what to do about insurance issues?

You might try /www.pcip.gov/

Getting breaks on the cost of non narcotic medications is not too hard, but I have never seen any help with narcotic pain meds.

The only thing I can really suggest is that you talk with your doctors about this and see if you can get switched over to something that you can afford that will at least take the edge off.

Jim, thank you for the link. I called my PM doc, and he and I are making a plan to handle withdrawals from fentanyl patch if the insurance gets canceled despite appeal.

Maggie, it is Medicaid that is canceling because of my husband's income. It is just over the limit of the income guidelines. Throw in that his employer's insurance allows 6 visits per family per year and don't cover any of my pain management appointments or psych stuff. They cover 2 of my 6 meds at $30 a prescription, even if the rx is cheaper than $30. I have a $40 office copay, then a $2000 deductible for hospital/surgical. It doesn't cover labs, x-rays or diagnostic studies. All of which I have to have regularly.

I feel as though no one wants to help, or knows what to do for me. Add in that my long-term disability claim has been reopened after an appeal I filed months ago, and it looks as though I may get even a partial approval, and now I have some money to cover meds for the required 6 month wait until the PCIP insurance can be applied for. The dept of welfare here that administers the Medicaid, PCIP, and Medicaid for Disabled workers is encouraging me to get any kind of work, even cooking or baby sitting for a neighbor, and then reapply for Medicaid for disabled workers.

This doesn't make any sense. We make too much for Medicaid, but if I make $10 a week cooking for a neighbor or babysitting, as long as we don't make $XXXX a month, I can get Medicaid? But I can't get it when we make under that $XXXX a month now?

Am I the only one who has had this trouble? Who else doesn't get the system? I checked on private insurance, and the cheapest plan for me is $895 a month, and it won't cover my injections or 2 of my meds.

I GIVE UP!

Hi, so sorry you are going thru so much, this is supposed to be a great time, you just got married, altough in hindsight, maybe it would have been better just to live together, then the issue of medicaid would not be an issue. Now though it is, I can tell you that methadone is very inexpensive, I got 100 10 mg pills for under 50 dollars.  I didnt even have to pay that as I have medicare but it is no expensive.

I also think you should find a good local SSI, SSDI, lawyer who only does that one thing, get your SSI for you.  I was turned down twice before I got a lawyer after that, he looked over my tons of records, and took my case, once he took my case, I knew I would win, they only get paid if they win.  So I would look into that right away.  From the time I found him until I received my award letter for SSI, it took maybe 6 months.  So move on it right away if thats what you decide to do.

Good Luck and take care,

Kat

Did you contact the manufactuers of the medications, sometimes they can work things out and send your medication for either free or a reduced rate to your doctors office for them to dispense to you. It is worth looking into.
Good luck
Cheryl

Mindy pretty much all private insurance companies have the pre-existing clause. This is something many of us has had to deal with forever. The clauses differ on each policy. Did you say in another post your boys Medicaid was also canceled?

My sisters granddaughter was a single mom with one child. Both had Medicaid benefits, plus she was living in a very nice apt paid for my the state. When she applied for all of these different programs they made it clear to her that if she got married or moved a boyfriend in she would lose all the benefits except for Medicaid for the little girl. She did just that and lost it all except for Medicaid for the little girl. They really have strict guidelines in place. The guy that moved in was not her father so her Medicaid was not stopped. Did you say they stopped it on your sons?

There are different programs listed in CP101 that helps with the costs of medications, perhaps one of those can help you with your pain medications. How long is the appeal going to take with Medicaid? Let us know.