In Professional Healthcare Monitoring Program

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Oct 7, 2019

SunX...sounds about right. The name is familiar but not as the director, though I know it was some fancy “executive something or other” BS title.

Nonetheless, the doings that you describe rather well mesh with how it’s done here, right down them having their pet places and evaluators that are “approved”. As far as changing the participant agreement/manual at their pleasure, yup, that’s another one. The catch is when you sign the contract you are agreeing to all stips in the contract and the rules in the participant manual. There’s also a line in said manual that says something to the effect of them reserving to right to change/update the manual as they see fit. So yeah, it’s kind of a sneaky stretch but that’s how they get by making all those changes.

Also yeah...some choice...play their little extortion games and open your wallet to repetitive raping or give up your means to afford living indoors. Quite a racket they’ve got going with these things.

sunxfire, DNP · Oct 7, 2019

We have a few people that are struggling to pay for food, as they have just entered the program. I was fortunate because it was a tiny bit more reasonable when I started--45-65 dollar screens, and 60 dollar monthly payment. Now it's minimum of 65 for a UDS with a minimum of 4 PEth tests per year and 110 monthly. They have also added the right to test 3x per month when they feel like it. The billing for our testing is really sketchy too, and they add in weird fees and fines that aren't itemized. I know there is a Professional Assistance Program (for doctor's, np's, pa's), but they make sure we don't know about that program until after we sign their contract, and switching would be a breach of the contract we signed with them. Apparently, with the PAP program, insurance will cover the screens because they have a doctor that will reinforce the medical necessity of ongoing drug screening. I wonder if any other states have that as well?!

sunxfire, DNP · Oct 8, 2019

Has anyone ever been successful at submitting their testing bill to insurance for reimbursement? Also, has anyone successfully obtained their lab results/lab report from the monitoring program or affiliated third-party lab site?

Wouldn't this be considered a violation of health information rights? ...or is there some sort of loophole?

Kira4357, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2019

15 hours ago, catsmeow1972 said:
SunX...sounds about right. The name is familiar but not as the director, though I know it was some fancy “executive something or other” BS title.
Nonetheless, the doings that you describe rather well mesh with how it’s done here, right down them having their pet places and evaluators that are “approved”. As far as changing the participant agreement/manual at their pleasure, yup, that’s another one. The catch is when you sign the contract you are agreeing to all stips in the contract and the rules in the participant manual. There’s also a line in said manual that says something to the effect of them reserving to right to change/update the manual as they see fit. So yeah, it’s kind of a sneaky stretch but that’s how they get by making all those changes.
Also yeah...some choice...play their little extortion games and open your wallet to repetitive raping or give up your means to afford living indoors. Quite a racket they’ve got going with these things.

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2019

4 hours ago, sunxfire said:
Has anyone ever been successful at submitting their testing bill to insurance for reimbursement? Also, has anyone successfully obtained their lab results/lab report from the monitoring program or affiliated third-party lab site?
Wouldn't this be considered a violation of health information rights? ...or is there some sort of loophole?

I found once some type of ‘insurance claim’ form but the only info it had was a CPT code. There was no diagnosis and no evidence of it being ordered by a physician. I am pretty sure any insurance company would reject it based on that. Besides even if by some miracle, they did reimburse, it would be for no where near what the participant is forced to pay. If you look at your EOB from your own insurance when your own doc sends you for stuff, it’ll tell you just how little those tests actually cost.

As far as getting lab results, IPN refuses to release ‘3rd party’ records and getting them from Affinity is of course impossible. Even if you have say, a profile on LabCorp for your private medical care, these tests don’t carry over and post to that. Also that would allow one to find out exactly what they test for.
I went through hell and high water trying to get copies of the evaluations directly from the provider they forced me to go to....it was not an easy process by any means. They refused to email it but were willing to fax it. The only fax number I had was the UPS store down the street. So that’s where the records were sent. HIPPA y’all.

In short....they don’t care. They get away with a lot of this type of behavior because it would take a lawyer and some serious $$ to challenge them and few if any people have that. And they know it.

sunxfire, DNP · Oct 8, 2019

I contacted a few law firm in the area that advocate for healthcare professionals just to inquire about the initiation process for a class action lawsuit. It is doubtful I will get much a response.

I wish we still had Affinity, it is so so much better than FSS...which is like a website I could have created in high school computer class. It is glitchy and poorly designed....and the people working their aren't very functional or knowledgeable either. I guess I understand that they don't want to us to know what we are tested for, but we had a participant who had a false positive for a UDS (alcohol), and they refused to do a PEth and she was taken out of work and asked to inactivate her license...which seems suspicious. I wonder what the regulations are for obtaining testing records? I guess if all of these third party companies are doing it, they must be following some sort of guideline that allows it.

I thank you for all of your responses--It is comforting, but also disheartening, to know that others are going through the same *** that we are here in NJ.

KyBeagle, ASN · Oct 8, 2019

I work at a hospital & have a medical flex spending account. Although I can’t get insurance reimbursement for the UDS, I am reimbursed thru my medical flex spending account.

Although it’s my $$ that’s deducted through the year, at least it’s “tax free”.

I print the invoices from the Affinity website. Like Cat said, there’s no DX code but they have the date, CPT code, & cost. The Flex spending people accept this.

I don’t submit the expenses until early to mid November. Then I use my big flex spending check for Christmas shopping.

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Oct 8, 2019

Excellent Idea!!!

sunxfire, DNP · Oct 9, 2019

yes! I just recently started using my flex spending account for drug screens last year--I didn't put enough into it, so I will remember that during open enrollment this coming year. I can't believe I'm saying this again, but I really miss affinity; what was once so easy, is now glitchy and tedious. Are any of you tracked for AA/NA meetings via GPS?

sunxfire, DNP · Oct 9, 2019

once again, sorry for typos/grammar, I am writing this using swipe on my phone -_-

SpankedInPittsburgh, DNP, RN · Oct 9, 2019

Yeah we track our meetings with gps but it’s not so bad. Go to the meeting check in on phone and get some initials of aa participant. Better than toting around a sheet of paper I think

sunxfire, DNP · Oct 9, 2019

agreed--I guess I just found the change from paper to gps to be a bit intrusive. @SpankedInPittsburghdo you also use FSS (I know they are based out of PA)...or do you have affinity? or neither =T