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Posted 5/4/2010 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
I've been on the computer and phone all day. Trying to find a decent rheumy. My old one is no longer available. Well I was willing to travel the whole state of oklahoma to go to any of them. Including the ones that are directly involved with lupus. (that's as far as I legally say). anyway as of 2 weeks ago they all quit taking medicare patients. I'm up to and including my neck in pain and there is not one single decent doctor that will take my insurance. Frankly I've had all I can take! I don't have money to buy insurance. and I don't have 4 years for the other stuff to take effect.
Posted 5/4/2010 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
That's about when the medicare reimbursement rates went down -- it may actually cost the Drs money if they see you. A friend of mine is a urologist, and the new rates don't cover the equipment & paperwork costs - so anything she does for Medicare patients she doesn't get any salary at all, and has to pay for the office space, medical equipment, med. supplies, office supplies and staff. I understand why Drs can take the insurance...

But that sure leaves those of us who can't get anything but Medicare in a huge bind. I guess the next step would be to call the social services people and see if they have any way to get you some funds to pay for a Dr? Would Medcaid help you any?

Sorry, I don't know much about this & can't help much, but I do know that it sucks big time. I hope someone will come along with a great idea to help you out.
Posted 5/4/2010 4:48 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Lynnwood, unfortunately how it works is medicare is first then champva then medicaid. If medicare doesn't pay part of it then neither will the other two. So basically if medicare doesn't back me up none of them will. Which has me thinking. The transplant hospital takes medicare. Which cost about 1 million for the transplant and 600 thousand after that per year to keep up on maintenance. A long with that it cost about 3000 a month for anti rejection meds. So I'm thinkin if doctors can't afford to seem medicaid patients how can a hospital cover that? Plus this 2014 stuff that is supposed to start in 4 years. The doctors only give me a 60% chance of living 3. I don't know maybe my meds are playing tricks on me. but I just don't have a lot of fight in me right now. They switched my anti-d that I have been on four 6 years to something that is supposed to help my fibro with a anti-d. Could be why I got no fight left in me. I can't seem to stop crying today. Lousey Drugs!

I'd hop down off my soap box but I'd probably break my leg and no one will take my insurance to fix it!

love ya

carol
Posted 5/4/2010 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
That sure doesn't seem right at all, does it? We need to have an insurance attorney join the forum! (I'm not wishing Lupus on anyone, just saying....)

Cheers,
Posted 5/4/2010 1:58 PM (GMT 0)
No, it doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem right at all. I'll help you look around OKC but I don't know how you'll get to a doctor here. Would that be possible? I used to see a doctor at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. It's hard to get in there but we can at least make a call. They are big time lupus researchers and I don't think they charge people who can't pay. Not sure about the labs though.

In the meantime I'd be writing to all my congressmen, state legislators, the department of health, and anyone else you can think of. Write the President. Tell them your situation and what the decrease in medicare payments has done to you. We just passed a healthcare bill. It's not right that you can't get a good rheumatologist. This really angers me.
Posted 5/4/2010 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
(((Carol))) This really sucks. I know just what you mean when you have no fight left. A couple of occasions I tried to take on the system and just gave up. And it sure is hard to do anything when you're crying all day (done that too!). As for the hospitals, they often have other sources of funds such as donations and grants.
Posted 5/5/2010 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
Have you tried a teaching hospital in OK? They are required to see a certain number of medicare patients in order to retain federal funding in other areas. Worth a try!
Posted 5/6/2010 1:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone, thank you so much for your support and Ideas. Trust me I will keep them in mind. I do have good news though. Patty Latty found me a doctor down by oklahoma city that is willing to see me! I can get in june 14th. You guys are so great though for all your help. I was truly ready to give up. Well I had to go to thebase to go shopping this morning and then my nurse came over and drew blood. I'm so tired I need to sleep but i'm so hungry I dont know what is going to when out. Even my nurse said medicare is cutting there hours back so my nurse loses her job in three weeks. I really liked having her come out because going in for blood draws every weeks makes it rough with sick people all around. not to mention you know how tiring it can be. But hey I got my friends and I got a doctor and for now I have a nurse. I guess I am afraid because if they chip away to much I have a lady that cleans cooks laundry pretty much everything 4 days a week. the nurse and the aide keep me in my own home. I don't want to end up in a nursing home again.
anyway

thank you all so much

blessings

carol
Posted 5/6/2010 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
Here is a better explanation of what has happened. This is not about the new healthcare bill but about the budget crisis and pay as you go. Congress has voted on these increases annually to stave off a crisis in medicare but not this year....so far. More ridiculous inaction from congress. As Ollie would say to Stanley (Lauel & Hardy for those younger folks), "this is a fine mess you got me in Stanley".

Let's hope they resolve it and avert the crisis....again.

http://www.calphys.org/html/cc887.asp
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