The Battle Continues

I just received this message from Cigna:

Hello Rie,

The pharmacy team has responded and states the following:

After further review of the coverage details for each medication listed, the Quetiapine 400 is the only medication with a Prior Authorization Approved, effective 1-1-20 until 1-30-21. 

All other medications, will require Prior Authorization approval. The Health Care Professional should contact the Express Scripts Coverage Review Department at 1-877-813-5595. 

I would be happy to help facilitate the authorizations if you provide me the name and phone number of the prescribing doctor(s).

This was my response:

I’m aware that they require prior authorization. The problem is that the doctor who prescribed my LIFE-SAVING inhaler, is no longer in practice, and therefore cannot request the PA. This has been explained REPEATEDLY to Cigna employees who are, as I said before, not interested in actually helping people, but simply following marching orders. If I cannot refill the Symbicort, I will have a massive asthma attack and wind up in hospital. But no... Cigna doesn’t care about that. They just care that an extremely common medication isn’t on their extremely small formulary. During this time, especially, asthma medications are paramount to keeping asthmatics healthy. What do you think will happen if I, am asthmatic, is exposed to COVID-19? There is a high possibility that I can wind up in the ICU with machines breathing for me. But again, Cigna doesn’t care about that. They just care about making people jump through as many hoops as possible. As I have said REPEATEDLY, I do have an appointment with a new doctor, but not until May 15. I made this appointment more than 3 months ago, and this was her first opening. I have exactly one week left of my LIFE-SAVING inhaler. Cigna, as a customer-based company, needs to refill it. If the new doctor wishes me to continue with Symbicort, she will request your precious prior authorization at that time. I think Cigna can afford to cover this ONE medication, this ONE time, don’t you? I will await the call from the pharmacy, telling me I have a prescription. This message will come before the weekend. I really don’t want to involve the insurance commissioner, so get on this ASAP.

Thank you

I’m in for the fight with these unhelpful automatons.