So we heard from older daughter. She works as a tour guide in New Orleans.
She has been flat on her back for the last week with quote "The worst flu she has ever had. "
She is under 30 and is recovering but her insurance will not cover a covid test.
Be careful out there.
Beware of costs associated with SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing: Healthline.com: “ What Is the Cost of Getting Tested and Treated for the Coronavirus?”
CNN: “‘Walking Dead’ actor gets $9K medical bill but no coronavirus test results“
The lack of available, free, rapid testing as a public health and tracking measure two months after the epidemic was evident is utterly inexcusable, having to pay thousands of dollars for an individual test, and then not even get a result is a fucking travesty.
DrFidelius, I’m glad to hear your daughter is recovering. Best wishes to her and everyone suffering without good guidance or support.
Stranger
Her insurance won’t cover a CV test? Are you kidding?
That seems unconscionable.
Like actionable.
How is such a thing possible in the richest nation on earth in the midst of a pandemic?
The whole world seems upside down!
Most insurance does not testing for unspecified diseases or diagnostic tests that are not on an “approved” list. Also, if your test goes to a laboratory that is “out of network” you can be charged the full, non-insured cost (which is much higher than the costs they charge to insurance companies) even if the facility you go to is in network and you were explicitly informed that the lab work would be covered by your insurance. You literally have no way of knowing whether testing will be covered unless you get it pre-approved with your insurance company first, and even then, there is no guarantee that they will honor their commitment to pay for testing that approved because the list of companies that are covered is ‘confidential’ and may change without notice. No, the insurance company or medical facility cannot be held liable for lying to you.
Yes, I learned this the hard way.
Stranger
I suspect this means she doesn’t meet the criteria that her insurance has set for being approved for a test. It makes sense that there would be some bar that you must meet, like fever, known contact with a tested Covid-19 patient, etc, or everyone would want a test right now while they are still in limited supply. But it does seem like the OP’s daughter should meet that criteria.
My sister got her test so quickly partly because she’s a health care worker. It also probably helped to get her results back so quickly. Her husband will finish his 2 week quarantine without getting his results back. But she didn’t have a problem getting tested.
Lots of such things are possible in the richest nation on earth, whether or not in the midst of a pandemic.
Boggles my mind from time to time, too. Been true for a long time, though.
Why is the insurance company setting the criteria and not the Dr?
I mean, it’s a pandemic, shouldn’t a Dr make that call?
Us health insurance is truly baffling!
Disagree, there is nothing baffling about it. It is set up to maximize profits for insurance companies, big pharmaceutical manufacturers, and for-profit hospitals, and screw everyone else six ways from Sunday. Perfectly clear.
Stranger
I’m very sorry and hope she recovers quickly.
She needs to call her representative or the Governors office.
If that fails the local TV station.
That’s all kinda wrong.
Can I just play Devil’s Advocate here? I agree there should be widespread free testing. However, given limited resources, we need to prioritize testing for those for whom it will make a difference. The OPs daughter can be treated empirically, as if she has the disease. We can treat her symptomatically and quarantine her for 14 days and people will not die for lack of a tour guide. Now take my patient who is a nurse in a nursing home with symptoms. If she works with Covid 19 she could cause multiple cases and potential deaths but if she is forced to stay home, they may be understaffed. If I have one test, I am giving it to the nurse over the tour guide. Did I mention that my nurse is over 50 and diabetic? When there are limited resources you have to triage. I am not testing young healthy people who are recovering unless they take a turn for the worse. I am testing all my first responders, the 80 year old on home oxygen for COPD (went home fro the hospital today!) people sick enough to need hospitalization and breathing assistance, etc.