Guaranteed Healthcare

I am a 70 year old Nurse Practitioner retired from government service at age 62 because my husband developed Alzheimer syndrome. I was able to carry my Blue Cross/Blue Shield into retirement. This worked fine until I turned 65 when Medicare became my primary payer. At the suggestion of my primary care provider I inquired about seeking mental health counseling for depression. (Very common among Alzheimer family care givers). I consulted BCBS for referral to a preferred provider in my community and was provided with some resources. I was charged upon receiving the services and was advised to submit the invoice and my cancelled check to BCBS.

When I did so my claim was rejected because Medicare is my primary payer and the counseling service I attended did not accept Medicare. So even though I pay the premiums for two medical insurances I still lack coverage. A similar situation arose when I was prescribed orthotic shoe inserts by a Podiatrist. The Podiatrist office required payment and would not submit the claim to Medicare. So again BCBS would not pay because needs to pay first and BCBS is supposed to pay the unpaid balance. So it turns out that even those of us who are convinced that they have very good coverage are really wearing the emperor's new clothes.