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by rabboRubble 3180 days ago
40+ F here... a couple of years ago I got "serious" about my health. I had been generally healthy and slacking for the last decades. I made sure all my vaccinations were up to date. Out of all medical related tasks, getting the HEPA/B vaccines were the biggest fight.

I had to argue with my primary care doctor for them. I also had to fight the insurance company for them. The primary care doctor relented after I stated "these vaccines are on the CDC recommended list of vaccines for all healthy adults over the age of X. I do not understand why you are rejecting the idea. It seems contrary to good public health policy." She put in the request uncertain if the insurance company would authorize but I got the first shot so I assumed the troubles were over. Wrong...

Come time to get the 2nd shot of 3 (I think the combined A/B vaccine is a 3 part shot IDK), the care team tells me "we are not sure if we can give you the 2nd shot because the insurance provider rejected the first shot request". Why they didn't tell me right away, no idea. So we danced around for a while, and I finally asked how much the entire series of shots were. They didn't know. Is is $100 or $1000? I tell them if it's $100 I'll just pay for it myself, far cheaper than hospitalization. I guess after some embarrassment on their part, I get the 2nd shot without paying and don't hear about the problems between the doctor office and the insurance company again. I ask before the 3rd shot if the issues got cleared and I heard nothing. Haven't been billed either so I am assuming all is well.

Sooooooo.... while homeless population increases, publicly accessible toilets and sinks disappear, plastic shopping bags are outlawed, my by experience doctors and insurance companies have been dissuading people from getting vaccine protections. We are surprised a dirty unsanitary society with a shitty healthcare system has disease outbreaks? I am not, not at all. It's why I fought so hard for the vaccinations. I would get the a HEPc vaccine if there was one available.

1 comments

Thank you for doing your part!