts that she will come through this. About the pain meds. There is pain, so the medicine might not be a bad idea. Have you been able to confirm w/ your sister if there is pain or not. Perhaps you can tell the nurses to ask her and have her relay to them with the communication system you have developed. Maybe you can leave the communication directives taped to her bed side. About re-hab. If insurance is willing to keep her in the hospital, I would let them. As well, she can get therqpy in the hospital. If you speak to a social worker regarding the test and money situation, maybe they can help. Sometimes a letter from the doc is all that is needed. She really would not need any more tests that are big, such as spinal, ncv/emg etc. Maybe blood work? Are there particular tests they are thinking of? Have them do them prior to transport. Keep us posted.

    • Anonymous
      April 6, 2010 at 10:06 pm

      I am not sure which test they are talking about. I am thinking it is the one that tests your nerves, and maybe ct scan or MRI. My brother in law gets confused and he can’t remember what the tests are called. and I only go on week ends because she is so far away and you only see interns on week ends.
      The only pain that I know of that she communicates to us is her back, but maybe it’s more than that and we a assuming that it is her back. This week end i will drill her a little harder to see if she really means her back. All I know is when they giver pain medication it knocks her out.
      Prayers to all & thank you for all the info that you provide me with

    • Anonymous
      December 22, 2013 at 4:29 pm

      I am a GBS survivor and also manage my own financial affairs. This proved to be quite a challenge indeed as I am single and didn’t have anyone able or willing to coordinate the considerable details associated with a major illness. Fortunately I was able to return to work and thus kept my job-related insurance (Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Illinois here in the United States). BCBS has a case manager program that may (or may not) assist people who are experiencing the myriad details associated with recovery from being ill.

      If anyone has dealt with Blue Cross-Blue Shield’s Case Manager Program, please post your experience; it would be greatly appreciated.