Hi everyone I’m sorta fresh in the community here I’ve been lurking for a while though reading everyone’s testimonials on this wonderful medication!! I finally got the go ahead from my employer that starting June 1st our insurance will start covering the GLP-1 Zepbound 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 I’m so happy for this the only thing is, is that the copay on the employees is $400 a month so my question is does anyone have any experience with the discount cards From Eli Lilly and how would I go about obtaining and using one and don’t worry guys I know about the shortage and am willing to join the fight like everyone else have been I’ve been overweight since I was child and to know that something can finally help me feel better is here, I’m willing to do what it takes to reach my goals thank you some much for your responses in the meantime and I hope you all have a beautiful rest of your day!

My asthma has been severe for nearly a decade now, and I was starting to feel really depressed because it reached the point I was afraid to do a lot of things I want to do for fear of having a dangerous asthma attack and ruining the day for others or living alone and having a really bad flare and having to call 911. I was also really upset about how many meds I was on - singular, spiriva, symbicort, fasenra, albuterol, and an allergy med all for my asthma (not to mention the cost!)
I recently moved to a new city and met my new pulmonologist two weeks ago. We ditched symbicort and spiriva for Trelegy (only one puff a day!) and instead of albueterol I got Airsupra, which is working wayyyy better when I start getting my weird cough and tightness. I also have a copay card that makes the airsupra free!
I don’t know what the effects will be long term, and I know it’s only one less med, but I already feel so much more free and hopeful.
Just wanted to share in case anyone is feeling really down today and needed a positive post.

This is a long one so I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read it and can maybe give me some insight of their own experiences trying to get biologics and if the generic ones are any easier to get insurance to approve/pay for than the name brand.
I've been on Humira for about 5 years now and it's worked wonderfully for me but I'm having an increasingly difficult time getting my meds, to the point that almost one week out of every month I end up having to miss a dose due to issues with insurance or the pharmacy or the financial assistance, it's always something. These constant occurrences of having to miss doses (there's been multiple instances where I was off my meds for months at a time sorting out these types of issues) have caused me to have to increase my dose from every other week to weekly injections because the medicine wasn't working as effectively as it should be.
I'm sure you all know that when you repeatedly go on and off of biologics like this your body starts to build up a resistance and the medication becomes less and less effective at managing the disease.
Anyways, I used to be on the my abbvie assist program and that's how I got my meds for the first 4 years I was on them. I had a lot of issues with that program too, but for the most part, I got my meds on time and they shipped me three months at a time so even if it was late once or twice a year, it wasn't happening every month. Last year at the end of November I submitted a new application for financial assistance (which you have to do every year). It took them an incredibly long time to process the request and they kept telling me I was missing information on the application or that they needed my doctor to fax something over. It took 8 weeks of this back and forth before they finally called and told me that they had changed their program requirements. At this point, I had been off of my meds for two months and had to be put on steroids again to try and control the disease until they approved my application. They told me because my insurance company offers a copay savings card program I was now ineligible to use the my abbvie assist program.
So, I called the copay savings card program and got signed up with them. The first two months were fine (February and March), they shipped me a month's worth of meds each time and I was able to get them on time for $5/month. I thought great, this is working, I'm finally back on my medication. Boy was I wrong. Last month I started having issues again. At first, they told me that I didn't have any refills left, which didn't make sense because I had only refilled twice so I called my doctor and asked her to send in more refills. She called me back and said she had personally talked to the pharmacy and I still had 4 refills left so she wasn't sure why they weren't letting me refill it. So I called the pharmacy back and asked them to refill, saying my doctor confirmed with them and I had refills left. Long story short after about 5 days of calling people and getting sent to dozens of different departments and being given different phone numbers to call (one lady even gave me the phone number of an entirely different company that doesn't even supply my medication, it was absolutely insane how completely mismanaged they were and how much nobody I spoke to knew anything about who I needed to talk to). Eventually, I found out that they had changed the phone number to the specialty pharmacy and the number that I'd been using for the last couple of months to refill my medication now only went to the normal pharmacy, which is why they couldn't find my refills. I finally got my meds but it had been another 2 weeks of being off of them.
This month, I called again to refill my meds last Friday. I was told that my copay savings card was no longer active and if I wanted my meds I had to pay the $1300+ copay out of pocket. Obviously I can't afford that, but the copay savings card line was closed by that point in the evening so I had to wait until Monday this week to call them. I left a message yesterday and finally got someone to talk to me today. They told me that my account had been flagged and I had to call a separate number to complete a "benefits review". Okay, fine. I spent 3 hours on the phone with these people today and this is what I've learned:

• I am apparently using the available funds on the copay card "too quickly" and spending too much at a time on my medication so my account was flagged and insurance is threatening to increase my already very high deductible unless I spend less money on my medication per month (how??? it's not like I get to choose how much they are). They are effectively telling me that I can no longer use the copay card unless I want to deal with serious consequences with my insurance coverage. I've used almost all of the available funds they gave me for the year, and they won't be giving me any more.
  
• There is another savings program that my insurance uses that offers "cost relief" to help cover what the copay card won't so I can still afford my medication. Apparently, even though this is something my insurance covers, my specific plan excludes it as a benefit so I can't use it.
  
• This leaves me with two options. I can either pay $1300 upfront with my own money to get my meds every month and then wait for them to reimburse me, which I can't afford, or I can apply for the abbvie debit card program which works similarly to the copay assistance but is instead a physical card that they send me and I use that to pay the copays so my insurance is happy and then I pay abbvie the $5/month copay directly. I don't fully understand how it works but at this point, I don't care, as long as someone is sending me medication. I said I'd like to use the abbvie debit card, they said great we'll call you in approximately 3 business days to get you the card number. My next dose is in 3 business days. So best case scenario I'm missing another week's dose waiting for the debit card number so I can order the prescription and then waiting for the medication to ship.
  

I am so completely and utterly exhausted by this entire process and I am sick and tired of constantly missing doses of my medication. It's fucking with my body, it's sending me into flare ups, and it's decreasing the effectiveness of this medication that I am fighting so fucking hard to get every single month. I'm losing money having to take time off work to spend hours on the phone with these people. I just can't do this every month for the foreseeable future. It's not sustainable.
I am so close to calling my doctor and asking to switch medications to something that is cheaper or easier to acquire because I simply can't do this every month. But, tbh I don't have much hope that this won't be my experience with any medication I try. I'm also very afraid of possible side effects, Humira has worked wonderfully for me (when I can actually fucking take it) and I haven't had any side effects, switching meds is risky in that I could have a poor reaction to it and it could not work as well at controlling my symptoms. Has anyone out there had an easier time getting generic meds than their name brand counterparts? Is there any hope for getting my meds consistently on time without spending hours and hours of my life every month fighting with these people only for my meds to be late anyways? I'm at the end of my rope here. I desperately want someone to tell me that this isn't the universal experience but I'm also not stupid enough to believe I'll have better luck with any other company. I'm not even really sure what I'm looking for here. Advice? Hope? A place to vent? It just all feels pointless sometimes.
TL;DR - I'm having an incredibly hard time getting my Humira every month and keep getting kicked off of the financial assistance programs. This is causing me to miss a lot of doses and I'm obviously having a bad time as a result of that. Are the generic options any easier to get than the name brands like Humira? Is there any biologic out there that isn't this difficult to get every month?

hey guys, i’m a little confused with the savings card and wanted to know if anyone else had this issue or if the pharmacist maybe didn’t enter correctly? i have the trintellix savings card that i used when i got my first prescription, and it took my copay down to $10 (with insurance my copay is $100). i just picked up my second refill, and i showed the pharmacist the savings card and she told me that it actually made the price go up higher than $100, which doesn’t make any sense to me. can the savings card only be used once or is it meant to be used every time? could this have just been the pharmacist entering it incorrectly or an error on their end? the medication has been helping me so well, but if i have to pay $100 for it every time, i’m gonna have to get off of it since i can’t afford that every month. 😭

It's not an HSA, but a debit card given to me from The Difference Card, it has $3000 to use towards medical expenses (copays, prescriptions, etc). I used it for paying for some surgeries last year, but can't find anything about using this to pay for invisalign though. Was curious if anything had this experience of using it for that.

I was researching Arazlo and their website links you to a rx discount card website that talks about the different copay options.
I don’t have commercial insurance and my insurance doesn’t cover Arazlo, so I don’t qualify for the $25 and $65 copay options, but their website says something about a $75 cash option? Has anyone used this?
On GoodRX it shows that the cash copay for Arazlo is like $500+. I’m assuming if I sign up for this discount card, that’s how I get the $75 cash option, but I don’t understand how it works. If anyone has used this method please let me know!

Just wanted to let everyone in the U.S. know that if you want the cheapest price on Eucrisa, you should call them directly to get the best copay savings card. They're at 1-833-956-DERM.
There is more than one savings card. The one you sign up for online only reduces your cost to a minimum of $100 in some situations, for instance. But I called them directly, and now the cost is $35.
You have to get the pharmacy to run the BIN and other numbers from the savings card they email you after you talk to them on the phone.
Here's the website with the phone number, but again don't get the savings card online, call them directly: EUCRISA® (crisaborole) & Pfizer Dermatology Patient Access
Just thought I'd share this since I've spent an hour on the phone (going back and forth with the pharmacist and Pfizer and getting all the deets). And don't let the pharmacist tell you "oh, all the cards only reduce it to $100," since I just called back and made them actually run my specific card as secondary insurance with the BIN number, and now it's $35.
If your insurance covers any part of Eucrisa, I think you can get it even cheaper if you call.
If you have government insurance like Medicare or Medicaid, or if you're uninsured, there is a separate program for you at that number. A few years ago when I was uninsured, I got it for free.
Eucrisa helps me so much with my facial eczema, so I thought I'd spread this info since it's not apparent on the site.

Okay so I know that asking it through the phone or texting is suspicious but then they're offering it also through the email portal but I'm not really sure what the thing since they also offer it over phone with voice and phone over text which I find very sus.
And in case you're wondering no, it's not emergency services or anything like that. I'm not dying, I just need to set up an appointment.
I'm just trying to figure out which one I want and this one is like,
We need your insurance information, so I give it, and then they say that they need a bunch of information like my name, my birthday, and stuff like that, and then they say they want my credit card information and then I'm finding that really weird and then they send me an email and there I can log in and then put my credit card information into that but I'm still very nervous and I'm worried they're going to give me a co-pay and I can't afford a copay.
I live in US by the way.

My doctor is requiring me to pay my copay of $40 + 3% surcharge to secure my appointment on Thursday. I live in Texas and I’ve never had this happen to me before.
Is it legal/normal to charge a 3% fee for paying with a credit/debit card (even with FSA)?
Here’s the text message I received:
[PATIENT], the amount due for your appointment is $40 +3% surcharge =$41.20. IN ORDER TO SECURE YOUR APPOINTMENT, please kindly make the payment one day/24 hours before your appointment to avoid any CANCELLATIONS by clicking on this link: [WEBSITE] or call the office at [PHONE NO.], opt 2. Thank you.

Hello insurance,
I'm currently facing a confusing situation with my dental insurance and billing, and I could really use some guidance from anyone who might have experience or expertise in this area.
Background: After being assigned a new dentist by Blue Shield, I was given a contact number (408-266-6144) to set up my initial appointment. The dental office I called, and subsequently visited for two appointments, was under a different name than listed but at the same address and phone number. This new office, according to their website, does not accept Blue Shield, yet they proceeded with my appointments without notifying me of this.

• First Visit (May 3rd): I had a basic check-up, X-rays, and evaluation but was later billed for out-of-network charges totaling $753, with no coverage applied.
• Second Visit (May 9th): This included cleaning and fillings. Although it was billed as in-network, the copays were inconsistent with my plan details. For example, resin-based composite fillings, typically a $30 copay per tooth, cost me $55 per tooth.

Insurance Details: My plan, a Family Dental HMO from Blue Shield of California, mentions $30 copays for basic fillings and no deductible. It's supposed to cover in-network services fully, but it turns out the provider was out-of-network on my first visit without informing me, and then mysteriously in-network on the second.
Additional Charges: Beyond the copay discrepancies, I was unexpectedly charged $285 on my debit card the day after my second appointment, in addition to the $25 copay I had paid during the visit.
I have already reached out to my insurance company and the dental office trying to make sense of these issues. Can anyone here help clarify potential next steps or share if they've experienced something similar? Any advice on how to navigate this with my insurance or the dental office would be greatly appreciated.

I’d love for any detractors to correct me!!
Now, there’s a couple talking points people tend to use to support this nonsense and I’ll talk about some here. If you can think of any more, talk about them in the comments!!
Some people (idiots) say you won’t be able to get a diagnosis if:

• you’re low income.

You’re in luck my friend!! There is hope. Some universities allow psych students, under the supervision of a professional, to do assessments, not something super in depth like an autism assessment, but easier to screen disorders. My therapist actually had this done on him and it was an in depth assessment too. And he was able to get his answers. It’s way cheaper than going to a full on professional. And it’s good, just not AS good. You can call ahead of time and ask the psych/therapist office how much the appointment will cost out of pocket. A lot of places are willing to give you a discount if you just ask to do a copay based off income. The reason why the costs tend to be so high (in the US) because insurance effs up the cost of everything. I’ve done this before. It’s generally cheaper than going through insurance. At my old therapy place, it was $50 an appointment with insurance. Without insurance it was $5 an appointment. Just don’t tell them you have insurance until you get the rate. Go to a non profit or state ran facility. Not nearly as glamorous as your private places, but if you’re desperate enough to self diagnose, take what you can get. One of my close friends goes to a non profit place and he gets therapy for free since they also base off income.

• you’re a woman or a POC

As a former woman myself, I can attest some psych professionals are sexist. But remember, a diagnosis CAN be changed as you talk to the person more and they get a proper history on you. I got a BPD misdiagnosis because I’m a trans man and I have bipolar disorder. I was dismissed. So I went to another professional who listened. After a couple appointments he was baffled on how I even got that diagnosis because I had maybe two symptoms? And those overlapped with my bipolar symptoms. It sucks. Anywho, enough talk about myself. But like in any serious situation, it’s up to you to advocate for yourself. Not in an ‘I HAVE THIS I KNOW I DO’ way. But in an ‘I don’t believe this diagnosis is right and here’s why’ way. This way works. Don’t be a know it all, they’ll just dismiss you.

• you don’t fit the stereotypical depiction of the disorder

Atypical presentations of disorders can exist, yes. But make sure you’re going to the RIGHT professional. See a neuropsychologist for an ADHD diagnosis. Not your damn GP. The neuropsychologist can spot the disorder from a mile away.

• your rights will be taken away

This just isn’t true.. you won’t lose your freedoms. A diagnosis can only help you, you don’t have to tell someone like your employer unless you’re a government employee. You can get accommodations and extra time off if you disclose your diagnosis.
What you can do instead of self-dx:

• accommodate yourself. Don’t feel shame for this. As long as you’re a nuisance
  
• track your symptoms and present it to a professional
  
• talk to diagnosed people for advice on how they treat their symptoms if you’re also experiencing them.
  
• if your symptoms are so extreme, come up with a crisis plan. I keep a small bag of my meds with me everywhere I go, my insurance card/ card with my meds and doses and my emergency contact info in my wallet. If I can be prepared, you likely can too, especially if you’re an adult.
  

I am NOT the Original Poster. That is u/throwaway_75O. They posted in AmIOverreacting and TrueOffMyChest.
Trigger Warning: racism; food insecurity
Mood Spoiler: this will absolutely infuriate you
Original Post: April 14, 2024
On Thursday I got a phone call from my son telling me he had detention and wasn’t going to be on the bus. He usually has a cell phone but I haven't been able to afford a card for it but he knew I’d get worried. When I asked why he had detention the phone was hung up. I thought if a student was going to be held the school would notify the parent but I guess not. My son is a really good kid who never had any issues so I went to the school.
He was taking food from his lunch to save for later. Lunch is free but if a student wants a second one they have to buy a second tray. The rules are that food/drink can’t be taken to class. He said he wasn’t trying to sneak food for class, he was taking it straight to his locker to save for after school. The lunch monitor caught him a few times and started making him flip his pockets inside out. Embarrassing him in front of the entire lunchroom. Instead of letting him just eat what he was trying to save quickly she would make him throw it away, perfectly good food.
On Thursday she stopped him again and said he was “trying to be slick” and was “scurrying like a raccoon to his locker”. He showed her his pockets but that wasn’t enough. She tried to pat him down to check. He refused so he was given after school detention for “insubordination” and was made to apologize to the lunch monitor.
When asked why he kept trying to get away with it he shrugged and just said “I just wanted a snack for the bus, I’m always hungry”. Every student goes to their locker after lunch because they aren't allowed to bring their binders/bookbags into the lunchroom. On friday I went back to the school to talk with the principal because I didn’t think what he did was enough to deserve detention. He is a straight A student. I was basically told the rules are rules, no exceptions.
I’m still so upset. When I asked him why he didn’t just take a snack from home he said it wouldn’t be fair to his siblings and me if he took an extra snack. We don’t have snacks all the time unless the food bank gives us some. Food insecurity sucks and my son is experiencing it and getting punished for it. I know I’m a POS mom because most of our meals are beans and rice and nothing he could really even take to school. I'm ashamed to admit we all don't eat enough at home but school lunch is free food, he should be able to enjoy it all.
Am I overreacting? She was acting like he was robbing a bank or something. Plus no one should ever try touching a child, period.
Relevant Comments:
Commenter: Grades don't necessarily correlate to behavior. I do find it worrying though that the lunch aid publicly huimiliated your son, and attempted to touch him. As well as you not being informed that they were keeping him. I also don't think he did anything wrong. What's wrong with leftovers? Why does that equal detention?

OOP: Detention for "insubordination" because he told the lunch monitor no. Nothing is wrong with leftovers but we never have enough.

Commenter: You're not overreacting. You're son being hungry and getting food is more important than their stupid fucking rule. And definitely tell the school they are no longer allowed to frisk him. They don't get to touch him when they want just because of food. He's not dangerous.

OOP: He was treated like he was robbing a bank or something. Gatekeeping food from a kid is infuriating. He wasn't trying to steal a second lunch.

Commenter: What do kids who bring their own lunches do if they don’t eat it all? Do they have to throw it away? Do they check everyone’s lunch boxes? Are they not allowed to have food in their lockers?

OOP: Each student picks either a sack lunch or a hot lunch. I'm guessing they do this so a kid doesn't get a second lunch without paying? If he brought a sack lunch he would have a lunchbox and leftover food is ok if it's in a lunch box. It doesn't make sense to me.

Commenter: Not overreacting. I'm sorry you and your family are experiencing food insecurity. It sounds like you're doing the best you can to provide for your kids. Plus raising a kid who considers how taking an extra snack for himself would impact the others.
It makes sense that he should be able to keep the leftovers from his free lunch for later. If the school has any idea of your situation (which I get they might not), idk how they can hear him say "I just wanted a snack for the bus, I'm always hungry" and not see how they could help simply by letting him keep extra food from his meal.

OOP: When I asked the school for any resources besides our town food bank he was given a "to go" bag on the weekend with some food but it was only two times before he was told he couldn't get it anymore.
I'm frustrated and so upset because he never told me how hungry he has been. He is old enough to know we are struggling.
The lunch monitor making him throw away perfectly good food has me in literal tears.

Commenter: The fact that they tried to pat him down is fucking outragious. He is a child! No adult should be touching him without his consent in any way.
Sorry if this is too personal, but if yall are not white, I would call that fucking racism too

OOP: The raccoon comment was 100% racist. I went in on Friday and wanted to talk to the lunch monitor but she refused saying I should focus on "feeding my kid so he isn't being sneaky".

OOP also Posts in True Off My Chest. Text is the same except for the end:
I’m still so upset. When I asked him why he didn’t just take a snack from home he said it wouldn’t be fair to his siblings and me if he took an extra snack. He is always making sure all our meals are equal and I used to think it was just OCD but he literally won’t/can’t eat if we all don’t have the same amount.
We don’t have snacks all the time unless the food bank gives us some. Food insecurity sucks and my son is experiencing it and getting punished for it. I know I’m a POS mom because my pantry/fridge is always bare despite utilizing food banks and most of our meals are beans and rice but school lunch is free food that he should be able to enjoy it all.
Gatekeeping free food from a child is so fucking wrong.
Update Post: April 22, 2024 (8 days later)
I went to the school on Monday and was told I had to make a meeting to talk to the principal again. I was told yesterday that students can either choose hot lunch or bring lunch from home but can’t do both.
If he brings a lunch from home he can save whatever he doesn’t eat in his lunchbox. He can’t bring an empty lunch bag from home to hold whatever he wants to save from his hot lunch. He told his principal that if he eats too fast he gets sick and that is why he tries to save half of his lunch.
The principal said he would need a doctor's note to be able to save his food. I can barely feed my kids right now, I can’t afford an unnecessary copay. I’d love to send him with a sack lunch so he can eat at his own pace but extra groceries are not in my budget, I’m barely making it as is. I’m going to try and speak to someone at our local news station because calling the district is going nowhere
Relevant Comments:
Commenter (downvoted): Hes got an hour to eat his lunch in so I doubt hes getting sick. And the school probabily thought you were lying too. In your first post you said he was saving it because he wanted a snack for on the bus. I dont think lying to the school was the best way forward. I honestly dont know why you would think that would work.

OOP: They do not have an hour to eat! I didn't lie to the school either. He said he was saving it for the bus and said the same thing to his principal and added that if he eats fast he gets sick.

Commenter: Can you imagine how embarrassed her son will be when mom contacts the news. Now everyone in his school/town/district will know that his family has food insecurities.

OOP: This is why I'm hesitant but this isn't right.

Editor's note- just to back up mom's claim here- for reference, I had 25 minutes for lunch in high school. And I had to stand in line, buy my lunch and eat it in that amount of time.

A reminder- do not comment on Original Posts. See rule 7. You put this entire sub at risk.

(I get that this one in particular is frustrating, but stick to this comment section only!)

I was recently prescribed Wegovy by my GP and am so excited to start this journey to finally lose weight since I’ve been heavy ever since I was born (now BMI 40.15, Female, 5’-5.5” with severe depression from my weight and constant food chatter and hunger), but ran into roadblocks with the price. My employer-provided United Healthcare PPO “approved” it for me, but it is still $1227/mo “with” insurance.
I was also approved for the Wegovy manufacturer savings card, but that only took off $225. My Optum Perks card and an online search of GoodRX were even worse with only $100 off (and of course non of these can be combined).
I’ve been seeing posts on here mention a $25 copay, and I’m wondering which insurance that might be with? Also if anyone else has dealt with this and found a way to get the price down by appealing to insurance on their own or with their doctor? Thanks in advance!

So, awhile ago I posted how I thought my Walgreens was being shady with my Zepbound prescription. Turns out, I was right. My insurance got billed for it, it was marked as filled and the pharmacy DID receive my prescription twice. So, during this shortage I had two boxes of 7.5 mg come to my Walgreens for me just to have the pharmacist take them and sell them for cash elsewhere. I’m extremely disappointed but my insurance is now doing a full fraud investigation on this Walgreens and this pharmacist. The Walgreens itself has a 1 star rating. I did switch pharmacies and the other hasn’t been able to get any Zepbound. My last shot was March 27th and basically I’ve gained most of my weight back even with diet and exercise. My endo ultimately decided to switch me to ozempic and accidentally sent it to that previous Walgreens which is what prompted me to have my insurance investigate. Because upon arrival the same pharmacist told me ozempic was completely out of stock as well and that he never got my prescription. Frustrated again, I decided to call my insurance which is how I found that my suspicion was in fact true. Overall disappointed that I could have stayed on track this last month of missing out on shots had this pharmacist not stolen my medication. I now have to wait until my doctors office opens Monday to call to let them know this script was also stolen and to send my ozempic elsewhere. All I can say is, don’t trust a Walgreens and if you feel something shady is going on call your insurance immediately and have them investigate for fraud. Homie at least paid the copay of $15 when he stole the prescriptions and wasn’t smart enough to not use his own personal card.

ive waited a while to post on this subreddit, and chose an account with no history to keep myself secure.
i’m 15m (AFAB, i’m transgender) and have been dealing with chronic pain for the last two years. i cannot stand for long periods of time and its made me really depressed. in order to be able to take myself places, i use a cane and a rollator, because the pain of not being able to go anywhere has broken my heart. i keep my rollator at school and my cane is foldable.
my mom took me to the doctor around december, where they scheduled me a blood and urine test, and nothing showed. after that, shes outright refused to take me back to the doctor because theres “nothing wrong with me”, even though i know there is. she even opened up to the idea of it but refused to take me to physical therapy because she doesnt believe i want to get better.
i have reasonable suspicion for ehlers danlos, hypermobile type and have done extensive research on the diagnostic criteria and various comorbidities and would like to be seen by a specialist.
i dont know where to start, it feels like im breaking and nobody cares. i cant stand or walk unaided for more than an hour and by then i get crazy sciatica and have used all my energy for the day. i cant even hold my head up because my neck feels so weak. i need help and nobody is listening to me.
my question, as a minor, can i see a doctor on my own? preferably without my parents knowing? i have my healthcare card and have access to the cash needed to pay copays. if i can, who do i see? what do i do? im clueless.
tl;dr, my mom refuses to take me to the doctor and/or physical therapy even though my body is breaking. can i see the doctor on my own, and where do i start?

Tl/dr; got fed up with being strung along by my attorney and general unprofessional behavior. Just as I’m ready to hire new counsel he gets off his ass and does something.
Apologies for the length. Some of it is just venting but also wanted to make sure the facts are complete.
I filed for a legal separation in November. My husband had a stroke last year that led to him spending money very recklessly and generally making very poor decisions overall. The intent of the separation was to prevent him from accessing our retirement and investment accounts and blowing through it.
Subsequent to the separation, he moved to an assisted living facility, but I have remained in a supportive role for him and we have been mostly amicable…until recently.
Once the separation was filed, my attorney pretty much ghosted me. My husband never responded to the separation papers and he didn’t even follow up with a default judgment.
Intially that didn’t bother me too much, as simply filing accomplished what I needed. He wasn’t allowed to access those funds without my permission. But his lack of impulse control continues to get worse and his spending is spiraling more and more out of control.
Between his social security and disability payments, he receives over $7k a month, which is more than my take home. His rent at the facility is $3.5k with three meals and all utilities included. He only pays extra for premium cable . I cover his insurance and med copays out of my HSA. But he still runs out of money and maxed out credit cards to the tune of $40k. I’ve had to cover his rent 4 out of the last 6 months. I am covering our mortgage and related expenses , gas, food and everything else . The utilities have gone down and less groceries but I’m basically covering everything that 2 incomes covered before his stroke by myself. I’m fine with doing that and as long as I don’t have to also fork out his rent every month, I can swing it financially.
Multiple calls and messages to my attorney explaining that the situation was deteriorating and I needed more aggressive action went unanswered for a least 2 months. I finally sent him an email stating that if he couldn’t communicate professionally then please deduct the few hours he actually did anything for me and refund the rest of my fee. He called within an hour. The plan was to file a motion for summary judgment with a request that a guardian ad litem be appointed for my husband and the court to determine if a conservator should be appointed . That was in March I think. I’ve spoken to him maybe three times since, always me calling , always ending with promises to move things along, but literally nothing has been done to progress the case.
I finally spoke to him Monday and had to “bring him up to speed” on the status of the case and re-explain the approach we had agreed upon. He said “he’d get right on it.” Hadn’t heard from him by Thursday so first thing this morning I called another lawyer. Did an intake over the phone with his paralegal, who seemed to appreciate the urgency. The lawyer called me back within a couple of hours and we had a very productive discussion. By 3 he emailed me draft motions to review and a representation agreement to sign.
At 4, I received a one sentence text message from the first lawyer’s paralegal that said “your hearing is May 23 at 9 am”. That’s it. Hearing for what? What did they file? What fucking court ?
Given the timing, I think it’s likely lawyer #2 informed lawyer #1 that I was retaining new counsel.
If you’ve made it this far , thanks.
So here are my questions. The representation agreement I signed with the first lawyer was for a “legal separation “. Technically, since a default judgment was never filed, he hasn’t provided what was agreed to. If I go ahead and fire him am I entitled to a portion of my fee back? Even if not, I’m still inclined to go with lawyer #2.
If I go with #2, can he represent me at the hearing that’s already been scheduled or does he have to schedule another one? I don’t want to waste any more time.
What’s the process for firing #1 if I don’t ask for any money back? Petty me just wants to ghost him and let him find out when he shows up (assuming he even does) at this hearing that’s so top secret he can’t even tell me where it’s at or what exactly it’s about.
ETA: I paid him a flat fee, not a retainer.

Tl/dr; got fed up with being strung along by my attorney and general unprofessional behavior. Just as I’m ready to hire new counsel he gets off his ass and does something.
Apologies for the length. Some of it is just venting but also wanted to make sure the facts are complete.
I filed for a legal separation in November. My husband had a stroke last year that led to him spending money very recklessly and generally making very poor decisions overall. The intent of the separation was to prevent him from accessing our retirement and investment accounts and blowing through it.
Subsequent to the separation, he moved to an assisted living facility, but I have remained in a supportive role for him and we have been mostly amicable…until recently.
Once the separation was filed, my attorney pretty much ghosted me. My husband never responded to the separation papers and he didn’t even follow up with a default judgment.
Intially that didn’t bother me too much, as simply filing accomplished what I needed. He wasn’t allowed to access those funds without my permission. But his lack of impulse control continues to get worse and his spending is spiraling more and more out of control.
Between his social security and disability payments, he receives over $7k a month, which is more than my take home. His rent at the facility is $3.5k with three meals and all utilities included. He only pays extra for premium cable . I cover his insurance and med copays out of my HSA. But he still runs out of money and maxed out credit cards to the tune of $40k. I’ve had to cover his rent 4 out of the last 6 months. I am covering our mortgage and related expenses , gas, food and everything else . The utilities have gone down and less groceries but I’m basically covering everything that 2 incomes covered before his stroke by myself. I’m fine with doing that and as long as I don’t have to also fork out his rent every month, I can swing it financially.
Multiple calls and messages to my attorney explaining that the situation was deteriorating and I needed more aggressive action went unanswered for a least 2 months. I finally sent him an email stating that if he couldn’t communicate professionally then please deduct the few hours he actually did anything for me and refund the rest of my fee. He called within an hour. The plan was to file a motion for summary judgment with a request that a guardian ad litem be appointed for my husband and the court to determine if a conservator should be appointed . That was in March I think. I’ve spoken to him maybe three times since, always me calling , always ending with promises to move things along, but literally nothing has been done to progress the case.
I finally spoke to him Monday and had to “bring him up to speed” on the status of the case and re-explain the approach we had agreed upon. He said “he’d get right on it.” Hadn’t heard from him by Thursday so first thing this morning I called another lawyer. Did an intake over the phone with his paralegal, who seemed to appreciate the urgency. The lawyer called me back within a couple of hours and we had a very productive discussion. By 3 he emailed me draft motions to review and a representation agreement to sign.
At 4, I received a one sentence text message from the first lawyer’s paralegal that said “your hearing is May 23 at 9 am”. That’s it. Hearing for what? What did they file? What fucking court ?
Given the timing, I think it’s likely lawyer #2 informed lawyer #1 that I was retaining new counsel.
If you’ve made it this far , thanks.
So here are my questions. The representation agreement I signed with the first lawyer was for a “legal separation “. Technically, since a default judgment was never filed, he hasn’t provided what was agreed to. If I go ahead and fire him am I entitled to a portion of my fee back? Even if not, I’m still inclined to go with lawyer #2.
If I go with #2, can he represent me at the hearing that’s already been scheduled or does he have to schedule another one? I don’t want to waste any more time.
What’s the process for firing #1 if I don’t ask for any money back? Petty me just wants to ghost him and let him find out when he shows up (assuming he even does) at this hearing that’s so top secret he can’t even tell me where it’s at or what exactly it’s about.

• Rest Up: If you've just arrived from a long flight, prioritise rest to combat jet lag and refresh yourself for the day ahead.
• Explore Your Surroundings: Take some time to familiarise yourself with the area around your accommodation. Walk around, locate essential amenities like grocery stores or pharmacies, and get a feel for the neighbourhood.
• Get Essentials: Stock up on essentials like food, water, and toiletries. You may also need to purchase.
• Get a SIM card or an eSIM: Do some research before obtaining a SIM card or an eSIM, that includes coverage, offered plans, pricing, compatibility with your mobile device, the activation process and paperwork needed.
• Safety First: Be mindful of your surroundings and take necessary precautions to keep yourself and your belongings safe. Familiarise yourself with local emergency numbers and procedures.
• Transportation: If you haven't already arranged transportation, familiarise yourself with public transit options,Taxis, share rides (Uber, Lyft, …), and bike shares (e.g., CitiBike). Apps like Google Maps can be helpful for navigating public transportation routes.
• Cultural Etiquette: Take note of cultural norms and etiquette in the US, such as tipping in restaurants and respecting personal space. Observing these customs can help you navigate social interactions smoothly.
• Documentation: Keep important documents like your passport, visa, and any immigration paperwork in a safe and secure location. It's also a good idea to make copies or digital scans as backups.
• Health Insurance: Health insurance plays a vital role in protecting individuals' health, financial well-being, and access to essential healthcare services in the US, therefore It should be among the top list of things to get in your first days in the US. When seeking health insurance, start by understanding key terms like premiums, deductibles, and copayments. Determine eligibility for coverage through options like employer plans, University/School plans, Medicaid, or the Health Insurance Marketplace. Explore employer-provided coverage or inquire about being added to a parent's plan. If those options aren't available, research plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace, comparing factors like costs, coverage, and networks. Gather necessary information and enroll during the annual open enrollment period or during a special enrollment period triggered by qualifying life events. After enrolling, understand your coverage details and take advantage of preventive services covered by your plan. Stay informed about changes to your plan and utilize resources provided by your insurer to make the most of your coverage.
• Service interaction: you can inquire about, book, and pay for various services over the phone. In addition to using digital platforms and mobile apps, phone-based services are a convenient option for those who prefer or need assistance via phone call. You can easily inquire about products, services, or appointments by calling dedicated customer service hotlines or business lines. Booking appointments, reservations, flights, or hotels can also be efficiently done over the phone, providing convenience for those who prefer this method. Additionally, phone-based payments are accepted by many businesses, allowing customers to provide credit card information or authorize transactions during a phone call, adding another layer of flexibility to the customer experience.
• Bank Account and Credit Cards: Opening a bank account and obtaining a credit card as a newcomer in the US is a fundamental step towards managing finances and building credit history. Establishing a bank account provides a secure place to deposit funds, access banking services, and build financial stability. A credit card enables convenient payments, establishes credit history, and facilitates larger purchases or emergencies. Both are essential for navigating daily financial transactions and establishing a financial foothold in the US. Research bank and credit card options, gather necessary documents (passport, SSN, proof of address, income), visit a bank to open an account, deposit funds, apply for a credit card, and complete the application process. Use credit responsibly, monitor accounts for security, and seek guidance if needed.

Tl/dr; got fed up with being strung along by my attorney and general unprofessional behavior. Just as I’m ready to hire new counsel he gets off his ass and does something.
Apologies for the length. Some of it is just venting but also wanted to make sure the facts are complete.
I filed for a legal separation in November. My husband had a stroke last year that led to him spending money very recklessly and generally making very poor decisions overall. The intent of the separation was to prevent him from accessing our retirement and investment accounts and blowing through it.
Subsequent to the separation, he moved to an assisted living facility, but I have remained in a supportive role for him and we have been mostly amicable…until recently.
Once the separation was filed, my attorney pretty much ghosted me. My husband never responded to the separation papers and he didn’t even follow up with a default judgment.
Intially that didn’t bother me too much, as simply filing accomplished what I needed. He wasn’t allowed to access those funds without my permission. But his lack of impulse control continues to get worse and his spending is spiraling more and more out of control.
Between his social security and disability payments, he receives over $7k a month, which is more than my take home. His rent at the facility is $3.5k with three meals and all utilities included. He only pays extra for premium cable . I cover his insurance and med copays out of my HSA. But he still runs out of money and maxed out credit cards to the tune of $40k. I’ve had to cover his rent 4 out of the last 6 months. I am covering our mortgage and related expenses , gas, food and everything else . The utilities have gone down and less groceries but I’m basically covering everything that 2 incomes covered before his stroke by myself. I’m fine with doing that and as long as I don’t have to also fork out his rent every month, I can swing it financially.
Multiple calls and messages to my attorney explaining that the situation was deteriorating and I needed more aggressive action went unanswered for a least 2 months. I finally sent him an email stating that if he couldn’t communicate professionally then please deduct the few hours he actually did anything for me and refund the rest of my fee. He called within an hour. The plan was to file a motion for summary judgment with a request that a guardian ad litem be appointed for my husband and the court to determine if a conservator should be appointed . That was in March I think. I’ve spoken to him maybe three times since, always me calling , always ending with promises to move things along, but literally nothing has been done to progress the case.
I finally spoke to him Monday and had to “bring him up to speed” on the status of the case and re-explain the approach we had agreed upon. He said “he’d get right on it.” Hadn’t heard from him by Thursday so first thing this morning I called another lawyer. Did an intake over the phone with his paralegal, who seemed to appreciate the urgency. The lawyer called me back within a couple of hours and we had a very productive discussion. By 3 he emailed me draft motions to review and a representation agreement to sign.
At 4, I received a one sentence text message from the first lawyer’s paralegal that said “your hearing is May 23 at 9 am”. That’s it. Hearing for what? What did they file? What fucking court ?
Given the timing, I think it’s likely lawyer #2 informed lawyer #1 that I was retaining new counsel.
If you’ve made it this far , thanks.
So here are my questions. The representation agreement I signed with the first lawyer was for a “legal separation “. Technically, since a default judgment was never filed, he hasn’t provided what was agreed to. If I go ahead and fire him am I entitled to a portion of my fee back? Even if not, I’m still inclined to go with lawyer #2.
If I go with #2, can he represent me at the hearing that’s already been scheduled or does he have to schedule another one? I don’t want to waste any more time.
What’s the process for firing #1 if I don’t ask for any money back? Petty me just wants to ghost him and let him find out when he shows up (assuming he even does) at this hearing that’s so top secret he can’t even tell me where it’s at or what exactly it’s about.

Hello all I would greatly appreciate assistance on this matter.
I live in the state of Texas, and currently have the Dupixent myway copay card.
From what it appears based on what the blue cross support specialist told me, the pharmacy benefit company, Prime Therapeutics, is reversing pharmacy claims, so that the $2900 Dupixent pays does not count towards my deductible.
From what I've researched online this is called a "co-pay" accumulator, and is illegal in the state of Texas effective September 2023.
https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB999/2023
However, when I called Prime Therapeutics, I was told this didn't count for all health plans, and that my health plan requires the payment to be truly out of my pocket.
I called Dupixent myway and the only thing I was offered was a debit card.
Is what Prime Therapeutics doing illegal in my state? Or am I in the wrong? I tried to ask what my full health plan benefits state about copay accumulators but she dodged the question completely.
So far two payments of $2900 have processed using the copay card. Meaning that I only have $5800 left, or approximately two months left before I'm out and have to pay the medication out of pocket...
I cannot afford to pay $2900 out of pocket or even $700 monthly (what is supposed to happen after my insurance reaches deductible).
Dupixent recently let me know that I could receive a debit card. If I use their debit card would it count towards my deductible? Or does that also not work. The debit card thing was confusing to me to be honest because I don't really see the difference between using that and my copay card.
UPDATE:
On the phone with Prime Therapeutics. They told me that because my plan is connected to an HSA that state and federal laws do not apply. And that they only go by IRS guidelines. This blows.
If anyone else can offer clarification on this I would greatly appreciate it.

Need Help to cover sons therapy can pay back on June 1st. In need of some help to pay to keep my son in his therapies. I need to come up with $150 to pay for my son's therapy Copay and can pay it back by June 1st or before if I get my tax refund. My son is 7 years old and has Autism and I finally got him the additional therapies he needs to continue to thrive. He has finally started talking and communicating better since hes started i had until the 9th and was able to pay $200 of the $350 I still owed yesterday so they said they would give me until Monday. If i dont then he loses his spot since they have a waiting list. He has insurance but I have to pay the 1500 copay every few months out of pocket and then I get reimbursed by insurance within a few weeks. I already put the other 1150 on my credit card. I am just short this month between a car issue and I was really hoping to get my tax refund but it hasn't come in yet. I've worked so hard to get him to this good place since its just us and I don't want to see him lose his place because I don't have the rest of the payment. If anyone could help in any way it would be appreciated more than you know! Pp email: katherinenikola881@gmail.com

Hello all I would greatly appreciate assistance on this matter.
Age: 25 Zip code: 77019 Income: $65,000
I’m in the state of Texas.
I am prescribed Dupixent for severe eczema. I have employer insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO Plan with a deductible of $3200.
From what it appears based on what the blue cross support specialist told me, the specialty pharmacy, Accredo, is reversing pharmacy claims, even though I’ve received my prescriptions. This is preventing me from meeting my deductible.
I do have a dupixent my-way card that pays the rest of the balance. I was told that whenever insurance companies reverse claims due to manufacturer co-pay cards, it is called a “copay accumulator.”
Based on my research, this is illegal in several states. In fact, it became illegal in the state of Texas in September of 2023.
I am wondering for advice on any next steps. Do I contact the specialty pharmacy and demand that they stop reversing my claims? So far my experience with them has been terrible, what do I say to them etc. Or do I reach out to my insurance again? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.