Re: Lower Tap Dose?? -- Pam L

[Guest guest]

Hey Pam L,

That is a hefty charge for one test. I was under the impression one should

get it done every 3 months, especially if one is nearing remission.

Maybe you know the answer to today's question (in my head): if I get blood

work too frequently, will the insurance company start balking and hassling

me? As you may recall, I started on 200 mg PTU on 6/20, and for the past

week have been on 150 mg. One doc (a good endo, but not covered by my

insurance -- saving him on the sidelines in case I need him, as most of his

patients are on ATDs) suggested I may be able to go to 100 mg, but he

didn't do my labs, so I didn't want to reduce without taking a look. And my

current endo said I should stay on 150 and come back in two months (also

didn't take my blood). Last time I got labs done was two weeks ago. I was

at the gyn today, and requested the blood work, because I was thinking I

now is the point at which the ATD should be kicking in fully, and maybe I

could go to 100. But what do insurance companies do if you get labs done

every 3-4 weeks on average?

One thing about TSI, my endo said they do the test if you are pregnant in

the latter half (second or third trimester?). So that would be another

condition under which TSI would be important.

At 03:35 PM 7/23/2003, you wrote:

>,

>

>Wish I could see your face when you read this.

>TSI is up to $500 a pop now days !

[Guest guest]

Hey Pam L,

That is a hefty charge for one test. I was under the impression one should

get it done every 3 months, especially if one is nearing remission.

Maybe you know the answer to today's question (in my head): if I get blood

work too frequently, will the insurance company start balking and hassling

me? As you may recall, I started on 200 mg PTU on 6/20, and for the past

week have been on 150 mg. One doc (a good endo, but not covered by my

insurance -- saving him on the sidelines in case I need him, as most of his

patients are on ATDs) suggested I may be able to go to 100 mg, but he

didn't do my labs, so I didn't want to reduce without taking a look. And my

current endo said I should stay on 150 and come back in two months (also

didn't take my blood). Last time I got labs done was two weeks ago. I was

at the gyn today, and requested the blood work, because I was thinking I

now is the point at which the ATD should be kicking in fully, and maybe I

could go to 100. But what do insurance companies do if you get labs done

every 3-4 weeks on average?

One thing about TSI, my endo said they do the test if you are pregnant in

the latter half (second or third trimester?). So that would be another

condition under which TSI would be important.

At 03:35 PM 7/23/2003, you wrote:

>,

>

>Wish I could see your face when you read this.

>TSI is up to $500 a pop now days !

[Guest guest]

Correction: I've actually been on 150 for closer to 2 weeks. How time flies!

[Guest guest]

Correction: I've actually been on 150 for closer to 2 weeks. How time flies!

[Guest guest]

On Thu, 24 Jul 2003 20:42:48 -0700 (PDT) Alice Karosas

writes:

> My bill for a TSI arrived yesterday for $85. How can the price vary

> so much?

Hi Alice. Glad to see you made it here and that you had a TSI. Is your

bill your copay or the total cost of the test?

Take care, Fay

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[Guest guest]

And even more importantly... what was the result ? ( and the normal range)

***

Hi Alice. Glad to see you made it here and that you had a TSI. Is your

bill your copay or the total cost of the test?***

[Guest guest]

Hi Alice,

Something seems amiss, thus my quiz concerning the results and the normal

range. I was hoping that would give me a clue. = :-o

If it is the TSI we all want, can you tell us which lab the bill is from.

Maybe they are different than all the rest. I have no idea how it could be

so cheap. ???? If it is the correct test, they will soon be doing a

landslide business. WE will all be down there standing in line. LOL

There is always huge differences in prices on labs, scrips, anything between

those of us uninsured and those with insurance. We are subsidizing the rest

of you. But even that does not explain $85.

Back when I first checked, several years ago, TSI was $225. Then back in

late winter of 2001 it was $330. It had gone up that much in only about one

and a half years. A friend of mine, also uninsured got a price of $500 a

couple of months ago, so that made sense to me... that her quote was correct

...considering the length of time since my $330.

One fine example of how we that can least afford it, pay the highest prices

for labs is documented in the archives of this group. Mid March of 2002 I

had my first and only FREE T3 done. I paid $155.

I asked for a survey here in the group what they paid, as they were all

insured. The prices all were very close to $55. I think one gal paid as much

as $75.

I am still LIVID over that $155 !!!!!

Those of us with no health insurance are the honest hard working Americans

that 'they' claim to care about. We accept no help of any kind from the

government or anyone. We provide for the needs of our families, and drop

exhausted into bed every night.

We live happy moral lives, pay all our taxes and keep this country running.

But if you are not in some sort of 'system' health insurance is so expensive

, no one can afford it.

So we struggle to find a doctor that will work under these circumstances. He

must place himself on the line doing so, because we can not pay for all the

tests and labs he needs to have done to protect himself from law suits while

we are under his care. Then he must also figure out the least expensive way

to treat us as far as meds go. He must basically treat us on symptoms and

not find the real problem. It turns into one big guessing game as we try

different meds to see what works, and then guess what might be the problem.

And we keep going to work no matter what, because we need to pay our bills.

Every time a doctor says I MUST rest that body part that is injured for it

to heal... I ask him if he was planning on my paying him ? He then always

tells me that instead of a week to heal, I can plan on at least a month or

two, and to try to be careful of it. Always accompanied by a sympathetic

look as he sighs and leaves the room. THAT does not make it feel better.

So the labs get away with charging us the inflated prices , because they can

The insurance companies make deals with the labs to get their business. The

labs have to cut their rates to get co. X to send all their patients to

them. Then the lab comes up short and some one has to pay.

Thought you asked a simple question didn't you. :-)

I am SO MAD about that $155... sheesh *

-Pam L -

3 1/2 years Graves', TED, and PTU. Remission due to SLOW reduction of PTU

(despite an incompetent endo ! ), improved lifestyle, excellent nutrition,

herbs, and looking at the big picture.

Pills alone only help the symptoms. We must help our bodies to heal.