Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Are you kidding me?

Yesterday a guy shows up with a script for Vicodin and one for Augmentin. He tosses them down (no info on the scripts other than his name) and says he doesn't have his frequent shopper card, he'll run home for it and come right back. I look him up in the computer but don't see him, so I'm only able to ask his birthdate and allergies before he runs off.
We enter him as new in the system, and fill his scripts. They come to about $32. When I go to ring him out, I ask if he has prescription coverage. he starts looking through 2 different piles of cards/stuff in his pockets.
Guy: Is this it? (hands me a medical card with no rx info on it)
Me: Nope, there should be another card
Guy: Pay $10,000 a year for insurance and I don't have drug coverage? (angrily rifling through his massive card stash)
Me: It's probably just on a different card
Guy: Here it is. (Hands me an Aetna dental card)
Me: Nope, that ones dental. You should have another one.
Guy: These are the only cards I have.
Me: Well, this comes to about $32. You can pay for it now, and if you find your insurance card you can come back within 7 days and we'll refund you and rebill these through your insurance.
Guy: 7 days...don't want to put you guys out or anything!
Me: If it's longer than 7 days, your insurance can reimburse you. Just hold on to the register receipt and your prescription labels that are right here on the bags.
Guy: (sighing) So should I call these people? (points to medical card)
Me: You can try, but that's a different provider thaan dental, so it's possible you'll have a different pharmacy benefits provider.
Guy: (Sighing even louder) Fine.
Me: Maybe there's only one card and your wife has it. Anyway, that's $31.87...
Guy: My insurance doesn't cover any of it?

Are you fucking serious!? What the hell was the last 5 minutes about, you fucknut??

Me: You didn't give me a prescription coverage card, so there isn't any insurance being applied to these.
(guy throws down two twenties)
-end-

30 minutes later:
Lady on phone: Hi, I'm calling from Caremark, and we have a subscriber who was just in your pharmacy and bought two prescriptions, and -
Me: Is it Guy?
Lady: Yes, ma'am.
Me: sigh.

I printed out the 2 prescription labels as cash before I edited them through insurance. I just KNOW the prick will come back without his labels or receipt. Then he'll have to get store credit instead of cash back, and I know he'll complain about that too.
I really, REALLY hate customers. I love my job (learning about different meds, occasionally helping someone who is thankful and speaks english). I just am reaching the end of my rope with stupidity. And people who don't speak english that I have to spend 5 minutes explaining his son doesn't have benefits anymore, but I did get his new ID number from BMC for when the benefits are reinstated (and I tried billing with that new ID number but he's not covered). No, it's not just the ID number, yes, I understand your wife has the same card and her number changed (and someone at my pharmacy had to call BMC to get the new ID number over the weekend so you could fill your wifes Percocet prescription), but this is not about his ID number, it's about him not having coverage anymore. No, changing the ID number makes no difference, I tried it. Your son doesn't have coverage.
Then 20 minutes later, spanish guys wife is calling (it's even harder for me to understand broken english over the phone) and telling me she called the number I gave them and they told her to tell me to call another number. I slammed my hands down on the counter and said "What do you want me to do? I already called his primary insurance, and his coverage ended on 4/25. Mass Health won't pay for this because he has managed care." She tells me to call this number. I do, and it's mass health - hey, they won't cover him because he has managed care. No way?! I call spanish lady back and tell her I've done everything I can. "I called BMC, and he does not have coverage. I got his new ID number, which doesn't work because your son doesn't have coverage. I then called Mass Health, and they won't do anything because your son has BMC. So you need to talk to BMC and get this figured out."
Guess what they wanted to fill for their son? Glycolax. Yes, Miralax - it's available over the counter, but NO...foreigners depending on state tit for everything can't be expected to pay out of pocket for a medicine that's over the counter! Never!!

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