Screwed by Medtronic Diabetes

[Guest guest]

About a week ago, I got a bill in the mail from Medtronic Diabetes saying

that I now owe them $7443.11 and must pay within the next 14 days. Since

getting that bill I have called Medtronic directly, talked to my Hubby's

employer so they could talk to their insurance company, and now for the

last 3 days I have gotten multiple calls per day from Medtronics

Collections department. All because they screwed up billing it, they say I

have to pay for it. I have medicare as my primary insurance due to being

on disability, and I don't meet the criteria for having the pump by

medicare standards. medtronic knows this because I got turned down for

the pump when they were trying to get it through CCS Medical (that does the

Medicare pumps). But I also have insurance through my husband which is

pretty much worthless because there was a $2500 deductible per person last

year, well I by myself covered it for the whole family by August 2011

(probably earlier than that even with 5 ICU admissions from January to June

(due to my lovely allergies).

But so Medicare said they wouldn't pay for it but my hubby's insurance said

they would. I kept saying to the woman at Medtronic that it has to go to

Medicare first and be denied then the other insurance will pick it up.

She told me they had it all worked out and sent me a form to sign... with

instructions on what to check and where to sign so I did as I was told. OH

THEY SCREWED ME!! Even though somewhere they must have the denials from

Medicare about my pump, the form I signed that they told me which box to

check said I didn't want it billed to Medicare and I questioned that but

she said it was all worked out and to just sign it that they had it all

pre-authorized and the pump would be paid for. NOPE, not without the

official denial from Medicare and the box they had my check said I didn't

want it billed to medicare and therefore I have no recourse to appeal it.

I saved the post it note and made a copy of the forms I signed thankfully

but the supervisor that I spoke to today was a total F-ing Witch and told

me to just pay up!! it was all my own fault (for listening to them

basically).

Well I got pissed and ripped my pump off for about 2 hours today, and even

though I have it back on and running, I can't get my BG below 165, where my

normal is like 88 to 100. So obviously I NEED the pump. My legs have

finally started to seriously heal since getting my pump (long story but I

have 4 open wounds in my thighs where I had necrotic muscle tissue when my

daughter was a baby that just wouldn't heal no matter what I did!). I

don't have any money lying around to pay for the pump! There is a hold on

my account so I can't get my supplies for the pump, but I think we have

that figured out because I will just get new Rx from my doc on Thursday and

buy them from somewhere else that sells Medtronic supplies.

My Mom thinks I should call one of the TV stations that do investigative

reports for the little guy, to get things fixed. And either way my Hubby

wants me to file a complaint with Lori Swanson ~ MN Attorney General.

I am just so tired of fighting with everyone. In December when I was trying

to get my pump, I was trying to take care of my Mom and keep her out of the

ICU and alive. So I seriously relied on Medtronic to know what they were

doing and get this done in the right way so that the pump would be paid for.

My Mom has been back in the hospital at least 5 times since the beginning

of 2012 so to say I am a little stressed would be an understatement. I

found out not too long ago, like a month ago that I have more necrotic bone

in my legs (its in my right knee end of my femur) and I suspect in my hips

and chest/shoulder area too but there haven't been any MRIs done to look

any further up then my knee so far. I was actually in the ER yesterday

afternoon and evening because of Chest Pain I was having... they don't

think it is cardiac they think it is chest wall pain from possibly having

the AVN in my chest where my ribs attach to my sternum, and in my shoulder

too. I am falling apart, I don't know how much more I can take.

Thanks for listening, even if you can't help me!

Love Always,

Anne