this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
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ADHD

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The crazy quest to get treatment - from people who don't understand it (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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After waiting for many years, I thought I've been at least on track to get treatment for the past 6 months. All out of pocket, in addition to the nearly EUR 1000 health insurance premium per month.

Lengthy psychologist sessions, official diagnosis by a licensed therapist in writing. Doctor appointment with the written diagnosis, but he said only a licensed psychiatrist can do the initial prescription. Find one, make appointment.

But then he needed up to date blood count and ECG first, appointment cancelled 2 hours before it started. The blood count was at a different doctor than my usual one, because last time, mine was on vacation. So ECG and blood count from two different locations. All during hours I actually had to be at work. But what can I do - botch one last job before I get treatment and everything will be great for the future, right?

Sent it all in upfront, and another problem: Apparently, the ECG must be evaluated for findings. Which any doctor is trained to do, but it needs to be returned to the doctor who did it, like this magic quest, because in theory, I could send an ECG that is not mine to a different doctor for the findings. (Cui bono?)

The last 4 steps, I've been told that this is "this one really really really last thing", and it sounds like one of these advance fee scams that are like "just one more Apple gift card for the taxes, and we can transfer your lottery winnings".

I bet all of these things would be easy for somebody who does NOT have ADHD. They just do them one by one, and somehow that happens at a magic hour where the doctor office is open but also their workplace is not.

The lack of understanding how ADHD works, by the very people who are supposed to diagnose and treat it, reminds me of this scene from Groundhog Day: He explains the problem of being in a 24 hour time loop to a seemingly understanding therapist, who then is like: "I understand completely, come back in 3 days for a solution!" Ah, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFdwLNiZq7M

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[–] jubilationtcornpone 16 points 1 month ago (3 children)

My Psychiatrist that I've been seeing for years now is retiring at the end of the year. Good ones are very hard to find and I'm not looking forward to it.

The whole process is a joke in the US as well. Since stimulants are a controlled substance, you have to have a new prescription every month AND you have to wait exactly 30 days to fill it at which point every pharmacy in town will jerk you around for a couple days until you finally find one that:

A.) Actually has your medication. Not says they have it on the phone and then "Oppsie! We lied. We don't actually have it. We do have the name brand that's 3 times as expensive."

B.) Will actually fill it instead of telling you they'll fill it only to backpedal when you go to pick it up because of some bullshit policy.

C.) Will fill it without whining at you, "cAn YoU pLeAsE sEnD yOuR OtHeR pReScRiPtIoNs hErE toO sO wErE FiLlInG mOrE tHaN jUsT yOuR StImUlAnTs??"

Apparently we somehow still have a shortage of Vyvanse (and the generic)?

Also, Fuck CVS in particular. How they manage to run a pharmacy worse than Walmart and still stay in business is beyond me.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

Same in Germany. New prescription every month, sometimes you can get bigger packages at least.

I need less than I get which is nice, so I already got 3* stocked up.

But it is shit anyways. Need to get a "transfer" by a random doctor to again get the allowance that your paid health insurance pays therapy.

[–] Reverendender 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Walmart won’t even tell me if they have it in stock anymore. I’m just supposed to send them the script and cross my fingers I guess. I will say, I have never had a pharmacy lie to me. Walgreens however will not actually fill the script from the doctor until you call them, defeat the phone tree in an epic battle, finally speak to a live pharmacy, and ask pretty please could they fill this prescription?

I am also incensed that so many people seem to not have insurance. One thing I can say, is that I have never had a problem paying for generic or name brand, because my insurance covers it.

[–] jubilationtcornpone 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I am also incensed that so many people seem to not have insurance. One thing I can say, is that I have never had a problem paying for generic or name brand, because my insurance covers it.

Guilty as charged. Currently at a career crossroads and don't have insurance. Have to pharmacy shop a lot depending on who has the best price with a Good Rx coupon.

[–] Reverendender 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

My wording was poor. I’m not incensed at people who don’t have insurance. I am incensed at this bullshit system that doesn’t insure anbsolutely everyone. A healthcare system that leaves so many behind is no system at all. Why do we even bother having a government, if they can’t do this one thing that every other developed nation in the world already does, and has done for many years?

[–] jubilationtcornpone 3 points 1 month ago

Completely agree. It's honestly shameful that a nation of our wealth and status is willing to accept one of the worst healthcare systems in the developed world. You need not look further than rural America to see that a big chunk of the "system" is on the verge of collapse.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It's nice that US still ALLOWS to not be insured. In Germany, it's mandatory, it's nearly EUR 1,000 if you don't provide proof that you can't afford that (and they accept the proof), and if you dodge them and they catch you later, you have to backpay for the uninsured time.

So in contrast, we go a little broke always, but we don't go more broke when we get sick.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You're aware that you're talking bullshit, yes? Insurance costs is a percentage of your income and it's most certainly not almost 1000€ for everyone. If you're paying that much for insurance and your income isn't sufficient you might want to budget better (it should be at least over 4000€/month after taxes and insurance). This, of course, regards employees and general insurance.

If you're self-employed and insured privately things are different but this is only about 10% of people. So it's most certainly not a very common issue and obviously not the general case.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Most recent example: Started freelancing in July again, got to pay nearly 1k per month. First money received is EUR 4400 end of September.

I tried the alternative route last time, and it's no fun: Write in certified mail that I make less and need a lower rate, they'll ignore it, say they didn't get anything, I'm not insured any more. Go to a lawyer with the proof of certified mail, win, get the lower rate and they have to pay back medical bills, EUR 500 lawyer costs though. Have to pay back 1k per month anyway if it turns out I make enough in the last few months of the year, so it was all for nothing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

So you're self employed which as mentioned above is not the general case. You made it sound like everyone has to pay the same amount regardless of income which simply is not true.

[–] Reverendender 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I hear you, and I totally understand where you are coming from. And a system like that would not be the end of the world. I think about like I think about any tax-funded government service. You can't opt-out of the fire department for instance. It's almost the exact same thing. By all of us contributing, we defray the level of expense for everyone, and everyone benefits. I think a pay-per-fire system would be....disastrous.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I think it should work exactly like the fire department. Entirely tax funded, no hassle. A hospital is, in my eyes, more similar to a fire department or a police station than it is to a super market, and that's how it should work.

But it only works well all-in. A strange system of compromises forged between parties with entirely opposing views over 50 years is terrible.

[–] ellabee 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I finally switched away from the across the street Walgreens because they never filled a prescription until I stood in line to pick it up. online refill of anxiety meds, never notified they filled it but the notifications are glitchy, go in 2 days later and it's not filled. call for refill of the same meds, same issue. and it seemed like every other person in line had the same problem.

Bartells is more of a walk, but I don't have to beg them to fill my prescriptions.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I will never understand how the land of fast food and unnecessarily pre-packed products fills pill bottles by hand in the pharmacy. Like, milk I would understand; I lived near a farm, and we would go over with huge milk cans and have them filled there by the farmer. But that same concept seems strange to me for a pharmacy. Like, even our weed and coke dealers have pre-packed little plastic bags, you don't like bring your joint papers and have them individually filled.

Also, this seems like a really complicated process that causes lots of problems. Isn't it pretty much likely that even in your best state of mind, you'd fill about 1 out of 200 wrong, and about 10 % of those mean near certain death for the patient? So weird.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Oh god, it's me 6mo ago

I know their reviews aren't great looking and my Dr says he's seen some issues in the past, but I've been using Rx Outreach for to my door delivery and so far it's been the absolute least painful way to get my meds

I did have an issue, my wife and I both made accounts for me and they said they'd merge them and be done with it but didn't and almost lost my meds, but then literally overnight shipped them so they'd be there on time still so it balanced out

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I had seriously been considering trying again after a doctor told me "lots of people thought that they developed mental health problems during COVID" and that "those drugs are just performance enhancers that let you cheat at life."

But between that and finding out my insurance has a deductable higher than my annual medical expenses, I think I'm forgetting about that for another few years.

[–] Reverendender 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Your deductible should not affect your prescription drug copays. I also really hope you stopped seeing that doctor.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

My wife already had to stop taking one of her meds because it's over $900/month with insurance. The doctor visits required to just get me a script would put us in the red.

Fuck the system.