Guest guest Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 I'm not there yet, but does anyone know what happens to people when they go on Medicare and a supplement? Are there any plans that cover it? I asked at my doctor's office and was told that Medicare patients pay for the medicine themselves. That would be rather horrific.Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Adah - I was with my pulmo dude yesterday and posed the question re whether there's any change in the Medicare requirement that I get my shots in the hospital, which I consider a monumental bastion of infectious diseases to be avoided if at all possible. Pulmodoc and/or his nurse said there have been some changes recently and maybe I could do home injections. Do you know anything about this? Ohldepharte ----- Original Message ----- From: Adah Voigt Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 12:26 PM Subject: Re: [ ] Xolair and medicare plans Unless you are also on one of the Medicare plans, or have a supplemental Drug Prescription policy yes, you would have to pay for your meds if you just have medicare. My mom was on Medicare but she joined Secure Horizons which administrated her health care and so she paid a co-pay for her meds. She was also on a very limited income, lived in an apartment and so was eligible for help from some state programs with her meds. Secure Horizons and Social Security assigned a case worker to her who helped her find the programs that would help with her medical costs. I am on medicare and have a supplemental insurance that we kept after my husband retired and between medicare and the supplemental, we have had to pay very little for our medical costs. Occasionally there is something that medicare does not cover or is not covered by our insurance. I do not pay anything right now for my xolair shots and get one every six weeks. We consider ourselves very fortunate. I must also add that the premium on our supplemental is almost $200 a month, plus the medicare premiums that we each pay. But it is so worth it in the long run. Adah From: Carol Corley <floridabouvs@...> Subject: [ ] Xolair and medicare plans Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 6:08 PM I'm not there yet, but does anyone know what happens to people when they go on Medicare and a supplement? Are there any plans that cover it? I asked at my doctor's office and was told that Medicare patients pay for the medicine themselves. That would be rather horrific.Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 No, as I get my injections at my doctor's office. The nurse who gives me my shot would tell me if she knew about changes that would effect my shots, but since I don't self-inject and never have, that is one issue she would not necessarily discuss with me. For you it would be great if that were a change, and for the others who already self-inject. Sorry I can't help you here. From: Carol Corley <floridabouvs@ gmail.com> Subject: [ ] Xolair and medicare plans Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 6:08 PM I'm not there yet, but does anyone know what happens to people when they go on Medicare and a supplement? Are there any plans that cover it? I asked at my doctor's office and was told that Medicare patients pay for the medicine themselves. That would be rather horrific.Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 Adah - actually I'm in the same boat - on Medicare with supplemental BCBS, and I'd far rather go to the doctor's office than to the hospital, but it's my doc's understanding that the only way to get Medicare to cover shots is to get them at the hospital. How did you manage to score getting them at doc's office? Ohldepharte ----- Original Message ----- From: Adah Voigt Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 6:43 PM Subject: Re: [ ] Xolair and medicare plans No, as I get my injections at my doctor's office. The nurse who gives me my shot would tell me if she knew about changes that would effect my shots, but since I don't self-inject and never have, that is one issue she would not necessarily discuss with me. For you it would be great if that were a change, and for the others who already self-inject. Sorry I can't help you here. From: Carol Corley <floridabouvs@ gmail.com> Subject: [ ] Xolair and medicare plans Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 6:08 PM I'm not there yet, but does anyone know what happens to people when they go on Medicare and a supplement? Are there any plans that cover it? I asked at my doctor's office and was told that Medicare patients pay for the medicine themselves. That would be rather horrific.Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 Carol - so far I haven't had to pay for anything but the regular Medicare monthly charge plus my regular monthly charge for my BCBS supplement. The only problem is that I have to go to the hospital to get the shots. If that ever stops working, the $36k per year cost the hospital bills the insurance carriers would be a bit pricey. Ohldepharte ----- Original Message ----- From: Carol Corley Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 7:08 PM Subject: [ ] Xolair and medicare plans I'm not there yet, but does anyone know what happens to people when they go on Medicare and a supplement? Are there any plans that cover it? I asked at my doctor's office and was told that Medicare patients pay for the medicine themselves. That would be rather horrific.Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 18, 2009 Report Share Posted September 18, 2009 The place I go to get my shot is a doctor's office, but that doctor has been involved with xolair research (and diabetes and asthmatics) but my regular allergist could have given them to me if he had wanted to accept the Medicare. But he did not have enough xolair patients on Medicare to make it worth his while. He would have ordered the drug, charged me for it and I would have to wait for the Medicare payment. So he referred me to the doctor who has a lot of xolair patients. We all pay for our xolair unless we are part of a study group, which I am not....too old! I was also fortunate to have a nurse at my allergists office who really went to bat for me and helped me get it set up. Even then I had to wait about six weeks before I could even be examined by the doctor who was going to give me the shots. I need to look back at my notes on the process I went through to get approved for xolair by Medicare. My supplemental had already approved it, but if I went with just them the cost per shot was not feasible for our retirement income. I have been VERY fortunate so far! From: Carol Corley <floridabouvs@ gmail.com> Subject: [ ] Xolair and medicare plans Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 6:08 PM I'm not there yet, but does anyone know what happens to people when they go on Medicare and a supplement? Are there any plans that cover it? I asked at my doctor's office and was told that Medicare patients pay for the medicine themselves. That would be rather horrific.Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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