Re: donna, donna-okay, but...

[Guest guest]

Ahh...now the real issue. Would Blue Shield have paid 2/3 if you'd

had the resurf done in Los Angeles?

I've been going back and forth on whether (presuming CIGNA denies me)

to pay the new, lower rates at JRI or pay for the trip to Belgium and

hope to get re-imbursed (CIGNA is obviously not Blue Shield).

Questions still go into the mix: 1) was the cost air fare part of the

reimbursement? 2) Did the docs express any concern about Deep Vein

Thrombosis with such a long post-op plane flight?

I'm sure there are more... but I just took the x-rays in to be

digitized for e-mail transfer to Belgium, but before I go too far, I

want to make sure I'm not wasting my time (and money) and their time

(which is money to them.)

All the best...

Alan

> > (Twice since you've been resurfed twice.) Questions: Are you a

US

> > resurfer? 2) Are you insured? 3) Did your US insurance carrier

cover

> > either or both? 4) (Covering my eyes because I almost don't want

to

> > know) If insurance did pay, who's your insurance provider?

> >

> > For surfers who have been following my amazing journey...I got a

> > refusal message from CIGNA today. BUT NOT FOR THE RESURF. They

> > won't even pay their part of the Celebrex that might keep me

afloat

> > until they deny the resurf submission. Are these people human,

or

> > what? Androids/replicants like Roy Batty had more humanity about

> > them than this. They were, at least " more human than human " .

The

> > CIGNA people seem to live on a planet that's not yet been

> > contaminated by humanity.

> >

> > I can't walk, and they don't think I've showed " evidence of

> > osteoarthritis " .

> >

> > But they're probably right...this must appear to be some

subliminal

> > attempt on my part to impersonate Chester Good from " Gunsmoke "

> > (though I don't watch TV and never saw the show. Maybe I should

> > include that information in future requests?)

> >

> > Anyway, it's late...and my life starts early.

> >

> > Hobble on, Hippies.

> > Alan

[Guest guest]

At the time of my first resurface, I think JRI was $35,000, almost 3-4 times

more

expensive than Belgium. I'm sure it would have been much more difficult to get

coverage for that amount. Since then, JRI has cut their rate by 50%... however,

I

believe it is still a little cheaper to go to Belgium even with airfare etc.

I'm going back

to De Smet because he did such a superb job on my left and also because I'd like

a

matching BHR on my right.

I was prepared to pay out of pocket for the first surgery (but not without a

fight) and

was very pleasantly surprised to receive my check so quickly and easily. No,

the cost

of airfare was not part of the insurance reimbursement. Yes, there is always a

concern about DVT post-surgery so we had to give ourselves blood-thinning shots

for the flight back and for days thereafter.

Hope this helps. Donna LBHR 11/13/02 DE SMET RBHR 9/7/04

> > > (Twice since you've been resurfed twice.) Questions: Are you a

> US

> > > resurfer? 2) Are you insured? 3) Did your US insurance carrier

> cover

> > > either or both? 4) (Covering my eyes because I almost don't want

> to

> > > know) If insurance did pay, who's your insurance provider?

> > >

> > > For surfers who have been following my amazing journey...I got a

> > > refusal message from CIGNA today. BUT NOT FOR THE RESURF. They

> > > won't even pay their part of the Celebrex that might keep me

> afloat

> > > until they deny the resurf submission. Are these people human,

> or

> > > what? Androids/replicants like Roy Batty had more humanity about

> > > them than this. They were, at least " more human than human " .

> The

> > > CIGNA people seem to live on a planet that's not yet been

> > > contaminated by humanity.

> > >

> > > I can't walk, and they don't think I've showed " evidence of

> > > osteoarthritis " .

> > >

> > > But they're probably right...this must appear to be some

> subliminal

> > > attempt on my part to impersonate Chester Good from " Gunsmoke "

> > > (though I don't watch TV and never saw the show. Maybe I should

> > > include that information in future requests?)

> > >

> > > Anyway, it's late...and my life starts early.

> > >

> > > Hobble on, Hippies.

> > > Alan