My nightmare started when my neurologist recommended Botox injections.
"This should help reset the muscle patterns," Dr. Peterson said.
"I'll submit the referral today."
That was in January.
By March, I'd received four denial letters:
Denial #1: "Must try over-the-counter options first."
I'd been taking Excedrin daily for eight months.
Denial #2: "Insufficient documentation."
I had three years of doctor visits documenting daily headaches.
Denial #3: "Treatment considered experimental."
Botox has been FDA-approved since 2010.
Denial #4: "Doesn't meet severity criteria."
Daily pain preventing me from working isn't severe enough?
The appeals process became my part-time job.
Forms requesting information I'd already provided.
Phone calls to reps with zero medical training.
Medical records that kept getting "lost."
Being transferred between departments that all gave different answers.
Four months of bureaucratic torture while I suffered daily.