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Remicade infusions

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Posted 4/12/2017 12:55 PM (GMT 0)
For those of you receiving Remicade infusions: where do you get your infusions? My husband will be released from the hospital tomorrow, and he needs to have infusions every four weeks. We are trying to find a place closer to home to get them done, as his doctor's office is 130 miles away. Do you go to some sort of infusion facility, or? I'm wondering if the best thing to do is call my insurer, and see where we can go? I'm totally lost on how to find a place, and he will need to have an infusion the day after he comes home. I'm not so sure that finding a place that quickly is realistic, but for the remaining infusions, it should be.
Posted 4/12/2017 2:23 PM (GMT 0)
I'd be curious to hear from others on this, too. We live about 90 minutes from the hospital where my GI is located - it's a top ranked place for GI, and he's an amazing doc, so well worth the trip - but for infusions, the driving gets to be a lot. I talked to them briefly about going to an infusion center closer to home (on Remicade's 2infuse website) but they pushed back a bit - guessing they want the $$ for the infusions ;)
Posted 4/12/2017 3:11 PM (GMT 0)
Infusions can be given at gasteroenterologist offices, hospitals, sports medicine centers, and can include at-home nurse visits. You need an overseeing nurse (to set IV, check your vitals, and adjust the drip rate) all of which are pretty basic skills that most medical facilities can offer.

Certainly call your insurance and ask what's closest to your home. Ask about at-home infusions as it might be more convenient when you live far away from facilities that offer IV infusions. In that scenario a nurse is sent to your home to do said infusion.
Posted 4/12/2017 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
I got to my GIs office and it's about 45 min each way. It's not ideal but when I go there for the infusion they check my vitas and do bloodwork while I'm there anyhow.
Posted 4/13/2017 12:41 AM (GMT 0)
I go to an infusion center but when I move in a few months I'll have in home infusion. Insurance should be able to help ornyou can just google "remicade infusions near me". I was on vacation once and needed an emergency dose and found one that way. Where are you located? Maybe one of us can help you look?
Posted 4/13/2017 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
I'd check with insurance first. If I have my Entyvio infusion done in the hospital (it's actually at their chronic illness office a block away, but owned by hospital), then apparently (still hoping, no solid yes or no answer yet), it's covered under my medical policy instead of prescription. This is Medicare, so different than a private or group policy, but still, insurance can be tricky, and I wouldn't go anywhere without getting solid confirmation of where they'll allow you to go, and the different costs associated with different facilities.
Posted 4/13/2017 9:52 AM (GMT 0)
I contacted my insurance company, and they emailed me a list of infusion centers in a town about 50 miles away that were in-network. There is also one place that does in-home, but I'm not sure if they will travel that far to do it, so I'll give them a call today. We have a 10% copay, but since I am more than positive that we have met the $4000 threshold for the year, it'll be 100% covered. Thank you for the suggestions on where he can go to get the infusions done that are closer to home!
Posted 4/13/2017 4:09 PM (GMT 0)
Your local hospital can do it. You just need a doctor with admitting privileges to write the script. Most hospitals have infusion centers.

Remicade needs to be on the hospital's pharmacies' formulary but it is a common medication so that shouldn't be much of an issue.

I'm in the same situation, I live about 90 minutes from my IBD GI's office but I had my local Primary Care doc who is also a GI write the script for me for the local hospital.

What I told them at the time was that I didn't feel well enough to travel 90 miles in a car during a flare. But standard office procedure is to have the patient come into their facility for the infusion, that's probably why you are getting push back from the staff (not the GI). I just tell my GI that it is too far for me and I'd like to do it locally; he understands.

If it was up to me then I would have the infusions at home. I'd try that route first.
Posted 4/13/2017 4:13 PM (GMT 0)

Rebel_runner said...
I contacted my insurance company, and they emailed me a list of infusion centers in a town about 50 miles away that were in-network. There is also one place that does in-home, but I'm not sure if they will travel that far to do it, so I'll give them a call today. We have a 10% copay, but since I am more than positive that we have met the $4000 threshold for the year, it'll be 100% covered. Thank you for the suggestions on where he can go to get the infusions done that are closer to home!

Have your signed up for Remicade patient assistance program? I thought that they covered your copayments with a max out of pocket expense for your husband of $35 an infusion? I could be wrong about that, depending on your type of insurance plan.
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