posted
Can you advise on what requirements must be met to get certified for IV antibiotics? I know each insurance co is going to differ, but just generally what do most want to hear in order to say yes?
Also, how does it actually work? You go to the hospital to get the line put in and then where/how often for the actual medicine?
Posts: 33 | From VA | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Hello Whome, I went through several months of IV antibiotics. They were great. The MOST important thing I can tell you is that the first IV supplier billed under the code immune disease unspecified and insurance covered it, then when we had to switch providers of IV products, the new company billed under Lyme disease and they shut down paying right away. They would have paid indefinately for an immundeficiency but only thirty days for Lyme which is not enough.
As far as as the PICC line and medicine goes, I found getting the line in at the hospital to be nothing. Then I ran the IV myself at home every day and went to the hospital once a week to get it checked. I had home health initially check it but they were REALLY bad and let it get infected once which was enough for me. The people that place the line know so much more about how to care for it. Just remember billing codes are what determines payment. I wish someone would have told me that. Truesun
-------------------- Misdiagnosed for many years. Treated for many things besides the real issue. Lyme diagnosed April 2008. Parasites diagnosed recently. Past to both my sons. Trying to remain hopeful and thankful. Posts: 144 | From Ohio Valley | Registered: Mar 2009
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posted
Thanks Truesun. Does the medication come in bags or what? Is it kind of like attaching an IV drip twice a day or something?
Posts: 33 | From VA | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
We had a better experience with Home Health provider. They came weekly and changed dressing and were oncall for issues.
Ours was IV drip 1 time / day.
Insurance only paid for 30 days. I've heard of good online pharmacy that is much cheaper for supplies: http://www.infuserveamerica.com/Posts: 126 | From MD | Registered: Mar 2009
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dmc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5102
posted
some I.V.s can be a "push" not a drip (in bag) but in a large syringe. You slowly push medice through your line manually.
Some come in a powder form in small bottle that you mix w/saline, then insert into the iv bag to do the drip method of infusing.
Depending on the med and system will determine how long it takes to infuse.
I did IV Tigecyl 2X a day...a Saline push first, mixed the med in its bottle, then into bag then infused (drip) about 35-40min, then saline push, then heperin push.
It took about 45 mins-1 hour for the process.
good luck
Posts: 2675 | From ct, usa | Registered: Jan 2004
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