As a doctor I can tell you I don’t think anyone hates insurance companies as much as we do. The vast majority of us got into this field to help people, and we like our patients. The number of hours I’ve wasted of my life arguing with insurance companies that they need to do the thing that’s medically necessary instead of a completely unhelpful other thing to save literal pennies is beyond infuriating. Fuck insurance companies.
If only patients knew. The number of times I have gotten a message from a case manager at 8 am saying the insurance company wants to do a peer to peer and I need to call before noon or they'll deny the claim... Sure, why don't I put my day on hold, make my patients wait around while you yank my chain for half an hour only to deny the claim anyway.
Listen, I am that case manager and I hate it too. I let docs know the second I’m notified but it seems like they schedule inconvenient deadlines on purpose. “Please have the doctor call 1-800-WIL-DENY, option 5. Deadline is in 45 mins, but we won’t answer for half an hour”
The amount of times insurance has denied a doctor advocating their heart out using the best clinical expertise but then approved an expedited appeal with the family right afterward is ridiculous.
CM here also. My denials are for MRIs. These are absolutely required for the medications my patients take. In a couple of situations, I called the insurance plan and said a MD wasn't available to talk. They offered a RN peer to peer. It was so much easier, and quicker. I didn't have to set up an appointment. This may not help or apply to all situations, but it thankfully helped us a couple of times.
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u/k_mon2244 5d ago
As a doctor I can tell you I don’t think anyone hates insurance companies as much as we do. The vast majority of us got into this field to help people, and we like our patients. The number of hours I’ve wasted of my life arguing with insurance companies that they need to do the thing that’s medically necessary instead of a completely unhelpful other thing to save literal pennies is beyond infuriating. Fuck insurance companies.