shares how to get a colonoscopy paid for

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Hi Tom,

Glad you have gotten the appointment! Hmm...Nov does seem kinda

long - that is 3 months away!

Digital exam can only detect stuff within a few inches of the rectum,

it is NOT a very good exam.

Did they do the Fecal Occult Blood test? Bleeding can be on/off

rather than steady, so even if they did this test and it didn't see

anything, don't conclude it doesn't exist!

Did you have the hemoglobin checked? That might tell some of the

story...if you did have this done what was it? Anemia will NOT show

symptoms until hemoglobin is REALLY " off " (I know this from personal

experience!)

Is your insurance going to pay for the colonoscopy?

Ahm, of course I would never suggest doing such a thing, but...

The insurance company tries to wiggle out of paying anything it can,

so some policies are set up such that they will only pay for

colonoscopy if you have symptoms such as blood in the stool. A few

savvy patients, being aware of this, have TOLD their doctors

they " think they saw " (wink wink!) blood in the stool and need a

colonoscopy! Given this is totally unverifiable (who can say what you

saw in the privacy of your bathroom?), there is nothing the insurance

company or anyone else can do about it LOL! This also tends to have

the effect of moving you to the FRONT of the " colonoscopy " line

rather than the back!

Alternatively, there are usually multiple centers you could have a

colonoscopy done at. You could check around to see if someone else

could move a little quicker. You'll have better luck finding a place

in a major metropolitan area rather than a small town.

Just some thoughts!

Best Wishes,

> , thanks again for all you do for this list and my prayers

> are with you. Your answers to questions and reports of your own

> status are very articulate, helpful and educational.

>

> If you recall a while back I reported a narrowed stool with no

> other symptoms. I went to see a GP, who found nothing on a

> digital exam but did refer me for a colonoscopy. The soonest I

> can get in is mid-November. Because I am not experiencing

> blockage, bleeding or anemia symptoms, I wasn't too concerned

> about waiting that long. Thanks for any thoughts on this.

>

> Best Regards,

> Tom