Posted 5/15/2008 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
It really depends on your drug plan. Because of the high cost most drug plans require you to submit an application signed by your doctor. They probably will only approve it if you have already tried most conventional and less expensive medications. The hospital I go to here in Toronto has an infusion coordinator. She took my insurance information and took care of all the paperwork. She even setup my first appointment at the infusion centre. My drug plan approved Remicade for one year. After that I would have to reapply. Unfortunately after 7 infusions I had no improvement so I stopped it. I have a good plan and didn’t have any deductible or co-payments. The pharmacy charged my insurance company directly and delivered the medication to the infusion centre the day of my infusion.
You can have your infusions done at your local hospital or at one of the many Remicade infusion centres that Schering-Plough Canada, the Canadian distributor for Remicade, has setup across Canada. Talk to your doctor about the process. If he doesn’t have an infusion coordinator like my doctor, you may have to call your insurance company and start the process yourself.
Take care,