🚀 go-pugleaf

In the current web version of his Fen/Phen FAQ, which was last updated 
Monday, 08-Jul-96 18:52:02 Local time, per the Netscape Document Info 
screen, Dr. Hitzig represents as follows:

'QUESTION: My insurance plan will not pay for weight loss. Is there 
anything I can do about that? 

ANSWER: Tell your doctor's office manager to use the ICA code 333.90. He 
or she will know what that means. This number tells the insurance company 
that you are being treated for a neurotransmitter deficiency.'

----------------------------------------

THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE TRUE.  Explanation:

On July 29, I emailed Hitzig requesting an explanation of the foregoing 
information since neither I nor my physician could seem to make any sense 
out of it.  Hitzig emailed back a few days later asking that I contact 
his office by toll-free voice line for help.  I did so, but the person to 
whom I spoke was not able to offer a coherent explanation for the code.

I emailed Hitzig again asking that he reply to me personally.  That 
message went out on August 12.  On Wednesday, August 14 I received a 
email reply from an unidentified person in his office which said that he 
was out until Thursday and would need some time to catch up on his email. 
 That letter went on to say:

> The codes you are talking about are made up by the office staff
> and really relate to nothing but a number we made up for typing
> to be easier.  The paperwork behind the codes is what means something.

I have since emailed Hitzig twice, on August 23 and 29 asking that he 
reply to my August 12 email.  There has been no response, so earlier 
today I emailed him a copy of my August 23 post adding that it was my 
fourth request for information and going on to say 'If you do not reply 
to the following by 9/19/96, I intend to post this message in appropriate 
newsgroups with the Subject heading [I have removed the proposed heading 
since it no longer applies and was uncomplementary], together with a full 
explanation of what has occurred.'  Discoveries later this morning have, 
however, made the need for that posting unnecessary.

After sending that mail, however, I happened to recheck his faq at 
http://www.fenphen.com/faq.html, noting that it still contained the Q&A 
set out above.  It also contained a note stating that 'An up to date, 
text-version of the FAQ is also maintained in Dr. Hitzig's Mindspring FTP 
Space." I FTP'ed to that location and found a file with the filename 
'ftp://ftp.mindspring.com/users/fenphen/ faqsep10.wpd'.  I presume this 
to be the current version of the faq referred to on the web page.  In 
this version of the FAQ, the section referring to diagnosis code 333.90 
has been altogether removed.

One must conclude from these facts that Hitzig has CEASED TO SUPPORT his 
prior advice that 333.90 constitutes a justifiable diagnostic coding to 
obtain payments from insurance companies for fen/phen treatment for 
obesity in circumstances in which the insurance does not cover treatments 
for weight loss.

I invite Dr. Hitzig's comments upon this matter.

cc:	Dr. Hitzig <fenphen@balt.mindspring.com>