We all have them. We can have a love/hate relationship with just about anything, really. Cars, TVs, computers, the internet, any form of technology, doctors, working out, insurance companies, etc. Today, I got to fully experience my love/hate relationship with TriCare. What fun!
Yesterday, I received a bill in the mail from the doctor I saw about my knee in July. Before that, I got one of those lovely TriCare summary things. Both of them showed I owe about $70 for the visit. Now, I have two problems with this:
1. I'm on TriCare Prime. This should mean that I have ZERO copays/fees after a doctor visit.
2. Even if I were on TriCare Standard, the copay would have been about $20.
My reaction: What the h&$%?!?!?!
I attempted to contact them yesterday, but apparently they keep banker's hours. Whatever. So, I called them back first thing this morning. And, oh, you guys are going to just looooove this.
I don't know if I mentioned this before, but the PCM that TriCare assigned me is a civilian. When I called to make the appointment with said PCM, the receptionist told me that he doesn't practice...that he's more like their office manager. Uhhh, ok.... So, I settled for seeing another physician in the same office. This is where the problem is. Now, when I talked to Ms. Sweet Lady with TriCare she said that I shouldn't have been charged because - theoretically - they're in the same office and have the same tax ID number (used to bill TriCare/other insurances). But, the PCM they assigned me has TWO tax ID's. One he uses to bill insurance companies and then another one... The other one is the number that the doctor I actually saw used to bill TriCare.
So, the claims department argued with Ms. Sweet Lady and then she told me I'd have to file an appeal. She even asked me if I wanted to file an appeal!! Hahahaha! Are you kidding me?! Of course I want to file an appeal! I'm on TriCare freakin' Prime! The whole point of being on Prime is so that you don't have to pay anything out of pocket!!!! Once I got all the info I needed, I sat down and typed out an letter to the claims department. I copied all the info that they need and put that sucker in the mail. I said all the polite, "to whom it may concern" type crap, but what I really wanted to say was:
Dear TriCare Idiots,
Why can't you just be SMART and realize that the PCM you assigned me doesn't practice in that office? Why can't you notice that my PCM and the doctor I saw have the SAME ADDRESS? Why couldn't you just freakin' assign me a PCM that was ON POST, since that's kind of the whole point of having Prime. Why do you insist on causing me stress? Why can't you people just get your freaking act together?!
Oh, and I also changed my PCM to a doctor on post so that I don't have to deal with this BS every time I go to the doctor. Why they couldn't have just assigned me one on post in the first place, I have no idea. As a bonus, TriCare completely covered my almost $200 eye doctor bill. 'Cause it makes sense for that to happen after they say I owe $70 for a doctor visit. Yeah. I don't get it.
Thanks for listening to {er, reading} my rant. I feel much better now. =)
