Update on pberggren

[pberggren1]

My doc called this morning and said they are short staffed at the hospital and cannot do the infusion until Tuesday now.

[Sangye]

Oh man. I assume the rtx will be okay until then. I'm sorry you have to wait longer Phil.

[Chris G]

Rituxan in your fridge.......that's SO weird!!

[pberggren1]

Ya, I think it will be OK in the fridge until then. Each 50mL vial is almost 2500 bucks. Yikes!

[Thakator]

Mike - - You will automatically be tapped (from your Social Security payments if you have them) for Medicare premiums. For the basic, it ranges from something like $90-120/month depending upon which state you live in; I don't know Texas' rate, but Kentucky's is $110. Your back up plan premium is a totally different situation and the costs likely vary considerably since the plans are from private insurers. You will most definately need one, however, so please reasearch well. Many companies will be sending you solicitations as you approach the magic age of 65.
For what it's worth, all of my medical visits, tests and hospitalizations leading up to the Wegs dx and subsequent to it have come since going on Medicare and I've never had a problem with it. That includes quite a few different docs, many, many tests (some of which at the rate of $12,000 a pop), a $19,000 helicopter ride to the ER and five extended stays in ICU/hospital; I'll not even try to elaborate on the medicinal history of the past year, but I will say that I currently have to take 13 different rx/day! Medicare, as I say, has been great and given me no problerms. Haven't been turned away from any treatment facility either - - - still, their reimbursement rates are considerably lower than what is charged (I get to see all the bills - it's a staggering amount - and how much is actually Medicare approved). Thus I know how much my back up plan pays and know full well that I would be absolutely screwed without it. My plan is with a company called UMR but I don't know how widely available it is. I do know that with your Wegs future it will be critical for you to get a good one.
By the way, I did respond to your private message a few weeks ago (about our being among the few retirees on the forum), but got a reply saying that your account wouldn't accept it. We're damned fortunate that way; being retired makes it so much easier to fight this battle. Nothing easy about it, of course, but so much easier than our non-retired sister/brother Weggies. (And yes, Sangye, if you're reading this - - I'm with you, it's Weggie all the way with me; none of that GP silliness for me!). Ron

[Sangye]

(And yes, Sangye, if you're reading this - - I'm with you, it's Weggie all the way with me; none of that GP silliness for me!). Ron

LOL! As I've told friends about the new name, I've seen a lot of scrunched up noses. No one likes it! I ain't changing.

[RudiK]

Hello Mike, My wife and I are retired, on social security and on medicare. My wife and I subscribed to Secure Horizon/AARP (provided by United Healthcare). The basic medicare premium is $90 and can go up depending on what your income was during the previous year. My income in 2010 was over their stated limit, so I pay $120. I was diagnosed with WG in late March, spend 4 days in the hospital, received 3 blood transfusions, I'm seeing three doctors and I take 11 different medications. So far no problems. Medicare/Secure Horizon has paid all, with the usual co-payments from me. The problems I had was finding doctors that would take on new medicare patients. I believed we contacted 7 or 8 doctors in El Paso before we found one who accepted us. But, a word of caution, the supplementary insurance coverages are different in every county, you need do your due diligence and shop around.

Good luck, Rudi K.

[julia]

Best of Luck. !

[jmmilliorn]

Thanks for the tip. Luckily, I have lots of friends at church that have already turned 65, so I get the benefit of their due diligence. One was a pharmaceutical distributor and he did a lot of research into our local options. I'm gong to start with his suggestion and compare it to a few others. I have heard that I should apply for full disability with social security since I have an incurable disease and that my benefit will be about $500 more per month for life and more of the monthly benefit will be un-taxed. My brother's wife did this. It took two years for them to win the argument with SS, but she got a large check retroactive to when she was diagnosed once they convinced the SS and won their appeals.

[RudiK]

Hello Mike, that is an interesting option. I wonder if that works also if you are already on social security.

Rudi K.