Of all my medical experiences, this was certainly one of them.

I went to get my COVID booster in preparation for my trip to Minnesota in September. I scheduled a 9:00 AM appointment at the CVS Pharmacy right next to my office, thinking it would be quick and convenient. However, when I arrived, I was informed that they no longer accepted Blue Cross Blue Shield. When I asked about the cost of the shot without insurance, they said they didn’t know how to bill for it without insurance. They then suggested I go to a Walgreens down the road, seemingly oblivious to my sarcasm when I replied, “I’ll just hop in my car and drive over there. Thank you so much for your help.”

I then headed to Walgreens, which accepts my insurance, only to discover that they wouldn’t have the booster until September. The problem is that the vaccine needs time to be fully effective. Additionally, the Walgreens “just down the road” is actually across US41 at an intersection that even I—someone who used to film myself crossing major highways regularly—find unsafe. This issue is further complicated by the fact that Uber won’t do a 0.3-mile trip, so I ended up spending an extra $20 on Uber rides to find this out.

There were plenty of other CVS locations I could have chosen. In fact, this was the second time in two years that I attempted to get a COVID booster at this specific location and was turned away, even though I qualified for the vaccine both times with the same pharmacist. I decided that since they had inconvenienced me significantly, I wasn’t leaving without my booster. I walked back in and, after explaining that the shot I needed wasn’t available at the location they suggested, I insisted on getting the shot there. I succeeded, but the staff at that CVS charged me $202 for it.

It’s been an expensive morning.