posted
I really need to see a doctor. I've had another stress rash/eczema flare-up like I had two years okay, and it's not going away on its own. My skin looks terrible, and feels terrible, and yeah, I know, don't scratch it but IT'S DRIVING ME MAD! So I need to go for that at the very least, but while I'm there I want to discuss a few other things. And I would also like to get myself to a psychiatrist, because the depression has flared up again, too, and while I'm mostly doing okay, I'm having a hard time balancing things properly right now.
The problem is the blasted health insurance. I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield HMO right now, and I HATE THEM. This is the SECOND time they've neglected to send me an insurance card. Yeah, it's kind of my fault because I never signed up for some kind of primary care group or whatever, but they didn't tell me I had to pick one when I enrolled. Hmpf!
It's further complicated because I'm changing consulting firms on May 13th, so there will be new coverage. I don't know what it is yet, or if I'll have to go on COBRA for a while. This makes me lazy about pursuing the current coverage, because I'm just going to have to go through it all again in a few weeks, and this feels more than my depressed mind can handle right now.
But I really, really need to do something, because OMG IT ITCHES!!! *scratch scratch scratch*
I'm seriously tempted to just go to a walk-in clinic and pay out of pocket, at least for the eczema mess just so I can get that taken care of. I did read through the provider handbook a bit, and I'm worried that even if I call them I wouldn't be able to get an appointment anywhere for a while because it takes a month until the chosen group becomes active. Does this sound right?
Um, I guess my reason for posting is mostly moral support. But I would like to know if I have any chance of getting help from the insurance company right now, even though I've never chosen a group, whatever that means. Also, I'm paying a pretty penny for the insurance, and I don't particularly care to waste money on out-of-pocket medical expenses when I have coverage, supposedly. I just wish it weren't so hard to deal with. Any chance I could just go somewhere and try to claim it afterward?
And in the meantime, does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with the itchiness? I'm trying to stay hydrated and moisturized, but I've found that even the most mild lotions irritate my skin after a few days. About the only thing that's not bothering me is the triple-antibiotic I've been using on the worst patches on my legs, but then the new skin gets itchy and I just scratch it all off again. Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I don't know if any of this will help or not. We use BC/BS, but it's PPO (I think). I would call the insurance company and tell them you need to see someone ASAP. I've *never* heard of it taking a month for a chosen dr. group to become effective. I've gone to see a new dr. even before I got my card. It wasn't a big deal; they call the insurance company to verify your insurance numbers anyway. Good luck!
posted
Thanks. This is my first time with an HMO, and I was very reluctant about it, as I've always used PPOs in the past and loved them (except for the last time I was with BC/BS, which sucked. Seriously, I think I just have bad luck with them). I'll try giving them a call tomorrow. Hopefully. I keep putting it off. But then that's partially why I posted about it--now I have someone to be accountable to about it.
My former doc is a bit hard for me to get to, now that I don't have a car, so I was just going to see if I could see someone at the hospital. So I'm not even picky about who I see or where I go, just as long as I can get in soon and get the skin a-healin'.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
I remember when I had BCBS HMO, I was told that it would take a month to 6 weeks for my information to get into the systems, time in which I was paying for insurance that I couldn't use (and which, by the way, was not provided to me at the end of my time there). Now, I don't know if that was because I was a completely new member or if it would have been the same for changes. I'm assuming that Xnera is in the system already but just floating as unassigned to a clinic.
Personally I really hate HMOs anyway, but sometimes the only other choice is no medical coverage at all.
My suggestion is to get yourself set up with a primary, even though you're expecting a change in less than 8 weeks, so that once that's effective you can start seeing someone for the depression. In the meantime, go to an urgent care clinic or to the emergency room or something as a walk-in and get the excema treated. You might even be able to explain the insurance situation to them and work something out.
Now if it turns out that you have no coverage at all because you didn't select a primary, I'd be SCREAMING about getting back any premiums being taken from your paychecks!!
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
And until you get to the urgent care, put Eucerin on if you can tolerate it (a non-allergenic, neutral vegetable oil or baby oil if you can't), then wrap in plastic wrap.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Oh, and if you can tolerate it, take an antihistimine. It doesn't always work, but sometimes it helps with excema itchiness. I use Allavert, 'cause that's my regular brand for allergies, and diphenhydramine makes me either wired or sleepy, unpredictably. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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diphenhydramine makes me either wired or sleepy, unpredictably.
Same here! I was trying to take Benedryl, but it was keeping me up at night. Which is odd, because just a few months ago it would put me to sleep. I'll give Allevert a try tonight.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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I have a BC/BS HMO right now and haven't had a complaint about them. Though, I've always had an HMO of some kind, so I guess I'm used to it. But if I change my doc, it goes through that DAY. I'd think you should be able to get an appt ASAP with that skin condition.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Take it daily for allergies. Haven't noticed it helping the skin at all.
I'll give the insurance a call at lunch and see what they say. Either way, I'll likely go to the urgent care clinic tonight, because I don't think I can stand much more of this.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Okay, just got off the phone with the insurance. I give myself ten gold stars for calling, because it's not something I found easy to do these days.
It sounds good. I do have to go into their website and pick a primary medical group and PCP, but I expected that. But they also have a site that allows access to my account--including the ability to print out a temporary ID card. Woohoo! So now I'm off to the site to see what what options I have. I love the doctor I've been going to, but she's a bit difficult to get to now that I don't have a car, so I'm going to look for something close to home on a bus route. Will keep you updated.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Would it be totally insane to call in sick to work and go to an urgent care clinic because of a rash?
I just feel miserable right now. It's really been driving me mad this week. I haven't been able to really focus at work, and I haven't been able to sleep because I keep waking up to scratch at it. I even tried Benedryl again last night, but it only helped for a few hours, and then I was awake again.
Logically, my mind says this isn't an emergency and that I should just try going to a regular doctor. But mentally... gah. I just want some help NOW.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Yeah, I'm taking the day off. I'm just too sleepy and miserable.
I didn't have my supervisor's phone number here, so I had to call dad at work to get it (we work together, and he gets into the office at, like, 6:00). Dad thinks it's a good idea for me to stay home and get this looked at, so I feel better about making the decision.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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Which I knew. The rash started the day after I got whomped from two sides by icky situations in both my professional and personal life. And that's how it happened last time I had this kind of rash: extreme stress, followed by extreme itchiness.
Interesting factoid: The doctor proclaimed it to be stress when he noted that the rash had not spread to my back. Inability to reach back == no scratching of the area == no rash.
I got a steroid shot, and he put me on a run of oral steroids and antibiotics for about a week, which should do the trick. I'm already feeling a bit better.
I'd like to prevent this from happening again, so I'm going to be taking steps to relieve the stress in my life. One step will be going to see a psychiatrist, because I think this has been exacerbated by my depression. So getting proper treatment for that will help.
I'm also making an effort to exercise more. I think the warmer weather will help, because it's good walking weather. Walking, playing DDR... and once the rash clears up, I'm going swimming.
Also going to do some yoga poses now and then. I rented a yoga DVD from Netflix a while back, and found that I felt much more at ease and that my body felt looser after doing a short session. Not going to get gung-ho about this--just maybe some inverts now and then, and the relaxation pose, because I really like that one.
I'm really glad I went today. I also really needed a day off, so this was good. It's not going to be fun to go back tomorrow, but at least it's only one day and then it's the weekend.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
When I had hives for three months my doctor said I was "always high-strung" and put me on elavil. It got rid of the hives and I slept for the first time in my life, but I gained 30 pounds in 6 weeks.
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