Crap We Have To Deal With Just In Case IF Isn't Hard Enough

It's been a long Fing day.  Here's why.  My period started the second I didn't take my Prometrium, so today is CD1.  If I want to be "in the game" for the next cycle, I had to get my drugs ordered.  Now, I've dropped my primary insurance since I last got drugs so I needed to get prior approval for this round for what was my secondary insurance and is now my new primary.  Yesterday, the nurse told me I could just call the pharmacy and get refills (we don't have a local pharmacy for this crap).  She also told me about how my insurance wants 3 day blood work every month.  No biggie, right?  They told me that last month and the doctor drew my labs so I wouldn't have a hassle this month.  I gave my doc's office a heads up on the insurance and meds issue yesterday, so the nice insurance lady (NIL) was already on it.  I called there first this morning and she already had an auth number for me.  She told me she verified with them that I won't have any hang-ups when I order my meds.  Cool.  I called the pharmacy.  She took my info, found out what refills I needed, and told me she'd call me back.  I asked if she needed the auth number and she told me no.  I figured she would know what she was doing, right?  WRONG!  Pharmacy tech (PT) calls me back.

PT: Hey, Ummm, I like, talked to Aetna, and like, nothing is going through because they said you don't have any coverage.
Me:  Excuse me?  I know I have coverage.  They just covered a procedure two weeks ago and they covered some of my last prescription.
PT: Well, this is a new plan year, and like, they said you have, like, a different pharmacy plan and you probably just don't know about it.
Me: (After a period of stunned silence).  Look, there's an Rx Bin number on my card and my RE's office already got an auth number, so I'm sure I have coverage.
PT: Well, does your card say, like, Caremark or something on it?
Me: No, just Aetna... and an Rx Bin number.
PT: Well, give me that. (Takes number) Okay, I'll call them again and call you back.
Me: Do you need the auth number?
PT: No

In the meantime, I called Aetna again.  The woman was completely incredulous and said "Of course you have coverage.  There's even a prior auth number here.  That girl is doing it wrong."

I call her back.

PT: Oh, hey, I was just going to call you back.  They say you have coverage, but it's still not going through.
Me: I just talked to Aetna.  She even saw the auth number in her system.
PT: Oh.  What is it?
(I give it to her and try not to reach through the phone and choke her.  She types some things on a computer).
PT: That auth number was for procedures but you should have a different one for meds.
Me: No, that's not how the fertility program works.  They give you one auth number in the beginning of your cycle to cover medications and procedures so you don't have to keep track of 85 auth numbers.  My RE's office verified that that would cover meds.
PT: Well, it's not going through.  I'll call your RE's office and call you back in 30 minutes.

I'm not sure what "it" is or what "going through" means, but this chick is not helping me.

She calls back.

PT: So, the Letrozole and Prometrium went through, but like, you have to order the injectables through Aetna's Specialty Pharmacy.
Me: (silently relieved that I don't have to deal with this moron anymore, but also panicing because I'm afraid I won't get my meds on time now that I have to start all over again... and pissed that I didn't know this).  Okay, fine.  Just send me the Letrozole and Prometrium so I can at least have that to get started on Friday and I'll figure the rest out.

I called the NIL at the RE's office.

Me: Hi, this is Lisa, the most annoying woman you've had to deal with all day.
NIL: (Laughs - I'm sure she wants to choke me)
Me:  So the pharmacy says the injectables have to be ordered through Aetna's Specialty Pharmacy.
NIL:  Absolutely.  That's how it works.
Me:  Okay, I didn't know that since they didn't pay for them last time and nurse told me I could just get a refill.
NIL: The girl from the pharmacy just called me not 10 minutes ago and asked if I'd ordered them.  I had to remind her I wasn't a nurse and I sent her over to the nurses line.  Let me send you over there and you can get them to place the order.

So I leave a message letting them know that I just need Menopur and Ovidrel ordered through the Aetna Specialty Pharmacy and that I'm nervous about it since I don't think they do Saturday shipping and I'll have to start the Menopur on Sunday.  I get a call back right after I get in the car to go home, but my phone had fallen out of my pocket and dropped under the seat and I couldn't find it.  When I get to it and listen to the message it says:

"Hi, this is nurse J.  I got your message, but I don't think Aetna is going to pay for it since they want day 3 blood work and we won't be able to do that until tomorrow or Friday.  So call back tomorrow and talk to nurse M about that."

I yell, "WHAT THE F^@*!!!!"  Since hubby and I carpool and I work a block from my RE's office, he pretty much just pulled into the parking lot right there.  I got all stalker and just went into my doc's office and asked to talk to nurse J.  I felt like such a bitch.

Nurse J: Yeah, there's a note in your chart that says that Aetna needs day 3 blood work every month before they can pay for anything, so since the lab is closed and we can't get that until tomorrow, I don't think we can get your meds in time.

Now, it is just me, or is this woman a COMPLETE moron?  HOW ON EARTH are you supposed to be able to get medications THAT ARE SENT IN THE MAIL approved, ordered, and sent to me to take on day 3 if you are drawing blood for approval on the same day I am supposed to be TAKING THE DAMNED MEDS!  They want the numbers from the month before!  That's why my doc drew them and said "We'll just get them today so you won't have any hassle next month in case you don't get pregnant."  Instead of pointing this out and being a complete bitch, I just said, "NIL already got an auth number."  She said, "Really?  How'd she do that?"

AHHHHH!!!!!!!

I hope she never touches any living tissue related to my cause.

So she's putting in the order, but I'm still not sure the Menopur will be here in time.  I'm almost hoping I have a cyst so I don't have to worry about it and I'll just have the drugs for next month.  Of course then my E2 will be super high tomorrow and I'll run into issues because of that.

STUPID Fing RED TAPE and STUPIDITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I should be happy I'm not paying 100% out of pocket, but it would be really swell if I could just order what I needed from wherever and get reimbursed.  This is just one more layer of stress that I DO NOT need.

Thanks for reading all of that slop.  I still feel like I was a complete bitch to people all day. I felt like I was doing something wrong and all these people were exasperated with me, but I was just doing the best I could to get my damned meds on time!