How do you halt the progress of osteoporosis?

Posted by coppertonelady @coppertonelady, Oct 21, 2012

I want to mention that for stong bones as well as muscles you have to have a good diet eating foods that are loaded with calcium and minerals look up a list of them and eat them , you have to do weight resistance also I would recommend using a weight vest. it makesbone stronger if you wear it while just walking or doing any activity. The vest is very comfortable because it is actually made for a womans body my doctor said my bone is getting stronger from doing my weight vest walkng with nyknyc. I am so happy because I am afraid of drugs.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.

@susanfalcon52

This is a long post regarding insurance and osteoporosis drugs:
I’m a social worker and my side hustle for 30 years was home health/hospice. The problem that came up the most with patients was drugs and paying for them. I learned the best way to help patients choose a Part D plan - call Medicare with patient and go over all of patients meds over the phone. The Medicare person on phone was generally polite and well trained. I even designed a form that we would use to enter all the information about each Part D plan. The patient could see which plan was best for them and sign up for it right then. This all is possible during open enrollment- October 15 through December 7. Now.
I no longer do this for patients as I retired from side gig (not from main job), but do this every year for my husband as he is on a zillion drugs.
Before i went on Medicare, I could not get my osteoporosis drugs covered. Now, I’m on traditional Medicare and it covered the astronomical cost of the Evenity that I am getting.
I have learned that traditional Medicare is always best for people with medical problems.
Meaning, not Medicare Advantage plans. You do save the cost of paying for a supplement if you go on an Advantage plan.
My and my husband’s supplement (combined) costs $290 monthly. Anyone who can afford this cost would benefit from choosing traditional Medicare.
As I used to tell my patients, with traditional Medicare you are using a plan that you’ve been paying into your entire life. Which is run by the federal government. With Medicare Advantage plans, you are dealing with an insurance company.
Advantage plans can change at any time.
Our supplements are through AARP. They publish a newsletter and a magazine which we receive. These contain a lot of useful information about drugs, insurance, research on drugs, how government is helping or not helping with cost of drugs, etc. I recommend these publications to anyone whether they choose AARP or another plan.
Best to everyone who is struggling to get osteo drugs covered. It’s ridiculously complex.

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Such a helpful and thorough explanation, thanks! I am not on any of these meds, at least not yet, but I do follow this discussion group due to having osteopenia. My late husband and I both had Medicare Advantage plans with our state teachers’ retirement boards. When his health issues became increasingly more complex - and when I discovered that a preferred rehab facility to which he may have needed to go didn’t have an agreement with our plan - I changed him to traditional Medicare and purchased a supplement. Even the rep at the retirement board stated that traditional was better for him due to his multiple issues and that was confirmed to me by a friend who is both a nurse and a social worker. I wish more people knew this! According to my endocrinologist, I may need one of these meds if I have to have spinal surgery at some point (before the surgery) so I am thinking that at some point soon I’ll make the switch.

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@susanfalcon52

On traditional Medicare, Part B pays the entire cost because you are receiving injections at a clinic or infusion center.

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However, Forteo and Tymlos are routinely injected daily by the patient. Thoughts?
I am trying to get a thread for finances only, so the information isn’t buried on a thread that one would think of to get that kind of information. I posted it earlier this morning. Maybe the mentors can gather your post and other that recently have discussed financial tips. Thank you all !!!

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Thanks Susan right now I am self injecting the advantage plan wouldn’t cover me going to an infusion center and the Md didn’t give this in her office .

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@ans

However, Forteo and Tymlos are routinely injected daily by the patient. Thoughts?
I am trying to get a thread for finances only, so the information isn’t buried on a thread that one would think of to get that kind of information. I posted it earlier this morning. Maybe the mentors can gather your post and other that recently have discussed financial tips. Thank you all !!!

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When i was on Forteo (4 months) and Tymlos (5 months), my doctor was getting samples for me from drug reps. I believe that both of these drugs helped and I had no side effects.
Now, I’m on medicare which is paying all of Evenity costs.
Before I went on Medicare, during the period when doctor was giving me samples, the co-pays for those drugs was $800-1200 a month.

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@marlenec

Such a helpful and thorough explanation, thanks! I am not on any of these meds, at least not yet, but I do follow this discussion group due to having osteopenia. My late husband and I both had Medicare Advantage plans with our state teachers’ retirement boards. When his health issues became increasingly more complex - and when I discovered that a preferred rehab facility to which he may have needed to go didn’t have an agreement with our plan - I changed him to traditional Medicare and purchased a supplement. Even the rep at the retirement board stated that traditional was better for him due to his multiple issues and that was confirmed to me by a friend who is both a nurse and a social worker. I wish more people knew this! According to my endocrinologist, I may need one of these meds if I have to have spinal surgery at some point (before the surgery) so I am thinking that at some point soon I’ll make the switch.

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Twocoastsm,
Yes, I wish more people understood the differences in traditional Medicare and Advantage plans.
Advantage plans spend a great deal of money on marketing. Traditional Medicare does not. This puts traditional Medicare at a disadvantage. But, since traditional Medicare is not in the business of making money, the government doesn’t spend money on marketing. They aren’t pushing a product.
I understand that advantage plans do work for some people. I just wish the public knew the pros and cons.

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@ans

However, Forteo and Tymlos are routinely injected daily by the patient. Thoughts?
I am trying to get a thread for finances only, so the information isn’t buried on a thread that one would think of to get that kind of information. I posted it earlier this morning. Maybe the mentors can gather your post and other that recently have discussed financial tips. Thank you all !!!

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ans,
As you stated, Tymlos and Forteo are injected at home by patient. I was doing that for awhile. My insurance at that time didn’t pay for it because I was administering it at home.

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@susanfalcon52

When i was on Forteo (4 months) and Tymlos (5 months), my doctor was getting samples for me from drug reps. I believe that both of these drugs helped and I had no side effects.
Now, I’m on medicare which is paying all of Evenity costs.
Before I went on Medicare, during the period when doctor was giving me samples, the co-pays for those drugs was $800-1200 a month.

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@susanfalcon52
👍Like-💫Helpful-🤗Hug,
they forgot to add,
💦-Tears!!! $800/1200 how can ANYONE afford that today!? Thank you for informing us on this, I had no idea.

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@laurengold1

Hi well its made by a female owned and female product co called NYK so look online for nyk weight vest cute vest inexpensive and with adjustable weights sleek look its a must to strengthen bones and save you from using the dangerous drugs that I hear dont really even build strong bones they build junk bone so natural is best

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Hi—has anyone tried the NYK shorts? TY & Happy Holidays

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