HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Still waiting for approval from insurance company

CoolBreeze · 01-29-2013, 06:28 PM

I've been on the other end, working in a bureaucracy and I never minded people who called me (and were nice). Even if they called every day, I had no problem with it as long as they were pleasant. I understand they wanted to know something and I appreciated a call - it saved me from having to call them. And, if I didn't know I would tell them that I would call them back but if they wanted to call me, that would be fine too. We are all human and we understand that waiting is hard.

And, sometimes things do get lost in the shuffle and your phone call might make somebody go look for it and put it on the top of the pile. Your oncologist's secretary might have meant to ask for approval and then something happened and the paper or instructions got lost or something. A reminder might be all that's necessary. And, if she did it, then maybe it got lost on the insurance desk and a phone call might fix that.

Sometimes I think people confuse being persistent and making phone calls with being mean or something. I'm not talking about the OP or anybody in this thread but I've seen it happen.

It helps to know the timing of how long it *should* take, which is different for each insurance company. Mine takes 24 hours for approvals, so that's when I expect information although I will wait a day if somebody is out or something. It's all about being reasonable. Maybe yours takes a week.

My doctor's secretary told me never ever to apologize when I asked why something was taking a while, it was my right to have news! People do get busy and things get forgotten and a reminder is a good thing.

Nothing should take three weeks so I would definitely call and find out what is going on. Good luck and let us know!

I had no idea that perjeta had been approved for use with other drugs, that is good to know!

01-29-2013, 06:28 PM	#11
CoolBreeze Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 562	Re: Still waiting for approval from insurance company I've been on the other end, working in a bureaucracy and I never minded people who called me (and were nice). Even if they called every day, I had no problem with it as long as they were pleasant. I understand they wanted to know something and I appreciated a call - it saved me from having to call them. And, if I didn't know I would tell them that I would call them back but if they wanted to call me, that would be fine too. We are all human and we understand that waiting is hard. And, sometimes things do get lost in the shuffle and your phone call might make somebody go look for it and put it on the top of the pile. Your oncologist's secretary might have meant to ask for approval and then something happened and the paper or instructions got lost or something. A reminder might be all that's necessary. And, if she did it, then maybe it got lost on the insurance desk and a phone call might fix that. Sometimes I think people confuse being persistent and making phone calls with being mean or something. I'm not talking about the OP or anybody in this thread but I've seen it happen. It helps to know the timing of how long it should take, which is different for each insurance company. Mine takes 24 hours for approvals, so that's when I expect information although I will wait a day if somebody is out or something. It's all about being reasonable. Maybe yours takes a week. My doctor's secretary told me never ever to apologize when I asked why something was taking a while, it was my right to have news! People do get busy and things get forgotten and a reminder is a good thing. Nothing should take three weeks so I would definitely call and find out what is going on. Good luck and let us know! I had no idea that perjeta had been approved for use with other drugs, that is good to know! __________________ http://butdoctorihatepink.com 08/17/09 Dx'd. Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative 10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE 12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy 03/31/2010: Finished chemo 05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever 11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed 12/02/2010: Finished herceptin 05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen 06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin 10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure! 11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years" 03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa 10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa. 01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa 03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta. 04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success! 05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo. 06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT 07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone 07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins 08/01/2013: SBRT completed 08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 06/18/2014: *** NED!!!!*** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly. 11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted. 5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean. I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.