Just like the rest... they screw around long enough to cause one not to give a rip anymore and to just say to hell with it. At least their bell rung for a second or two in this thing called eternity. Damn the working man! Here's to Corporate America! Thanks anyway guys.

A few years ago I was paid a great compliment by a retired Southern lawyer. He said that I was a "lead Mule". If you are not from the south or Farm country, you probably won't relate to that- but, I mention it because not only 1 but 2 Insurance companies refused to pay for John's canned nutritional supplies at 1st. I took them on, with his Oncologist's help, and got fully reimbursed for all feeding tube nutrition. The Oncologist told the Insurers that John would starve to death without this nutrition- it was not a food suppliment-but his only means of nutrition. John Hancock Ins was the 1st company and after they dropped him, and the 2nd one was a state run program [with premiums of $900 + a month].It took mule headed persistance on my part and the Oncologist part, but we got it covered. So don't give up. Amy in the Ozarks

How could they drop him? I do believe there are laws against that. This country lets big business get by with to much nonsense.

Jim - there may be laws against that but the insurance companies are banking on the fact that there won't be too many "lead mules" around to take on the fight and the fact that they can take advantage of people when they are sick and not putting up much of a fight. Several years back my health insurance company (with whom I also had auto, homeowners with) dropped me because of a comment a doctor in one of those walk-in clinics made on my chart about a "possible" diagnosis (which ws erroneous). After a lot of back and forth between the clinic and the Ins co and myself - I was reinstated and the doctor was no longer with the clinic. The insurance companies are in business to make money and that's what it boils down to. They are not the most altruistic people in the world.

Good for you anne-marie. It pays to fight them. My ins wasn't going to pay for the Magic mouth wash my Dr prescribed so today at rads he called them and said this drug is a medical necessity and said I need carnation VHC for nourishment. THey said OK to the mouth wash and I left before they answered about the VHC to get an MRI. I'll find out tomorrow about the VHC.

The insurance companies probably have a list of "approved" items and if it doesn't fit the list, then it is not accepted. There seems to be a question of semantics involved i.e. they may not cover needed neck massages, but if it's called some other kind of therapy, then it's covered. They cover TPN (intravenous feedings) but not the VHC or Jevity that goes into the peg tube so apparently we need to come up with something else to call the feeds that go down the tube? Or get a copy of the Insurance company's approved list and then make whatever you need to have fit one of their approved items. Jim I hope they approve the VHC for you. For anyone needing this, I don't see how it could not be considered a definite medical necessity when faced with losing weight and that without it the $2000 per day intravenous feedings may be what they could end up paying for!

Sorry guys, I missed a lot of posts in mid January about insurance not paying to replace my teeth after they had paid to remove them.

I have dental insurance also. I had my 16 rear teeth removed surgically in hospital as medical necessity prior to radiation. This was paid for by medical coverage. Had they not agreed to that, I would have had to have them pulled by a dentist in his office. When I went for the partials to replace them which cost $15000, they refused to cover them under medical and said it had to be covered under dental. My dental has a $1800 max per year so I got to pay the rest. I did try Amy's lead mule and got no where. Granted I did get the best dentures available but even if I had not gone the less expensive route, the bill was $7500. If it was a covered as medical to take them out, they should have covered it as medical to replace them. Maybe if I hadn't had dental coverage, they would have. Who knows.

Take care,
Eileen