can people chime in as to what insurance companies they have and what troubles

[rachelhmmd]

I work for the State of Maine and have Anthem Blue Cross. There really was no surgeon here with the experience to do bilateral DIEP reconstruction, and so I wanted to go to Boston for that surgery. Plus, I felt I would be happiest getting my treatment at a cancer center, so I wanted to go to Dana Farber for that as well. I had to FIGHT with my insurance company to make sure that happened. I kept getting the runaround, and kept demanding to speak to the medical director of the insurance company. I used my physician cred to get to there, and asked him what he would want for his mother, wife, daughter or sister. After that impassioned conversation, he promised I would have no further problems. And I haven't.

But, what if I had not been a doctor?

What an eye opener for me! Here I was in the midst of this medical/emotional crisis, when I was so overwhelmed in so many ways, and I had to fight and cry and demand in order to optimize my treatment.

And not only that, but when I could no longer work and had to pay for my health insurance at a time when I could least do without it, I realized how easily anyone could be financially devastated.