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View Full Version : Weggie Doctors in Pacific Northwest



GreenTara
08-22-2013, 06:33 AM
HI
I am looking for DOCTORS who know Wegener's or at least Vasculitis, I live in Seattle, WA

Any recommendations out there?

I've been getting care at Harborview Hopspital, and have some good doctors, BUT>>>>>

would love to find someone really "into" wegener's LOL

annekat
08-22-2013, 07:23 AM
Hi, Green Tara,

I'm in Olympia and another forum member is in Shelton, just north of here. I make do with a local doc but this other member goes to UW med center where they have a rheumatology clinic and apparently some vasculitis experience. I will PM you with the name of his doctor, since he sent it to me in a PM. Don't know for sure that he would be any better than the doc you have, but worth consideration.

Dirty Don
08-22-2013, 07:45 AM
How far are you willing to travel? Would your current doc be willing to consult with experts?

pberggren1
08-22-2013, 09:05 AM
I'm sure there must be some Vasci doc in Seattle. It is a large population base. If I can have a Wegs doc in population of 450,000 and surrounding area of about 75,000 sq miles, then I'm sure Seattle has a few of them.

annekat
08-22-2013, 10:50 AM
I'm sure there must be some Vasci doc in Seattle. It is a large population base. If I can have a Wegs doc in population of 450,000 and surrounding area of about 75,000 sq miles, then I'm sure Seattle has a few of them. I agree with you, Phil, there must be some vasci docs in the area. It's just a matter of finding them. But I have my doubts whether they have seen as many Weggies as your doc has; I think you said 1000? Were you talking about your new doc or your old doc or both? It seems like a lucky fluke that there'd be such a Wegs doc within that sort of area given the overall lack of dense population in Canada. But then, I don't know much at all about Canada, and maybe I'm just thinking of the western part. Guess I need to look at the map again for Saskatchewan.

pberggren1
08-22-2013, 11:48 AM
I am talking about my old doc. And it is not a lucky fluke that he came to my town. God answered my prayer a week from before he came that I wanted a Wegs doc. So God sent me a top Wegs doc. My new doc is the one that only has 30 Weggies.

annekat
08-22-2013, 01:06 PM
I am talking about my old doc. And it is not a lucky fluke that he came to my town. God answered my prayer a week from before he came that I wanted a Wegs doc. So God sent me a top Wegs doc. My new doc is the one that only has 30 Weggies. Oh yeah, now I remember you saying that about your new doc having 30 Weggies. There sure seem to be a lot of Weggies in your area. As for your old doc, yes, you were blessed.

pberggren1
08-22-2013, 01:56 PM
There are only about 2,000 Weggies in Western Canada.

mr.g
08-24-2013, 04:30 AM
I am a Group Health member. GH has a Specialty Clinic in Tacoma and has a great rheumy. I believe she is Board Certified. I think she travels to Seattle GH on Capital Hill. If you can get a referral or can afford a second opinion, where ever you go, be specific about wanting a WG specialist. I am a walking advertisement for GH because over the past five years I have been seen by fifteen different specialists, all of whom have been really good. I don't know if GH accepts referrals or not. I will be talking to my rheumy next Monday and will ask. Let me know if you are interested. Ev (mr.g)

annekat
08-24-2013, 02:15 PM
Gee, maybe I should join Group Health. I'm not sure how I could, though..... I'm on Medicare. I guess a person could be on both, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't pay the GH premiums. Mr. g, have all these great specialists you've seen been at Group Health?

drz
08-25-2013, 02:09 PM
Gee, maybe I should join Group Health. I'm not sure how I could, though..... I'm on Medicare. I guess a person could be on both, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't pay the GH premiums. Mr. g, have all these great specialists you've seen been at Group Health?

If you have regular Medicare many specialist might accept that but if you belong to one of the captive plans, then you are limited to those in your group.

annekat
08-25-2013, 02:34 PM
I think there might be a Medicare Advantage Plan through Group Health, which is as you indicate, a "captive plan". So when people who belong to Group Health become eligible for Medicare, perhaps such a plan would pay for what Medicare doesn't. Or something like that. So far, I can't afford any sort of Medicare Advantage Plan, and would obviously have to join GH to get on that one. But should look into it again, as open enrollment time is coming up. Same for my drug plan.

Some people I know who belong to Group Health call it Group Death. Funny, ha, ha. I doubt if it is really that bad, and there are probably some good doctors there, such as those Mr. g has seen. I know a lot of people around here belong to it. It is something like Kaiser but I don't know if it might be better. Have no experience with it. I think doctors at the UW Med School would take Medicare patients, but if it came to a lot of $$, I'd have trouble paying the 20% copay. Perhaps I should look into SSI and Medicaid to supplement my Medicare. But I've tried before and it is tricky. I had too much money in my checking account to qualify because my sister had loaned me some. Catch-22 situation.

drz
08-28-2013, 05:24 AM
The captive plans usually are similar to cost of regular Medicare and the extra costs are usually for adding drug coverage and vary according to level of coverage you get for drugs. The captive plans tend to offer lower over all costs to their subscribers but then you must stay in their network and accept the level of care they deem necessary for you. That is the downside for having lower costs because they have to save money somehow. I think they are best for healthy people with few medical problems or issues.

annekat
08-28-2013, 06:16 AM
Thanks, drz. I am such a newbie at this stuff. I do need to look into what is available to me as a Medicare recipient, such as Medicare Advantage plans offered by various entities, and also drug plans to see if I might want to switch, since open enrollment is the time to make changes, and that is coming up. True, I don't think I'd want to be tied down to a captive plan where I could only use their docs. But then, I may be limited in that anyway, as a Medicare patient. But probably not as limited.

drz
08-29-2013, 02:12 PM
Thanks, drz. I am such a newbie at this stuff. I do need to look into what is available to me as a Medicare recipient, such as Medicare Advantage plans offered by various entities, and also drug plans to see if I might want to switch, since open enrollment is the time to make changes, and that is coming up. True, I don't think I'd want to be tied down to a captive plan where I could only use their docs. But then, I may be limited in that anyway, as a Medicare patient. But probably not as limited.

We will be a lot more limited once next round of Medicare cuts are implemented. I have already run into serious problems trying to get diabetic supplies from cuts that went effect in June. The captive plans may be only way to get in to see any good doctor if the Affordable Health Care Act is fully implemented which seems likely. Unfortunately the cuts will also affect everyone getting health care in USA since all local clinics and hospitals are already laying off staff to try balance their budgets with the lower revenue they will get from Medicare in future. Many small clinics and hospitals in rural areas will end up being closed just like what happened years ago when they first cut Medicare benefits and the small towns lost their hospitals.