Latest bureaucratic stall? New 'Medicare' Blue Cross HMO rules leaving older retired teachers in pain... Chicago Teachers Pension Fund is apparently lying and stalling older retirees who are being denied necessary medications, often in life threatening situations...
Three of the top officials of the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund (CTPF), left to right, Vice President Lois Ashford, President Jay Rehak, and Attorney Joe Burns. Rehak and Ashford are two of the six elected teacher trustees of the fund. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.How many other retired teachers are facing the new rules about prescription drugs -- and suffering pain because of those rules? I have been on Medicare and Blue Cross for about 14 years and never had a problem until the Pension Board signed us up for Blue Cross Care. Now managing of Medicare and "Express Scripts" have made things the worst.
When these contracta went into effect last Jan. 1st (2016), about the middle of the month, about the 18th, I called in my request as I have for many years for the diabetic strips to take my blood count each day. When I drove through the drive up at the Walgreens a couple of blocks from my home, the pharmacy told me "it had not been approved."
The next day, I called the Pension Board and got a snotty young lady who said there was no "supervisor" available to take my call -- and I had to call Medicare.
For the next few days, I made many calls to Medicare, Blue Cross, Express Scripts, my doctor's offices -- using up much of the little time I had left of this Earth. My druggist gave me an "emergency" seven strips. Since I have gone to the same Walgreens for a long long time, they knew me. Finally after many days, I got the snotty girl and an Express Scripts girl at the Pension Board together.
They assured me I could have my strips within 24 hours -- if I used there Warehouse in the suburbs.
I told them I intended to continue with Walgreens, where I could get my supplies within 30 minutes. They were shocked that I had emergency strips. The next day I called Walgreens customer service and explained the situation and asked that they notify the legal department of the situation and this attempt to steal their customers. I called the Pension Board two days later. When I gave my name, suddenly a man came on and told me he was the "supervisor" in charge of insurance. I told him the nasty girl I had spoken with previously said he did not exist. He assured me that he exited and said I would not have any future problems with this.
Right! not with this, but...
Several months later, about a month before I could get the Hyalurric Acid shots in my knee, my knee began to have great pain. My doctor and Rush Orthopedics, a fairly famous group, called in a prescription for Lydocane patches. I spent the next month on the phone with "Scripts" appealing, calling, etc. They did not approve it because my doctor did not state explicitly that it was for diabetic nueropothy -- even though they know I take diabetic medicine.
By this time, I got patches from active, not retired teachers who do not have diabetes of any kind and also no "Express Scripts." I also got some people who are not teachers and have no diabetes either. What doctor do they have at Scripts who knows better what to prescribe for me than the orthopedic doctors at Rush? If anyone is deprived of any life saving medication prescription denied by these jerks, I know a good personal injury lawyer. And I want the Pension Board to explain why they signed a contract with them and when is it up?
Other retirees who are facing problems like this should take more detailed notes than I took when I first began this odyssey. But when I began these phone calls, I didn't think I might need to know the details for possible litigation.
Comments:
By: Rachel Fowler
prescription insurance
I have been choosing my Medicare Supplement insurance and prescription insurance on my own since I retired. I have not gone through the pension fund. Therefore, I can choose whatever insurance seems to be the best fit for me and my husband. I changed prescription companies for 2016 but will probably return to the one I had for several years. I'm not tied to the companies that CTPF has chosen. I do have to file for the rebate but that's just a minor inconvenience.
By: Theresa D. Daniels
Using up what little time you have left....
Lotty,
I will never forget the mangy way you were forced to spend the little time you had left on this earth. It'll make whatever time (lots!)I have to spend like that so much easier. Thanks! The bad glitches in the red tape of these systems--some that never seem to get corrected--are beyond sick making. Good luck, hope you catch some breaks in between the miserable catch-22s.