Re: Self injection at home

[Guest guest]

Hi Doug,

About your doctor's office charges for Xolair - I agree that the

practice is being greedy. My doc charges just $20 to administer the

Xolair injection, which I think is reasonable and fair enough since I

occupy an exam room and take up nursing time when I receive Xolair. I

think $114 is outrageous.

But the " chemotherapy " charge doesn't imply it's cancer-related, we

just associate the word with cancer treatment. The category of

chemotherapy simply is what covers injectable drugs under Medicare.

There are other drugs that are not for cancer therapy that are

covered in the same category. I don't know about other insurance.

Fran

>

> I remember when I told my doctor that I had friends online that self

> injected Xolair and I wished to do so too.

>

> His look was of sheer horror, terror and disbelief. I thought his

> nurse was going to have a fainting spell right there!

>

> He said: " You ARE kidding right? " I told him I wasn't.

>

> He said that doctors have their own choice in how they treat their

> patients. His choice was to play it safe and give Xolair in an

office

> setting.

>

> I order my Xolair myself though Medco Specialty Pharmacy and pay the

> deductible. They ship the Xolair and all needles, mixing stuff

etc...

> to his office. Then, his office charges 114.00 each to give me the

> shots and files them as " Chemotherapy Injections. " (90%Covered by

> insurance, whew)

>

> Personally, I think that the medical group that owns his practice

just

> wants their hands in the cookie jar a little deeper. I have never

had

> cancer in my life!!

>

> The first clinic I got Xolair in (I moved and had to switch doctors

> and clinics) didn't charge me one penny but did make me wait an

hour.

> I was the first person in that clinic and in the state to get the

shots.

>

> I was in shock 6 years ago when the allergist said NO MORE regular

> shots at home. I had given them to myself for 20 years.

>

> I say they need to leave the doctors alone and let them make the

> decision on how they treat their patients.

>

> Best of luck to you home injectors.

>

> Hang in there,

>

> Doug

> Group founder

>