Stories: Forced money wasting

[trailrated]

Back in highschool I broke my nose by kneeing myself in the face (interesting story in itself) and never went to the doctor after. Long story short almost 10 years later I had gotten used to hardly being able to breathe through my nose and figured...what if I could breathe normally, so I finally scheduled the surgery to fix it

When I arrived at the appointment the doctor told me my insurance would not cover the surgery unless I tried to fix the problem with medication (some nasal spray) first. He said it wouldn't fix the problem, but if I wanted insurance to cover the surgery I would have to spend $10 on the medicine that I wouldn't use to prove that I had tried to fix the problem in the first place.

End of the day, no big deal it is $10 but it is still annoying. Anyone else have a similar situation where you had to waste some money?

[Cherry Lane]

Yep.  Also medical insurance related.

An MRI was recommended to help diagnose some back pain.  Before the insurance would cover the MRI, I had to get an XRay.  No one expected the XRay to show anything (and it didn't), but that procedure had to come first.  Cost more that your $10.  The MRI revealed two herniated disks, which were subsequently treated.

[GardenFun]

Have to pay $25 for son to attend 1st Reconciliation retreat.  Can't do 1st Communion without it.  Growing up Lutheran, I find all this completely ridiculous at such a young age, but DH says if we don't do it now, it's even harder to get through it when he is older. 

I'm still out on whether we are going through with it. 

[geekette]

We have to pay $52.28 for 20 gallons of water/sewer usage (deceased FIL's house, small town, bills for the entire month even if you're only connected for a day).

[Rural]

I once had to buy a crown from the dentist that cracked one molar while drilling a small cavity in the adjacent tooth. Was  nearing the end of an insurance coverage year and had decided to self-insure the next year, so paying the SOB was cheaper than spending the time to find and get an appointment with a new dentist, which would run me into the self-insuring year. Crown went in on December 31, actually.

[Mrs. PoP]

Blue Cross won't pay approve coverage of a topical prescription (branded) unless I have tried the generic (oral) version in the previous 90 days.  $10 out of my pocket, $45 out of Blue Cross', and before taking a single pill I know the oral version doesn't work because I've tried it in the past (just not the last 90 days!).