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What to expect going into a transplant consult?
Transplants | Last Active: Jan 17 1:22pm | Replies (24)Comment receiving replies
Hello
Some information :
The patient is the only one who can influence the healing process.
It could be a live donor or any other kind.
The post-operative recuperation period is a fairly strict process, requiring strict adherence to the hospital's prescribed schedule. No detours or shortcuts.
The hospital will be informed by the monthly blood work about any necessary medication or another adjustment.
Sorting through the drugs takes time; in my instance, I take 11 tablets in the morning and 5 in the evening at 12-hour intervals. This is a lifelong thing.
Please check with your insurance company for prices for Transplant Medics. They are expensive.
Also, please compare that with Good RX. I recently found out, that if the patient is under Medicare, Part B covers all the transplant medication with a very minimal or no charge option.
If that is the case please ensure you do have Medicare Part A & B with a Medigap plan and prescription plan.
Please avoid Medicare Advantage plans which are private. (It is a rip-off- the algorithms are designed to reject your claims.)
At first, it could seem like a curse, but eventually, one gets used to it.
It will be difficult, but I do not doubt that you will get through this gradually.
Just take one day at a time.
Replies to "Hello Some information : The patient is the only one who can influence the healing process...."
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I had a Medicare Advantage plan last year. They covered the medications that I take for the most part. There are some they don't cover, because there are alternatives that you can buy over the counter. I take 18 1/2 pills for breakfast, 6 in the afternoon, and 14 at night (this is down from the original amount). Then on top of that additional when needed (right now getting over having COVID, so that was an additional 16 pills). Only one of these pills did I need to take prior to transplant. On top of that, I need to take my blood sugar 4x a day due to the medication raising blood sugars.
The reason why I switched over to Medicare with a Medigap plan with a prescription plan is because the hospital I go to was in negotiations with the insurance company and I didn't want to have to worry about which doctor accepted which insurance. Every doctor that accepts Medicare accepts Medicare with Medigap. However, the Medigap plan is over $450/month and almost $80 for the prescription plan. This is what made sense for me this year, but it may not be the same for everyone.
Also, when I first started my transplant journey, I didn't have Medicare. I had private insurance. On top of that some people due to financial circumstances are dual eligible (have Medicaid and Medicare).
So as far as insurance goes I would recommend that you speak with an insurance broker. You don't pay them. They are paid through the insurance companies. Also, you can look on your market place network or the Medicare site to see what they have to offer based on your income and usage if you know approximately the doctors that you will be using.