…and AETNA is just as bad

28Mar09

I called my health insurance carrier, AETNA, yesterday simply to have someone help me find on their really confusing AETNA Navigator website my prescription drug policy so I can prove to BMS in my appeal that AETNA is not now covering my meds, that I am, in fact, in the coverage gap.

A nice customer service examined my account and after about 25 minutes told me there were less expensive alternatives to Abilify: Risperdol and Seraquol, neither of which she could actually pronounce–I had to help her. Both of those drugs I have been on before and been bloated, constipated, had vomiting , tremor and diarrhea, was zombie-like, constantly tired and (see prior post) suicidal. She wasn’t impressed, just indicated if I want cheaper drugs, I might want to consider them. While I certainly want less expensive drugs for everyone, I don’t want to be forced to stop taking the one medication my psychiatrist and I have found to really work for me (and so many others), Abilify.

Well, I finally found the AETNA prescription drug policy for my HDHP and printed out a copy, but had left my pharmacy printout at home. So will be faxing my appeal documents to BMS on Monday. Will keep y’all posted.

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Tags: Abilify, AETNA, Big Pharma, bipolar disorder, BMS, Bristol-Myers Squibb, healthcare, mental illness, pharmaceuticals, Stephanie Schroeder