Connect
← Return to Saline Solution Vital to Health: Medicare Negates
Discussion
Saline Solution Vital to Health: Medicare Negates
MAC & Bronchiectasis | Last Active: Feb 11 7:15pm | Replies (15)Comment receiving replies
@blm1007blm1007 No, I don't think there is a shortage, although there was a temporary one a few years ago. I think $60 is the retail price. It sounds like either your insurance or Medicare quit covering the saline, so you are being charged the full price now.
PICC lines are flushed with normal saline (0.9%), not hypertonic (7%) - and when my friend needed it, it was supplied in pre-loaded syringes, not the vials like we use.
Saline in 4-5 ml vials is sometimes used to mix with and dilute meds for nebulizing, but that is usually normal saline as well.
Replies to "@blm1007blm1007 No, I don't think there is a shortage, although there was a temporary one a..."
@sueinmn I just got mine refilled at Walmart for $0.00 copay! I'm on a Medicare Advantage plan though so that may be the difference. My Medicare Advantage copay for durable medical equipment is "No charge". So I guess this works out for me this year. I was thinking of changing plans to a Medicare Advantage PPO this year so I could have access to NJH but decided to wait for a year because I had just gotten a new Afflo vest and would have had to pay quite a bit on the Medicare Advantage PPO I was looking at because that plan had a 20% coinsurance on durable medical equipment. Fortunately as I've mentioned in other posts, I'm in watch and wait and am doing well with no shortness of breath and BE is stable so fingers crossed I can make it through this year before I need to go to NJH.
Connect
@sueinmn I have been getting my saline from Base Labs on Amazon. Isn’t this what we need? I pay about $45. For 50 vials.