posted
Hi everyone My doctors nurse just called.. She got in touch with Igenex and she called me and told me they no longer accept ins and the 2 tests that they recommend I have is over 500 dollars They recommended 2 Panels. The 5000 panel and the 5050.. I haven't looked what ones these are yet I have to go look em up.. In the meantime, how is anyone paying for testing through Igenex? Is there any way to get the ins to pay up front? There is NO WAY I can afford to pay for these tests out of pocket.. Not sure which way to go now.. Thanks for any advice
posted
Find a LLMD most of them will set it up as testing through the office bypassing igenex as the middle man and insurance will pay for it. Atleast, they paid for my igenex testing at Dr. J's in Charlotte.
Posts: 649 | From United States | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
We had to pay up front both times we had the WB done. Then IGENEX sends us forms that we submit to our insurance and after many phone calls they pay in full. I know of others that have their insurance deny it as out of network.
Our LLMD does not accept insurance so I guess that is why we pay up front. It is good to know that sometimes insurance will pay if it goes through docs office. Who bills then, the doctor?
Posts: 55 | From USA | Registered: Sep 2005
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
Unfortunately, with Igenex, you do have to pay but I have had good luck with Insurance paying when I submitted myself.
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
One option would be to have Lyme testing done at the commercial labs where your insurance will cover it. I got lucky and came up + on a LabCorp WB. At least if it comes back negative, your doctor will know to ignore it, but it could be helpful if it should come up +.
I later had the full Babesia panel, which I paid for out of pocket for which I was reimbursed a very small amount. If I had known just how unreliable that testing was, I would not have wasted my time or money.
Given that all the tests are pretty unreliable anyway, you may want to ask your doctor if he or she will treat based on symptoms, and see what happens.
-------------------- Suzanne Shaps STAND UP FOR LYME Texas (www.standupforlyme.org) (Please email all correspondence related to protecting Texas LLMDs to [email protected] with copy to [email protected]) Posts: 977 | From Austin, TX, USA | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Went into a commercial lab today and sat for awhile with a tech converting some of MDL PCRs over to the commercial labs #'s Took quite a bit of time but found that the lab does them all and they will be covered. There are several of us that need to be tested.
-------------------- When I feel blue . . . . . . its time to take another breath Posts: 296 | From East Coast | Registered: Aug 2005
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
Igenex doesnt accept insurance upfront, you have to pay for it, however, when you submit a claim yourself, they usually pay all or most of it. I have had good luck with IgeneX and MDL as well as far as being reimbursed.
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
I have lyme,
Call YOUR state's health insurance co. to see if Igenex, MD labs, or Bowen are on their APPROVED list of labs to have lyme tests done.
Here is my personal experience with IGX and other info I found out the hard way! ==============================================
The WESTERN BLOT IGM & IGG blood test nos. 189 and 188, are the only accurate tests for LD. They should only be sent to these 3 USA's Lyme testing labs:
IGENEX LAB: 797 San Antonio Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 1.800.832.3200.
(If the early test, called IGM, is negative; the later test IGG is NOT done!) Please see their web site: www.igenex.com for their current prices effective May 1, 2005 and
to print their REQUIRED form, which MUST be signed by the doctor, DIAGNOSIS CODE NO. COMPLETED!; Medicare's UPIN no., and your blood taken EARLY in the week so it doesn't sit in post offices!
Write on their forms you want results FAXED to their drs. Office; snail mail paper copy so it's not lost like mine was!
NON-Medicare patients must PREPAY by check or credit card for the tests since they do NOT handle insurance papers.
Medicare patients do NOT have to prepay! 7-24-05...CALL 1ST ABOUT MEDICARE; just read today someone having troubles w/medicare paying!
2. MDLabs from NJ, www.mdl.net see their site; they too require their own form. NO prices are listed; you must call their 800 no.
3. BOWEN RESEARCH lab from Florida, www.bowen.net 727.937.9077 Dr. must call Bowen for their 13 pages of instructions; patient completes 5 sheets; dr. 1 page. You pay $250 tax-deductible payment for testing (lyme, babesia, & ehrlichia), and they send you a picture of what shows up in your blood. Dr. gets the results within 24 hours after the blood is received at Bowen. They are also a 501(c)(3) lab and you can take the donation of $250 off of your taxes if you live in the US. They fax the results and then about a week later send the actual pictures to MD.
NOTE: Bowen - I was disappointed in their not sending an explanation with their report showing if you are positive or negative and their number...mine was 1:64! Lyme should be diagnosed clinically using medical history in addition with the Western Blot blood tests as no currently available test is definitive in ruling-in or ruling-out infection with Ld pathogens, or whether these infections are responsible for the patient's symptoms.
NOTE: Please send a copy of your health insurance card to YOUR insurance comany (mine is Wellmark BC/BS, Iowa) for them to submit to BLUE CARD (handles other states) them to FORWARD to California's Blue Shield health insurance company since they will require that, DRS. Diagnosis Code No., and which date of service is correct (IGX has 3 different dates on their paid receipts....use the DATE OF ACTIVITY!).
FYI - mine was returned to me after 6 wks. After submitting; dr./blood lab failed to show DRS. DIAGNOSIS CODE NO. on their form! It went to 7 people to be returned to me! Disgusting! ==========================================
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