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Questions about getting my card

Discussion in 'Medical Marijuana Usage and Applications' started by MrNorcal, Sep 16, 2009.

  1. Hi everyone, i have been interested in getting my card for a while now and i figured some of you could help me out with some questions i have about the process. I live in the central valley and know people that have gotten their cards from medicann, and dr. assad i believe(are these good places to go?).
    i suffer from back pain from my time in the military and 2 car accidents i have been involved in. i have my military medical records that show that i have been treated and prescribed pain meds for a sore back before. i got in a car accident and went to the ER and had time off of work and was prescribed vics, soma, flexeril and motrin. do i need to get ahold of the hospital paperwork and bring that with me? the wreck wasnt my fault and im going to be getting some money for it soon, and i prefer to smoke over having to pop pills whenever my back hurts me.
    my last question is that i dont have insurance right now so how would that affect me?
     
  2. I'm going to assume that you're in California, your military records should be just fine, and you should have no issues with a recommending doctor as long as you bring your records.

    As for insurance it's irrelevant whether or not you have it, insurance won't touch MMJ, and 95% of the major medical groups will not allow their doctors to recommend MMJ (though I understand that some Kaiser doctors are allowed to do so). Doctors who specialize in MMJ recommendations usually take cash only, and do not bother with insurance since it's never covered.
     
  3. Actually Blue Cross is now reimbusing for MMJ along with several others. The Patient ID Center in Los Angles has all of the info on this and will help patients file the needed paperwork.

    P.S. Hello will!
     
  4. dont have any info to add but was interested in this same topic. will the insurance companies really reimburse fully? and just for the recommendation visit or for your meds too?

    ps. goodluck norcal!
     

  5. That is interesting news, I'll have to look that up. Having worked with Blue Cross at my last FT employment, I had gotten the impression from their reps that MMJ wasn't something they were interested in working with. Do you know if they're only reimbursing the cost of the recommendation or are they actually reimbursing for meds?
     
  6. About getting reimbursed for your MMJ:

    There is a medical billing place that claims that it can get you reimbursed for your MMJ, they are working with a lot of different co-ops recently. They charge you a fee, then submit your claim.

    This is a total scam. What they do is send the claim through an automated system, marked as something else, most commonly as an inhalant or as a doctors visit.

    Because these insurance companies use an automated system, many legitimate looking claims will be reimbursed, so some people do get their money back and it seems like it's legit, but that's not where it ends.

    Those claims are also randomly reviewed. When that happens, it's quickly detected as a fraudulent charge, and you can end up with a serious problem. Once the insurance companies catch on and they start a mass review of the claims this company is submitting, everyone who has used them is going to run into those same problems.

    Be VERY wary of anyone who tells you that you can get your MMJ costs reimbursed. If you want to be sure, you can call your insurance company and ask if MMJ is on their formulary (list of drugs they cover). You can bet it's not, as it's not approved by the FDA, and none of them cover it.
     
  7. I did do a bit of reasearch, and yes the office visit for your recommendation CAN be covered by a PPO plan, but good luck trying to get meds reimbursed.
     
  8. Agreed, this is a total scam! GE Medical billing and similar companies engage you in insurance fraud by reporting MMJ as a federally legal "inhalant." Great post, think critically, guys; don't believe everything you hear without doing proper research. Some shady dispensaries are still endorsing GM Medical, which tells you to stay far, far away from them.
     
  9. Well I recall awhile back Jeff @ Patient I.D Center saying that they had gotten blue cross and I believe some others re-imburseing for meds. I'll see him soon and ask about it and what the latest is.
     

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