the insurance consequence of being on blood thinners
Not a question, but a topic for discussion. In my opinion, patients, and doctors, should not take or prescribe blood thinners so casually for blood clots. The consequence is: being on blood thinners signals a "chronic health condition", and raises a red flag in medical insurance underwriting.
I am enrolling in Medicare for the first time. Yes, I can enroll in Medicare Advantage regardless of my health status. Yes, I can get into a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plan during my "guaranteed issue" period, regardless of my health status. But my new "policy" or "plan" or "block" of business will eventually be closed to new enrollees (within 1 to 8 years). Everyone in my closed block will age, incur more medical costs, and our premiums will rise even faster than medical inflation. At some point, healthier people will start exit the plan for a less expensive plan, making the premium increases even worse for those left behind, like me - I will be stuck. I'm on blood thinners - I will not pass underwriting and will not be able to change policies.
My first blood clot happened while sleeping. Genetic tests were done for predisposition; all negative. Warfarin was prescribed. In retrospect, there was an alternate treatment available. First, preventing sleep positions that can affect circulation. Second - drinking more water during the day. Third - doing some kind of exercise before going to bed. Fourth: taking a baby aspirin occasionally. Fifth: by eating more of the blood-thinning foods they tell you not to eat if you are on Warfarin.
Of course a second blood clot, or any mini-stroke-like occurrences, changes the situation. But there are things that can be done to lower the probability of getting a second blood clot, without resorting to blood thinners. I hope doctors are open to them, and don't always settle for the easy and safe route of putting their patients on blood thinners and leaving them there. There is a consequence to that.
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Very true! After being in the hospital for a week because of afib, I was put on Xarelto. I knew nothing about it, and no one really explained much, they just said that this type of blood thinner would protect for blood clots differently from aspirin and it was better. Back in 2009 I had a heart attack and was on a regular strength aspirin daily. When the afib started, I was told to stop the regular strength but to take a baby aspirin with the xarelto, which I did for a few weeks. After a bleed incident from a bad coughing spell in my trunk area I was told to stop the baby aspirin. The hospital offered a program at the start of the Xarelto that lasted for a year. I had no idea as to the cost of this medication afterwards, even after another offer for another year, it was still expensive. I am now getting a gereric version from India, pricey but much better in cost. I asked if I could just stop the Xarelto and go back to a daily regular aspirin and was told no. They also mentioned about starting the baby aspirin again, but I'm afraid of another bleed issue. I said that if I did, could I take it at a different time rather than at the same time along side of Xarelto, they didn't have an answer for me. I told my doctor if I would have been told more about the Xarelto I never would have gone on it. Am I doomed to take this blood thinner forever and never go on regular aspirin again? Along with all this, regular aspirin took care of something important--inflamation.
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