Nathaniel Reisinger's Online Review Report Card

Dr. Reisinger is one heck of a physician, all things knowing evidently in internal medicine and renal or kidney health. However, he has extra time on his hands and stays busy as a paid contributor to a so-called medical review board on behalf of BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF TEXAS. Nothing wrong with a little moon-lighting I suppose except when you're making medical decisions for people, conditions and treatments you have no such experience or expertise in judging. In this instance, it concerned the denying of a specialty name brand drug for the treatment of GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Perhaps he's a pharmacologist, chemist, biochemist or most fitting a gastroenterologist but simply too modest to list these credentials? Either way, he doesn't seem to fall within the confines of this specific area. It is highly questionable whether he's casting a fair and reasonable conclusion on behalf of a patient when seemingly paid to make denials and have no such precise experience. Aside from sheer lack of intimate knowledge of the patient, condition, field and medicine, what makes this doctor's participation in this process even more curious is the central fact for which denial is based: A patient must try a generic drug first. . . (difficult to do when the insurance company denies the generic). before the drug in question can be approved (again, or continued etc). What a quandary! (1) You're prescribed and take a very costly medicine for an extensive period. (2) Do so at the direction of your specialized physician's prescribed method of treatment. (3) Have no alternatives until a generic finally becomes available. (4) Ask for and could immediately benefit from the less costly generic, yet denied by your own insurance company. (5) Continue to take the costlier medicine with no alternatives. (6) Abruptly get a letter denying refills of said medication. (6) A letter which insists you must try the generic. (7) Baffled, have no recourse but appeal this senseless decision. (8) Then receive word that a complete stranger, with no knowledge of this particular condition or patient, further denies the request to take either the generic or name brand. Thank you Dr. Reisinger - thank you for branching out and making a few bucks on the side at my expense. Perhaps he's a great fellow for kidney stones, UTI's and erectile dysfunction but for making decisions about complete strangers and with glaringly obvious facts put before him, do not expect a sensible outcome.