Saline Solution Vital to Health: Medicare Negates

@grammyvictoria I have a monthly subscription for Resp-ease 7% saline from Amazon for 26.99. 60 vials. Tried to get a proper prescription from pulmonologist for Medicare to cover. Such a hassle and gave up.

@grammyvictoria Please have your pharmacy check GoodRx or one of the other drug discount programs. Sometimes the cost with one of those can be lower than your prescription copay. My independent pharmacy has taught their techs to do this automatically on any copay over $30, and it has occasionally saved me money. And yes, people on Medicare can use these discounts - apparently their rules have eased.

@grammyvictoria
I am getting 7% saline on Amazon. Resp-ease for $30.00 for 60 vials.

I pay $47 and that’s with Good RX. My insurance won’t cover it as they say it should be covered by part B in Medicare for my Nebulizer. I’ve talked with Medicare and for some strange reason it’s not covered and she couldn’t explain why. I finally gave up Any suggestions would be great 😊

@speeched100 After a lot of research a few years ago, I learned saline I covered under Part B IF it is prescribed with another drug for treatment of bronchiectasis and IF the pharmacy also handles durable medical equipment (ie nebulizers) and IF the doctor and pharmacist properly code the prescriptions. I was fortunate to meet all of the qualifications, but even so GoodRx is cheaper than the copay. It seems ridiculous, but saline costs more than my levalbuterol, budesonide, and (generic) Symbicort inhaler.

I used to buy resp-ease 7% saline from amazon , but now I noticed the label doesn't say it is for inhalation, so I am not sure if it is still safe

@sheila9 Going to look into that, and the other suggestions, thank you so much! Going to talk with my pharmacist tomorrow ... After I check Amazon.
Nebulizing really does loosen up the phlegm doesn't it. Just with sodium chloride alone!
I just got instructed to add albuterol and I'm not happy about that.
( Did I say I'm new at this?☺️)
I can tell I'm going to have a lot of questions and so glad I found y'all.
Already picked up some good ideas, like don't nebulize shortly before bed. Otherwise I'm still hacking away for half an hour I sound like some old guy in a cheap motel and it worries my tenant downstairs.

My belief is that unless we unite, nothing will change. This disease I have, you may have, MAC/NTM coupled with Bronchiectasis is largely the unknown and I talked about disease. The older group of women who get this is likely grossly under diagnosed. I’m guilty of keeping it quiet as well. I will just say things like:
“I have funky lungs”
“I have bad allergies and asthma”
These are true statements, but I omit the NTM/MAC part they scares people or just takes the conversation elsewhere I don’t want to go. Our only pulmonologist in town does NOT, will NOT test for this disease. Why? I don’t know. Anyway a great awareness for our disease is the only chance things will change I believe. Most people still think 🤔 f you have bad lungs you are likely a bad person who smoked too much of something. So… who wants to start the awareness campaign?

@grammyvictoria Some pulmonologists are open to the idea of using an albuterop or levalbuterol inhaler 10-15 minutes before nebbing with saline. It was a real time saver for me.
Maybe yours would let you try it?