Re: Insurance approval for Xolair

[Guest guest]

I am glad to hear some of you are already seeing results with Xolair!

My last IgE score was above 785 or 765 and BCBS NC approved me. I

have heard of folks with even higher IgE scores getting approved.

You might have your doctor talk to the Xolair rep and ask them about

it.... Good luck!

[Guest guest]

wow - that truely stinks!!! i know a few people here have been

approved and been waaaaay above the range for xolair. i'm above, but

not by much (i think i was 720).

with some luck, blue cross will look at your lower IgE and approve

you - maybe your dr has to write a letter or something to appeal to

BCBS.

hope you get this mess straightened out.

heather

-- In , msbehavior@a... wrote:

>

> Hi Everyone.

>

> My doctor has been trying to get my insurance company (Blue Cross

of MA) to

> approve Xolair for me. I received a note from Blue Cross today

denying the drug

> because my IGE is too high. The test they referred to in their

letter showed

> my IGE at 1010 and the approved range is up to only 700. However,

they seem to

> have ignored my more recent test (done in November, when I was

less allergic

> than my test from last June) for which my IGE was 680, within the

approved

> range. Has anyone else been denied because their IGE was too high?

I'm hoping

> that they'll approve it once I resubmit my newer test results.

>

>

> Best,

> Meryl

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

My IgE was 1247 when I started Xolair. I don't have insurance, so I

didn't have to get their approval, but evidently it is not to high

to be on Xoliar because I have a very good Doctor and she started me

on Xolair. I have seen some improvement even though I have only had

4 shots, I have been able to reduce my pred to 10mg and will soon be

off it.

Hope you can get it worked out with your insurance.

--

- In , msbehavior@a... wrote:

>

> Hi Everyone.

>

> My doctor has been trying to get my insurance company (Blue Cross

of MA) to

> approve Xolair for me. I received a note from Blue Cross today

denying the drug

> because my IGE is too high. The test they referred to in their

letter showed

> my IGE at 1010 and the approved range is up to only 700. However,

they seem to

> have ignored my more recent test (done in November, when I was

less allergic

> than my test from last June) for which my IGE was 680, within the

approved

> range. Has anyone else been denied because their IGE was too high?

I'm hoping

> that they'll approve it once I resubmit my newer test results.

>

>

> Best,

> Meryl

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone.

I'm happy to say my insurance company finally approved the Xolair treatment

for me. Now there's just the question of how quickly it will be shipped to my

doctor's office. I can't wait to start. I'm hoping that starting now will help

with the horrendous seasonal problems I usually have in the spring.

If anyone has any advice or information or precautions about starting the

treatment (from their own experience -- I've read the drug company stuff), I'd

be

grateful for any advice.

Thanks very much.

Best,

Meryl

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thanks very much for your note.

I wasn't sure what you meant -- do you eventually have the option of doing it

at home or do they actually insist that you do it at home after a while? I

was under the impression that it's typically not allowed because of the risk of

anaphylaxis. Is that not true?

Thanks,

Meryl

hi meryl!

i'm so glad you got the approval - YEAH!! from my experience, you're dr will

have the xolair fairly quick. i've dealt with two specialty pharmacies -

first was curascript and now advance PCS - both call my dr, set up a date for

them

to recieve the meds, and its done.

as for advice, um?

the serum is thick. very thick. it takes a little while to inject it. how

many shots will you be getting - or what is your dose? if they offer you the

option of learning how to mix the stuff and inject it - i'd jump at the chance.

i

learned, and its such a help to the drs staff. i still get the shots at the

office (not sure for how much longer - i prefer at the office - some kind of

security blankie i guess) but since i'm able to do it on my own, i go in my own

little room, the dr checks in on me (part of the blankie - a two week check in

with the dr - very helpful when problems do happen) and i'm left to my own.

good luck!!

heather

msbehavior@... wrote:

Hi everyone.

I'm happy to say my insurance company finally approved the Xolair treatment

for me. Now there's just the question of how quickly it will be shipped to my

doctor's office. I can't wait to start. I'm hoping that starting now will

help

with the horrendous seasonal problems I usually have in the spring.

If anyone has any advice or information or precautions about starting the

treatment (from their own experience -- I've read the drug company stuff),

I'd be

grateful for any advice.

Thanks very much.

Best,

Meryl

[Guest guest]

hi meryl!

i'm so glad you got the approval - YEAH!! from my experience, you're dr will

have the xolair fairly quick. i've dealt with two specialty pharmacies - first

was curascript and now advance PCS - both call my dr, set up a date for them to

recieve the meds, and its done.

as for advice, um?

the serum is thick. very thick. it takes a little while to inject it. how many

shots will you be getting - or what is your dose? if they offer you the option

of learning how to mix the stuff and inject it - i'd jump at the chance. i

learned, and its such a help to the drs staff. i still get the shots at the

office (not sure for how much longer - i prefer at the office - some kind of

security blankie i guess) but since i'm able to do it on my own, i go in my own

little room, the dr checks in on me (part of the blankie - a two week check in

with the dr - very helpful when problems do happen) and i'm left to my own.

good luck!!

heather

msbehavior@... wrote:

Hi everyone.

I'm happy to say my insurance company finally approved the Xolair treatment

for me. Now there's just the question of how quickly it will be shipped to my

doctor's office. I can't wait to start. I'm hoping that starting now will help

with the horrendous seasonal problems I usually have in the spring.

If anyone has any advice or information or precautions about starting the

treatment (from their own experience -- I've read the drug company stuff), I'd

be

grateful for any advice.

Thanks very much.

Best,

Meryl

[Guest guest]

hi meryl. i'm sorry if i sounded vauge. its my understanding that after a

certain period of time (which i guess varies case to case, dr to dr) you have

the OPTION of doing the shots at home. not all drs give the option though. my

dr says after one year. i'm approaching my one year mark.

i guess b/c xolair is a maintainance med, much like insulin for diabetes, so

injecting yourself at home is not really as big a deal is it seems.

as for the anaphylaxis, i guess its a risk. after my first few shots, i had to

wait an hour. now i wait 20 minutes, sometimes i sneak out earlier though. i do

carry an epi-pen all the time, so if i did have a problem i could use that and

get myself to the hospital. i've never had that kind of reaction from the

xolair though.

heather

msbehavior@... wrote:

Hi ,

Thanks very much for your note.

I wasn't sure what you meant -- do you eventually have the option of doing it

at home or do they actually insist that you do it at home after a while? I

was under the impression that it's typically not allowed because of the risk of

anaphylaxis. Is that not true?

Thanks,

Meryl

hi meryl!

i'm so glad you got the approval - YEAH!! from my experience, you're dr will

have the xolair fairly quick. i've dealt with two specialty pharmacies -

first was curascript and now advance PCS - both call my dr, set up a date for

them

to recieve the meds, and its done.

as for advice, um?

the serum is thick. very thick. it takes a little while to inject it. how

many shots will you be getting - or what is your dose? if they offer you the

option of learning how to mix the stuff and inject it - i'd jump at the chance.

i

learned, and its such a help to the drs staff. i still get the shots at the

office (not sure for how much longer - i prefer at the office - some kind of

security blankie i guess) but since i'm able to do it on my own, i go in my own

little room, the dr checks in on me (part of the blankie - a two week check in

with the dr - very helpful when problems do happen) and i'm left to my own.

good luck!!

heather

msbehavior@... wrote:

Hi everyone.

I'm happy to say my insurance company finally approved the Xolair treatment

for me. Now there's just the question of how quickly it will be shipped to my

doctor's office. I can't wait to start. I'm hoping that starting now will

help

with the horrendous seasonal problems I usually have in the spring.

If anyone has any advice or information or precautions about starting the

treatment (from their own experience -- I've read the drug company stuff),

I'd be

grateful for any advice.

Thanks very much.

Best,

Meryl

[Guest guest]

Greetings everyone

I have been on Xolair since August of 2003 and my doctor STILL makes

me wait the FULL hour. No, if's and's or but's!!!

He even makes me wait the FULL 20 minutes after my regular allergy

shots. For 20 years, I gave myself my own regular allergy shots at

home, no problems EVER! Well, this doctor won't even let me give

those at home.

When I told him that some people are being allowed to give themselves

Xolair at home, he looked me with a look of horror on his face and

shock! (His nurse almost fainted) LOL!

I used to have to drive to Little Rock (250 miles round trip) from

where I used to live to get my Xolair shots. Now, I just drive

across town.

My asthma lately? I can almost say " What Asthma? "

I am doing GREAT!

Doug

Group founder

[Guest guest]

Doug,

So glad to hear you are doing so well!!!!!!

Had my 5th xoliar shot yesterday. I have been having some problems,

short of air and chest tightness this last week, so the Dr did not

cut my pred this time. She thinks GERD may have something to do with

it, so I'm supposed to start taking Protonex and see what happens.

I'm only taking 10mg/day of pred now and I will be so glad when I

can get totally off it. That was kind of discouraging, so it is

good to hear that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for some

of us.-

-- In , " Rev. Doug Beasley "

<uca79ii@y...> wrote:

>

>

> Greetings everyone

>

> I have been on Xolair since August of 2003 and my doctor STILL

makes

> me wait the FULL hour. No, if's and's or but's!!!

>

> He even makes me wait the FULL 20 minutes after my regular allergy

> shots. For 20 years, I gave myself my own regular allergy shots

at

> home, no problems EVER! Well, this doctor won't even let me give

> those at home.

>

> When I told him that some people are being allowed to give

themselves

> Xolair at home, he looked me with a look of horror on his face and

> shock! (His nurse almost fainted) LOL!

>

> I used to have to drive to Little Rock (250 miles round trip) from

> where I used to live to get my Xolair shots. Now, I just drive

> across town.

>

> My asthma lately? I can almost say " What Asthma? "

>

> I am doing GREAT!

>

> Doug

> Group founder

[Guest guest]

hi doug - and everyone else

its so great to hear you're doing so well! thats wonderful!!

and your dr makes you wait around forever? wow, that must be

frustrating. i started the 20 minute trend when i had two dr appts

in one day - " i have to leave earlier " . i was questioned over and

over about the " what ifs? " . once i assured both the dr and the nurse

that i'd have the smarts to use my epi, and i'm never more than 15

minutes from a hospital, they let me go. it just became standard now

to wait 20 minutes. sometimes, the nurse lets me sneak out early!

my biggest issue right now is these blasted sinuses. the nebulized

cipro seemed to help, but now its been two weeks since i've been on

it, and problems are in full swing again. we're having constant

weather changes too, which doesn't help. yesterday i woke up and it

was 65 degrees out, but by 1PM it was snowing and down to 30. i

haven't found anything that gives relief to the discomfort and even

pain at times, so i've taken up the motto " keep on swimming keep on

swimming " and just try to ignore it. =o) thus far, asthma is

still " normal " without a flare up. i'm hoping that trend continues.

i return to the ENT on friday, and i hope he has some kind of

plan!!!

asthma wise - doing great! i'm only needing my inhaler at most 1-2

times a day - for this time of year thats a record! this thursday

is my one year xolair mark! YEAH!!!

have a great sunday everyone

heather

>

>

> Greetings everyone

>

> I have been on Xolair since August of 2003 and my doctor STILL

makes

> me wait the FULL hour. No, if's and's or but's!!!

>

> He even makes me wait the FULL 20 minutes after my regular allergy

> shots. For 20 years, I gave myself my own regular allergy shots

at

> home, no problems EVER! Well, this doctor won't even let me give

> those at home.

>

> When I told him that some people are being allowed to give

themselves

> Xolair at home, he looked me with a look of horror on his face and

> shock! (His nurse almost fainted) LOL!

>

> I used to have to drive to Little Rock (250 miles round trip) from

> where I used to live to get my Xolair shots. Now, I just drive

> across town.

>

> My asthma lately? I can almost say " What Asthma? "

>

> I am doing GREAT!

>

> Doug

> Group founder