Road Rage

Don’t make me pull this car over…!

Words every Dad has said at least once in his life. Nothing is worse then trying to mediate two bickering children. Funny thing is, even though my kids are grown, I find myself, once again, in this very frustrating position.

As I have written before, I am in the midst of some heavy duty eye surgery. My one eye is fixed, and the second one is recovering from the first of 3 surgeries. In fact, it is pretty much visionless right now. Back in April, I had surgery to repair my retina. In order to repair the retina, the surgeon had to drain the eye of the jelly (or vitreous) that normally fills your eye. After the surgery, the surgeon refills the eye with silicone oil that holds everything together while it heals. The next surgery will be to remove that oil, and let the eye continue healing on its’ own. This should happen sometime early this fall. I say ‘should’ happen, because I am now caught in the crossfire between two bickering children…

Last month I found out that my eye surgery group was fighting with my insurance carrier over the rates that they will be paid upon renewing their contract. The carrier wanted to pay them at a rate below what Medicare pays. In laymen’s terms, this translates to slave wages. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised is, after calculating in overhead such as support staff salaries, malpractice insurance, etc., the surgical group would be losing money for each patient they treated at the new proposed rate. They weren’t even looking for a raise – they were looking to continue on with the old contract’s rates. Unfortunately, my insurance carrier didn’t see things that way, and they are holding their ground as well. Long story made short, as of mid-July, my surgeon no longer accepts my insurance.




This has left me in a predicament – here I am with my eye surgery only partially done, and no where to get it completed. While other eye surgeons are still in my insurance plan, no one wants to take over my case. Who would want the liability of finishing someone elses work? So, here I am, up the proverbial creek.

I called my carrier and asked them if I could possibly continue seeing my old surgeon within my old plan until my surgery is finished. They said they would consider it IF my surgeon filled out their request form. Unfortunately, my surgeon’s office refused to complete THEIR form, instead offering their own ‘continuation of care’ for. Unfortunately, my carrier will not recognize the surgeons form.

Fortunately, after much cajoling and a half dozen phone calls, I finally got my surgeon to complete the carrier’s form. Now it will be up to the carrier to grant my request. Hopefully, they will do so without any further provocation on my part. However, I am ready for the worst and prepared to take this case to higher authorities…if the need arises. I’m now patiently waiting for the powers that be to shuffle their paperwork and get back to me. I’ll be sure to let you know how things work out.

This is another example of a serious problem with our health care system. This is really a simple matter that should have never arisen in the first place. Instead, a good half dozen people or more have gotten involved in this case. All of those people get paid salaries and benefits, and the money to pay this all comes out of OUR health care dollars. Plus, I’m wasting many hours of my time trying to mediate this fiasco.

It’s very frustrating. Sometimes, I wish that I could get both sides together so that I could scream at them, if only to stop their bickering and bring them to their senses.





If I have to pull this car over…..!


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