My Cancer Journey Continues....NO! NO! NO! Might Be God Saying, "Wait A Minute..... “
I have been so VERY frustrated with my insurance and trying to get into a Comprehensive Cancer Center. As I referenced in my last blog....if you have Medicare Part A & B with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama attached....and I have Blue Advantage with suitcase PPO....you can tell your story, beg, and, yes, even cry, but it has zero effect on the Financial Department of these huge hospitals.
For the past three weeks I have been having conversations with Duke University, Vanderbilt University, and MD Anderson. All of these are Comprehensive Cancer Centers...with Integrative and Alternative Medicine. They are top in the field and offer what smaller, non-Comprehensive, centers cannot. The Bruno Cancer Center is one of those. They are basically limited to chemo, radiation, and shots.
I have been wanting to get a Comprehensive Cancer Center lined-up because my cancer is aggressive and I know that I will eventually need more than Bruno can offer me. I had zero idea how difficult this part of my journey would be. I cannot express the heartbreak and disbelief when I was told over and over No....No....No!!!
“I am with you always,” Jesus
Last Friday, My Oncologist, Dr. Bondly, agreed that I needed to begin the process of looking for a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Not only is it difficult to get approved when you are considered "out-of-network," but your age can also be a negative. In addition, sometimes they are not taking patients with certain cancer diagnosis because they already have a large number for their trials and special treatments.
Dr. Bondly's office had already called the three Cancer Centers I mentioned earlier to try to submit referrals for me. Each one of the hospitals shut them down immediately stating that I was out-of-network. I knew at that point that I was not going to sit back an take no until I had exhausted every avenue.
I cannot tell y'all how many conversations I have had with the 3 Cancer Centers and Blue Cross Blue Shield. At times I would get a glimmer of hope. I would be told by one or the other that they needed certain documents or needed to call a specific phone number....only to repeat the entire situation over and over again....and still get a NO!
I finally was able to talk to Customer Representative Renetha in the Financial Clearance Center at MD Anderson. After a long conversation, she tole me that my insurance is considered out-of-network, but they do have a working relationship with Blue Cross and she thought they would be able to work with me. She gave me a phone number for Dr. Bondly's office to call in the Internal Medicine Department.
In the mean-time, I have been talking again....back and forth with Vanderbilt. I was told by Blue Cross what they needed from Vanderbilt....then, they would expedite my case to see if I could get approval to cover most of my charges. I felt that was promising.
A different representative at Vanderbilt told me that they don't do anything until I am cleared first by their Financial Board. She said that they would also need all of my records for the past 3 years. I explained to her what the Blue Cross had said, but she was not phased by that. I called Dr. Bondly's office and asked them to send all of my records to Vanderbilt. Ok.....they had my records and a strong possibility from Blue Cross that they would cover my medical care. I received a call this morning that sounded very cold and calculated. However, at first I did still get my hopes up. She started off by saying who she was with and mentioned "appointment." Well, my hopes were quickly smashed as I received another hard NO! I pressed to find out why and all she would say is that when the Financial Board gives a NO....it is final. There is no appealing their decision. I also was not afforded any explanation as to why. I specifically asked her..So, even if Blue Cross agreed to pay, the answer is still a hard NOT....and she said yes. I could tell she was done with me so I thanked her and hung up.
Yes, I shed a few tears for a minute because I felt so deflated, so helpless "human-wise" in my situation, and I so desperately needed someone to give me a YES! I mulled-over for a couple of hours and then decided I would call the phone number that MD Anderson had given me for Dr. Bondly to call. I knew I couldn't leave it up to someone in her department to make the call and possible mess it up for me.
I made the call and spoke to someone who I could barely understand, but I was able to grasp that the number I was given was not the correct one. I can only imagine that if someone else had made the call....the efforts probably would have stopped there. Dr. Bondly and her nurse had already told me that MD Anderson was currently not taking new Breast Cancer Patients. That was one of the first questions that I asked when I called them 3 weeks ago and they said....YES, we take new patients Breast Cancer patients everyday!
The young man gave me another phone number to call and it was exactly the phone number and person that I needed to speak to. I explained to her....one more time....my circumstances. Her name is Ariell, and she proceeded to get all of my personal information....along with insurance card information. She soon thereafter provided me with a Medical Record Number. There....I had a file set-up. She informed me that a representative from the Breast Cancer Center New Patients Team would call me tomorrow morning. Ariell also set-up a Patient Portal for me so I would have a place to retrieve all of my patient information.
Barely an hour had passed when I received a call from Andrea, the New Patient Representative. She took down all of my information again and immediately gave me a tentative appointment. She told me that she would call me back as she is trying to get an earlier date, but for now.....I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SET AT MD ANDERSON FOR FRIDAY, JULY 9TH!!!!! I canNOT Praise God enough right here!!!! Thank You Jesus!!!!!! Andrea told me that they would handle contacting Dr. Bondly to have all of my records, including biopsy samples, sent to them. They are handling everything so I can stop calling only to hear NO after NO. She immediately emailed me and asked for me to send her copies of my insurance cards and my driver's license....front and back. I did that immediately.
All in one day, God flipped my NO to a HUGE YES!!!!
Please let this be a lesson to all of you. Do NOT trust anyone to fight your battles! It is your life and no one is going to fight harder that you for your survival.
I will have to arrive in Houston 3 days before my appointment. I have to get a COVID test there and have time for the results prior to being allowed in the Hospital.
At this point, I have no idea how much out-of-pocket this is going to cost me. Andrea mention that there is a cost of around $250 per slide that they receive from Dr. Bondly. I don't know what percentage of that that my insurance will cover. She did not go over deductibles or co-pays yet. But, I know one thing for sure....my cancer is considered terminal and aggressive and I have to go and try to receive the best that treatments have to offer. I am NOT about to give up on this war that I have been battling for almost 3 years now.
GOD IS STILL A GOD OF MIRACLES!
Also, I go back to Bruno Cancer Center tomorrow morning. Please join me in prayer that I will be able to receive my chemo treatments, my bone shot, and the Neulasta OnPro.
Please pray that all will go smooth now so that I will be able to go to MD Anderson! It is crucial!!!
Love to you all!
Please, if you would like to help in the expenses of my cancer journey, my GOFUNDME is below.
Also, some have asked for my address:
Patricia Wyrosdick
1010 Gary Alan Trace
Moody, AL 35004
Click Here to Donate to my GoFundMe
Praying for you always. I know you see Dr. Bondly today so I hope it's all good news! Praying that all goes well at M. D. Anderson next week. I love you.
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