I got a new bit of insight today. My daughter is a highly experienced RN currently working in a pharmacy doing med advice, injections as and general pharmacy work. She said over 50% of their workload since January 1st has been helping patients (not only on Medicare) through insurance transitions. It take an entire extra staff person to help manage the transition.

Her coworkers are frustrated, but as a former ER nurse, she says these changes are nothing compared the approval issues they had to deal with - often in life-or-death scenarios. So she gets assigned all the anxious or upset callers/customers (including her Mom.)

I didn't think to ask if her coworkers thought 2025 was more difficult than prior years - it is for me so far. One of my meds was approved for 15 months in September 2024, but due to a change in the Pharmacy Benefit Plan, I have to do it all over again now! In the same call, the rep informed me that this change will require new PA's for all 4 of the medications we just did a few months ago. Que horrible!