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Need Patients' Experience with Mayo Clinic. Is it worth it?

Posted by David @nycdave7, Jan 19, 2019

Hello, I was wondering if there is a substantial difference in quality between a top 1 hospital compared to a top 10 or 20 hospital in the nation. So I am a 25 year old, 135 lbs, 5'10'' male who eat well, sleep well, and exercise. 2 Years ago, I had laser eye surgery where I was a very healthy individual have not gotten sick or the cold for 14 years. Part of the recovery regimen was using corticosteroids for 6 weeks and I developed systemic effects. Immediately, I had the swollen face & angioedema. One month later, I had a blood pressure of 160/100 with a heart beat of 100 at rest. Stopped since then (a bit over 2 years) and I still have the symptoms ( chest pain, headaches, light headedness , and concentration problems). I went through various doctors (about 25), including endocrinologists and neurosurgeons at Weill Cornell, Mt. Sinai, and NYU Langone in addition to private practices. I have some lab tests that showed slight to moderate elevated cortisol levels via. the 24 hour urine cortisol test and midnight salivary test. The doctors here seem to not care and are not really helping. i was wondering if it is worth the time and money to go out of network to the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minnesota or keep on trying in NYC. Losing hope and starting to get depressed.I have also had 1 slightly elevated reading of ACTH and morning Serum cortisol

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Profile picture for Lee
Lee | @marco88 | 4 days ago
In reply to @mingyue "@marco88 Thank you for the info, really appreciated! Unfortunately I am Medicare Advantage, may think go..." + (show)
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@marco88
Thank you for the info, really appreciated! Unfortunately I am Medicare Advantage, may think go back to Medicare AB next year. Just curious- how much they may reduce the charges for a financial assistance, I know it depends on many things but are we talking about 50%, or less?

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@mingyue I believe Mayo will work with you to some degree, but fifty percent is a stretch. You could give Mayo a proactive call, finance department, and ask if they have leeway for uninsured or underinsured patients.

Also have you tried Healthwell Foundation, TotalAssist, or other foundations for grants? MDS is closed everywhere I’ve looked recently, but it cannot hurt to get usernames and passwords set up in advance. I’ve seen income limits at 300% to 500% of the poverty level, so many people are prohibited from receiving foundation grants.

My opinion about Medicare Advantage - never, ever. That’s just my opinion, but I know some people say it’s great.

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mingyue | @mingyue | 4 days ago
In reply to @gangcarotid1 "@mingyue If you do decide to go back to Original Medicare, it would need to be..." + (show)
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@mingyue
If you do decide to go back to Original Medicare, it would need to be during the regular annual enrollment period unless you have a qualifying personal reason. Also, remember to pick a Part D (prescriptions) coverage) if you have no secondary insurance for that, as Original Medicare doesn't cover prescriptions. You havev63 days to choose 1, and after that there's a penalty.

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@gangcarotid1
Thank you so much for! I will come back to the AB+D plan that I was with last year.
Very helpful

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | 4 days ago
In reply to @mingyue "@jlharsh Yes, my main worry is my insurance is not covering Mayo. It would put huge..." + (show)
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@jlharsh
Yes, my main worry is my insurance is not covering Mayo. It would put huge pressure on me. That’s my big worry.

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@mingyue, please contact Mayo Clinic Insurance. They can help address your questions about coverage when comint to Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic Insurance Overview https://www.mayoclinic.org/billing-insurance/insurance
Contact info https://www.mayoclinic.org/billing-insurance/contact-us

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mingyue | @mingyue | 4 days ago
In reply to @jc76 "@mingyue Can I suggest calling the Mayo Clinic you want to go through. They have financial..." + (show)
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@mingyue
Can I suggest calling the Mayo Clinic you want to go through. They have financial offices along with patient assistance/experience office and phone numbers to assist.

If you look at what Mayo charges for treatments and you see what Medicare will approve Mayo could not survive as does not cover the massive buildings, medical equipment, and the best specialists (in my opinion) in the world.

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@jc76
Good suggestion! I will consider touching base with them

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mingyue | @mingyue | 4 days ago
In reply to @marco88 "@mingyue I believe Mayo will work with you to some degree, but fifty percent is a..." + (show)
Profile picture for Lee @marco88

@mingyue I believe Mayo will work with you to some degree, but fifty percent is a stretch. You could give Mayo a proactive call, finance department, and ask if they have leeway for uninsured or underinsured patients.

Also have you tried Healthwell Foundation, TotalAssist, or other foundations for grants? MDS is closed everywhere I’ve looked recently, but it cannot hurt to get usernames and passwords set up in advance. I’ve seen income limits at 300% to 500% of the poverty level, so many people are prohibited from receiving foundation grants.

My opinion about Medicare Advantage - never, ever. That’s just my opinion, but I know some people say it’s great.

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@marco88
Thank you! Obviously there are a lot of homework for me to do.
Definitely I will not continue the Advantage!

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Mentor
Linda, Volunteer Mentor | @walkinggirl | 4 days ago
In reply to @mingyue "@jlharsh Yes, my main worry is my insurance is not covering Mayo. It would put huge..." + (show)
Profile picture for mingyue @mingyue

@jlharsh
Yes, my main worry is my insurance is not covering Mayo. It would put huge pressure on me. That’s my big worry.

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@mingyue I wish that we did not even have to think about insurance, we all deserve the very best medical care available. Yes, insurance is a big issue and causes extra stress and anxiety in dealing with our medical issues and life in general. May I suggest calling both your insurance company and more importantly, Mayo. My Medicare Advantage Plan is what my former employer chose for their retirees - and it was accepted because it was employer sponsored. My point is that it is prudent to check and know for sure before making final decisions.

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