Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: Last September, I was hospitalized in Kapiolani Hospital for three days. When I was discharged, I was given medicine to take home. Later, HMSA sent me a letter saying the medicine was not a covered benefit because it was "prepackaged" at the pharmacy and brought to my room. HMSA said my drug plan states that fact. I don't know why it should matter whether the drugs are prepackaged or not. When I called Kapiolani, I was told my doctor had ordered the medicine through the inpatient pharmacy, which is "non-participating," with its own set of rules. They said if I had gone through the outpatient pharmacy, then the medicine would have been covered. My complaint is that no one asked me how I wanted to buy the drug. I just assumed the drugs would be taken care of under my insurance plan. Kapiolani should ask the person, how do you want to purchase this, and explain the cost differential. Can you warn your readers so they can learn from my experience? Sometimes medication
not coveredAnswer: The hospital verified your experience and apologizes, said Kapiolani spokeswoman Pat Oda.
In checking your health plan, it does state that "it is the patient's responsibility to make sure that the pharmacy they get their take-home medicine from is covered by the health plan," Oda said. Whether it's hospital take-home medicines, or inpatient medicines or drugs you pick up at the local drugstore, "it depends on your health plan and drug coverage what they cover, even to the degree of what brand," she said.
Doctors usually want patients to get their medicines from an inpatient pharmacy before they leave the hospital because that's "an easy and guaranteed way for doctors to ensure that patients do have the medicines they need," Oda said.
That said, however, someone should have explained your options.
"We ask our staff to explain to patients for whom take-home medicine has been ordered by their doctor the fact that you should look at what kind of health insurance coverage you have," she said.
She didn't know what happened in your case, but said, "It's just very unfortunate that (you) had to go through the inconvenience and all these difficulties. We really regret and apologize for that inconvenience."
Q: Whatever happened to the Father Damien movie that was filmed here? Was it shown or will it be shown here in the near future?
A: There's no word yet on when the movie, produced by ERA Films of Brussels, Belgium, will be shown here. A group of six Kalaupapa residents traveled in March to Antwerp to attend the premiere of "Father Damien," about the Belgian priest who served patients at the Kalaupapa leprosy settlement on Molokai. He died from the disease in 1889 and was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church in 1995, in the second step toward sainthood.
Calls to the company in Brussels were not returned. However, the producer said he would try to arrange a showing in Hawaii and would let Kalaupapa residents know when.
Mahalo
To the first-shift firemen from Waiau and paramedics Randal Tanaka and Kelly Yamamoto from Pali Momi for their quick response to our call to 911 on March 26. Also to paramedics Jan and Ken from AMR. A belated mahalo to all the other paramedics and firemen from Waiau who responded to our calls in the past. -- The Kubos
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