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Direct Contact

Posted by ihatesnowinindiana @ihatesnowinindiana, May 8, 2023

Hello, does anyone know a way to get in direct contact with Dr Truty or someone in his department that I can speak to, regarding trying to get my dad's scans to the Minnesota office and possibly get him in to get this Mesenteric Artery mass biopsy or resection done? His pain is getting increasingly bad, and no one in Indiana seems capable to do anything, and they're all just kicking cans back and fourth.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Pancreatic Cancer Support Group.

beatrixlee | @beatrixlee | Jun 11, 2023
In reply to @ihatesnowinindiana "Had my "appointment call" initial contact with Mayo Clinic to try and get my father in..." + (show)
@ihatesnowinindiana

Had my "appointment call" initial contact with Mayo Clinic to try and get my father in there to get his mesenteric artery growth looked at and dealt with, and they pretty much shut us down saying that blue cross blue shield isn't contracted with mayo anymore.

Wtf is a person suppose to do when one of the few places who can do anything won't accept medicare insurance and can't pay out of pocket?

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We switched our Medicare advantage plan from blue cross blue shield to Aetna this year for precisely this reason. BCBS (anthem) has always a very small network they will accept for treatment. In short, it is the insurance market that controls access to medical care in the US. No other industrialized country in the world that does this. I don’t know what the solution is except to switch plans. I highly recommend Aetna.

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bmtl27 | @bmtl27 | Jun 11, 2023
In reply to @ihatesnowinindiana "Apparently not Part D or Medigap backed by Anthem. Or atleast not Indiana Medicare. Frig if..." + (show)
@ihatesnowinindiana

Apparently not Part D or Medigap backed by Anthem. Or atleast not Indiana Medicare. Frig if I know. All I know is once his insurance info was disclosed, everything was shut down and admissions lady said we aren't continuing because there has been no contract made between Anthem and/or what have you and Mayo and to not expect that as its been that way for a few years now.

When it comes to talking to someone in a narrowing last line of defense to attempt at saving someone's life, just felt cold, callously cruel.

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Wow! Sounds like a completely different experience. So sorry that happened to you.☹️

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gardenlady1116 | @gardenlady1116 | Jun 12, 2023

Traditional Medicare is more expensive than Medicare Disadvantage but I was so glad I did not cut corners. MSKCC doesn't take Medicare Disadvantage. I would not have been able to go to the best doctors. Medicare Disadvantage plans are heavily promoted and traditional Medicare is hard to understand with so many plans, Type A-H but a broker can help sort it out, Make sure to use one who is not affiliated with any insurance companies. I would wish that everyone got the kind of care I have been getting.

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gardenlady1116 | @gardenlady1116 | Jun 12, 2023
In reply to @jenray "My aunt got turned away from consideration as a patient at Mayo Arizona a few months..." + (show)
@jenray

My aunt got turned away from consideration as a patient at Mayo Arizona a few months ago. They told me they couldn't take her on because they were overwhelmed with new patients.

Columbia Presbyterian takes Medicare, and they have an amazing surgical team. Johns Hopkins also takes it. And both of them are excellent institutions with the capacity to handle arterial involvement (although I don't know about mesenteric artery involvement specifically). Memorial Sloan also takes Medicare.
There will be other places as well. Those are just the three I can say with certainty accept medicare and are excellent.

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I love the care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I have traditional Medicare insurance. They do not accept Medicare Advantage Plans. Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Weill-Cornell, and NYU are all top rated centers of excellence in NY. Dana Farber on Boston also one of the top of the line Pancreatic Centers of Excellence. A friend who is a physician had surgery at Johns Hopkins by Dr. Hi, a top rated surgeon.

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