Imagine my surprise and delight first-thing Wednesday morning when I saw an email from our human resources rep giving us a link to print out temporary insurance ID cards. Maybe I'll still wait a few days until I start in on the pump campaign, I thought to myself. Yeah, right. The world's most impatient person wait a few days? I don't think so.
So after registering online and signing in, I searched and searched and searched to no avail to find specific benefits information on the company's Web site regarding preferred diabetes supplies and/or insulin pumps. Nada. I didn't really want to bug the company on my second day of coverage about this major medical device, but damnit I'm impatient.
So I called the member service number on my temporary card. Naturally, I was transferred to two wrong places (specialty pharmacy and then home delivery; I knew these places were wrong before I even talked to anyone, but I played along). I think the first guy I talked to was new. Really new. I called the main member service number back and instead of beating around the bush, I asked very specifically, "What brand of insulin pump is considered in-network?"
"Hang on and I'll find out for you," the rep said.
I fully expected to hear some insurance company mumbo jumbo or just one company's name, but I was wrong.
"Any pump is covered," he said.
"OK, but what is considered in-network? Which pump is covered at 100%," I wanted to know.
"Um, any pump," he said.
"ANY pump??" I said thinking surely he didn't understand my question.
"Yes, you can choose any company," he assured me.
"Wait a minute. . .what?!" I don't know why I was so stunned that I would actually be able to choose, that I would be the one to make the ultimate decision between my top two choices. "OK, then. Um, thanks."
I hung up and promptly called pump-company-choice-No.-1 and then e-mailed my endo to let him know what was going on.
(If you're curious, let's just say that I'll be going pink.)




