condescending carefirst coaching call

[Anonymous]

As part of CareFirst's rewards program, there's a financial incentive for participating in a series of coaching calls. I don't usually waste my time with this, and this year's experience reminded me why. I'm not sure who the target audience for these things might be, but it's not my chronically-ill, disabled self. I don't need to be taught sleep hygiene, I know how to eat and losing/gaining weight would have zero impact on the cause of my illness, I exercise to the extent of my abilities, I've seen all the docs, gone to the pain clinics, done the pt...

I'm grateful that the poor nurse assigned to my call today appreciated my sense of humor about it, but what an utter waste of time and resources. Who gets any benefit from these calls? Is someone out there really so new to having a body in the US healthcare system that there's an advantage to having a "coach" to walk you through it? The whole call just felt like a condescending waste of time all around.

If you have ever done this and gotten some benefit from it, please let me know. I really just don't see the point.

[Anonymous]

I think these coaching sessions might be going for the lowest common denominator for really uneducated people. Diabetes coaching involved how to add numbers.

[Anonymous]

they are probably trying to find out information from you that they could use to deny your claims

[Anonymous]

OP this made me LOL
"Is someone out there really so new to having a body in the US healthcare system "

You have a healthy sense of humor! Thanks for reporting back (hope they paid you or knocked some $$ off your premium) and wishing you all best with your illness.

[Anonymous]

I felt the same way about having to meet with a diabetic educator when I had gestational diabetes. It was truly a waste of time.

But, I just assume this stuff comes from research. I guess they can’t or won’t or it would be unethical to target it, so they make everyone do it.

Sometimes you just have to suck it up and do stuff like this. Maybe you can multitask. Make it the time you do your nails, or whatever.

I think you have to decide how much space in your brain you want to dedicate to this sort of thing. Sometimes it’s better to just roll with it.

[Anonymous]

Im totally suspicious now of these sorts of "services."

I had an unexpected emergency procedure and thought is was so nice that a nurse called me to check on me and see if there were other services they could offer that
would be useful to me. But after the initial call they kept "checking in on me" to the point where I ignored the calls

Then I received a call from my doctor saying that this nurse wanted access to my personal files and they wanted to know if I had authorized this. I most certainly had not!

[Anonymous]

Maybe for the young adults? My college kid might benefit from a reminder...

[Anonymous]

I avoid everything like this. No reward is worth it. They know too much about me already.

[Anonymous]

My dad who is on dialysis and REALLY needs a dietician to make meal plans for him declines all these services. So apparently you can just say no!

[Anonymous]

My sister is a nurse. She has done periods working in oncology and ICU. People are there for more serious reasons, obviously, but often they are also dealing with long term chronic conditions. One that came up frequently is Type 2 diabetes.
The person would be receiving the meal plans at the hospital designated for diabetics. My sister would go in the room, see they've got the correct meal, but they also have a 20oz size regular soda. They were confused when she would point out to them that that was... contraindicated. This happened multiple times.
So, OP, I completely empathize with you, but it's those people--and there are many--that I think they are trying to reach with these coaching calls.

[Anonymous]

Yes there are tons of people that don’t know how to breath through anxiety or have a good bedtime routine or understand diet and exercise.

[Anonymous]

OP, I know what you mean. I have tried the carefirst coaching too, for a couple of topics, just to see if helpful. The providers can get very annoying and continue to call you, even if you tell them you're no longer interested.

I assume that they are on some sort of contract plan with Carefirst and get paid per person who finishes the program. I'm a dietitian and have been offered stints like this. After my experience with carefirst myself, no thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes there are tons of people that don’t know how to breath through anxiety or have a good bedtime routine or understand diet and exercise.

I think people know, but need reminders. For example, good luck trying to get your breathing right during a panic attack. I have a panic attack disorder, and need my husband there to help me through the worse ones - I cannot control my breathing during a severe panic attack! He sticks me in front of the freezer, and the cold halts the progression of my panic such that I have time to regain control of my breathing.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think educated DCUMers are the people who will benefit the most from these calls.

It might help the following:

newly diagnosed with a chronic condition
DM or asthma that is out of control
Healthcare literacy— look at all the posts DCUM gets on a daily basis with questions about what type of doctor to see or how to schedule an appointment for something as simple as a colonoscopy.
Ongoing emotional support for isolating conditions such as chronic pain
Frequent flyers to the ER for things like asthma, blood sugar etc.

Sure many people can access their own information and support systems but there are folks who benefit.

[Anonymous]

These programs that give you a "free" scale and free nurses to talk to they're just using your data against you, and also selling your date, it's stupid to participate in them.