posted
...giving by LLMDs? How much do you have to see these guys? They are so expensive and I can't see them very often. It's too expensive. We live in FL. and housing is expensive down here. My hubby makes very good money but with 2 cars and 2 kids and a house, and other bills, well....there's not much left especially now that my health has taken a turn for the worst.
-------------------- "~*~My smile hides my bite~*~." Posts: 506 | From N/A | Registered: Jun 2008
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
my insurance pays abou 80 percent and i pay the rest. i get generic and although some say you shouldn't, it's all i can afford.
20 percent can sometimes get pretty high. and of course i go to walmart.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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seekhelp
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 15067
posted
I was wondering the exact same thing. I'm amazed so many individuals on this board have the money to buy these antibiotics. I'm guessing insurance only covers 30 days of a script (told that by my doctor).
I'm wondering what the average cost of monthly treatment is for Lyme Disease when it's done correctly? Especially, if you don't have a positive WB.
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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disturbedme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12346
posted
It's hard, I know. My husband and I live 20 minutes from DC (where housing and just the price of living is VERY expensive). My husband's a teacher which doesn't give us too much money and I just lost my job because of my illness, so we've been struggling for a while with finances. We still pay out of pocket for me to see an LLMD though and his insurance pays a good part of antibiotics and medicine (except for when they reject something, which only happened once, thankfully and *knock on wood*).
I really know what you're going through. It's tough.
-------------------- One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. ~ Helen Keller
My Lyme Story Posts: 2965 | From Land of Confusion (bitten in KS, moved to PA, now living in MD) | Registered: Jun 2007
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kam
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 3410
posted
Just take it one step at at time. Your health is the most important.
Posts: 15927 | From Became too sick to work or do household chores in 2001. | Registered: Dec 2002
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AliG
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9734
posted
It would depend on your Insurance company and health plan, as to what they will cover and what your out-of-pocket expenses would be.
I imagine it would also depend on what ABX your doctor prescribes.
My insurance will not cover my LLMD, but they have been covering tests ordered through the labs that they allow (not any specialized labs).
They have also been covering my medications with me having to pay the co-pay.
I DID just switch insurance companies, so I don't know what I'm in for yet with the new one.
I do seem to remember having to go to the pharmacy every two weeks for Amoxi, for some stupid insurance reason. I guess so I'd have more co-pay.
It probably also depends on the expense of the particular ABX you are Rxd.
Your insurance company probably has an on-line formulary that would tell you what ABX are allowed, which would require some kind of pre-certification by your doctor and what alternatives they might pay for to meds that they won't cover.
My insurance wouldn't cover Malarone, so I had to use Mepron instead. I think doctors will try to work within your insurance coverage, as best they can. Mine has, at least.
My pharmacist would tell me if there was going to be an insurance problem & then I would call & tell the doctor and he would work with it.
The expenses do add up, especially when your LLMD is out-of-pocket and tests through specialized labs are not covered. Even alternative methods and supplements add up because insurance CERTAINLY won't cover THAT.
What choice do we have? It's just not fair. We have to do what we can and hope for the best.
Let's hope that the review of the IDSA guidelines can make a difference in the problems the insurance companies are able to give us.
Let's also hope that we can get the bills passed for Lyme research funding (AND QUICKLY!!!!), so that someone might come up better, less expensive, faster, less agonizing means to detect and treat these diseases.
Ali
-------------------- Note: I'm NOT a medical professional. The information I share is from my own personal research and experience. Please do not construe anything I share as medical advice, which should only be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. Posts: 4881 | From Middlesex County, NJ | Registered: Jul 2006
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lymednva
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9098
posted
I am very lucky. I have had no problems with getting all my meds paid for, except for my fairly reasonable co-pays.
I am also lucky with my insurance and Medicare because between the two I pay little out of pocket to see my LLLMD and all my labs are free, including some of the very expensive ones.
And after I have paid $1500 out-of-pocket for rx's for the year the rest of the year is free! That's when I stock up, especially with my mail-ins, which give me 90 day supplies.
I also live in the DC area and am single. My only income is a dinky state retirement, county retirement, SSDI and LTD.
I am always looking for ways to cut back. Have eliminated a lot of little expenses this year, which add up, so I'm hoping to be able to save a bit because I depleted my savings with this disease.
-------------------- Lymednva Posts: 2407 | From over the river and through the woods | Registered: Apr 2006
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That's when I stock up, especially with my mail-ins, which give me 90 day supplies.
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