The Circle Game

With all that’s going on in the world — wars, partisanship, a liar as the key witness in a trial with a lying ex- and maybe future president — this is not the biggest issue.

But it’s on the list of Top Five reasons to go, “WTF.”

About a month ago, as the weather warmed, I started playing golf again. I strained a muscle in my lower back (from my powerful swing being a little too powerful for so early in the season) and I wound up a couple weeks later at urgent care to get checked.

The professional diagnosis: I strained a muscle in my lower back.

Treatment: a muscle relaxer and an anti-inflammatory.

My pharmacy informed me my prescription was delayed because my insurer informed them the muscle relaxer requires “prior authorization.” (This notice came minutes after the prescription was received).

I call my insurer — CIGNA — to find out what that means and I first go through a long recorded introduction (in English and in Spanish) that lists categories I can press, none of which seem to include my question.

I finally get a human being — or at least a call center voice. She nicely, calmly explains that I need prior authorization, which I knew.

Finding out what prior authorization means (beyond what I thought, which was my medical professional’s prescription) was next to impossible without listening to the patient young woman explain about Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other things…