Ivig treatment with no insurance

[QUOTE=Willie]I have been self-employed for the last ten years. NO medical insurance, I have been unable to work since nov. .I was dx with cidp jan.10th. I will go see the neurologist my local Dr. referred me to jan.24th.I have already applied for ssi an a medical card,I have heard nothing.Anyway do you guys think there is any chance the Dr. will prescribe ivig with no insurance at all, an no way to pay out of pocket?[/QUOTE]

[B]Hi Willie,

I can tell you that IVIG cost anywhere between $1,500 to $5,000 per treatment. My husband had insurance and the hospital bills for IVIG were outrageous. I think it was like $25,000 to $30,000 for a weeks supply. So I doubt that the Dr will prescribe it until you get a medical insurance plan.
You can ask, but I would bet money on it that he won’t order IVIG. All the Insurance companies are now starting to not want to pay for it because of the expense.

Wishing you the best in this.[/B]

Willie,

very nice to meet you and welcome to the family. I too had no insurance to speak of when this all happened to me 4 years ago. If you have no health insurance, go and see the your social security, medicare case workers for advice and help. Where I live there is at least one per county. They will tell you what to do and also help make sure you get what you need.

If that is a problem, a second thing you can do is go to the website of the IVIG manufacturer that you use/need. They have scholarships available for those in need to make sure you get what you need.

Lastly, if I can help please email me, jerimyschilz at hotmail.com

Good luck

Jerimy

I have Medacare but after it’s gone through their billing I’m still looking at $700 to $800 every 5 weeks as my out of pocket. The local hospital had me fill out an application on my income and out going expenses, using that they write off a portion of my bill and I make payments on the outstanding balance. I’ll probably will be making payments for the rest of my life but otherwise I’d never be able to afford the treatments. Hope this helps.

the doctor can prescribe the IVIg with out insurance there are several ways to go about it first some hospitals do offer charity care for those in need I know a few people whom have gotten their treatments that way until they got the medical card, then some of the infusion companies like Caremark offer programs for the uninsured or for those with the the lack of income. There is help out there its just a battle to get it started sometimes. But to get the ball rolling the doctor writes the script and it starts from there. I hope this helps I know how difficult this can be….

Please be warned that it is very frequent for people to be denied SSI or medicaid the first time they apply. DO NOT DESPAIR. It is, unfortunately, frequently part of the system to limit payment to do this with the hope that people will not appeal. Appeal and gather as much information and get your doctors to advocate for you. Stand firm that you need this. If you get nowhere with one person, ask to speak to another. CIDP is rare and poorly understood.

Sometimes it also helps to talk to a financial planner at the hospital. There are tremendously different prices charged for medications and sometimes you can agree to pay the insurance price for something like IV IgG. Like Brandy, the hospital I went to claimed that the immunoglobulin cost 25-30,000 dollars, but the insurance company paid about $5000. I know the cost was not so much. I am not sure exactly what it is, but if you really need IV IgG, it can help to “contract” to pay an insurance price rather than the much higher one and the hospitals are often happy to get a lower payment paid than a higher charge not paid. I hate to say this is the way medical care is, but it is important for you to know it so that you can protect yourself since you are conscientious.

Regarding whether the doctor would prescribe IV IgG despite the fact you have no insurance, it is possible. Tell him/her your financial concerns and be honest about your situation. If it, however, felt that this is really the best option to limit long term damage and get you back to more functional, try not to say no just based on expense. You are worth it and being aggressive early often does make a long term difference.

Best of luck and speak up.
With hope for a cure of these diseases and less stress associated with their management in the meantime.

Willie! What wonderful news! I told you it was possible for an angel to come! I will pray that you get a compassionate person at ss. and I will pray that you get ivig soon!
Dawn Kevies mom

Hey there ! Hope this helps. I misunderstood the SSA for long time until I read thier pamlet closer. Look at the differance in SSDI and SSI. What a world of differance in getting them. We all have heard on the TV ads how using a lawyer will get you your claim and it will, IF you qualify under the rules of SSDI. I only qualified for SSI as I have not worked for the time period needed.

Social Security Administration pay disability benefits through two programs: the Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. They will review your application to make sure you meet some basic [B]requirements[/B] for (SSDI) disability benefits. They will [B]check whether you worked enough years to qualify[/B]. Also, they will evaluate any current work activities. If you meet these requirements, they will send you an application to the Disability Determination Services office in your state. However, if your like I am and haven’t worked /or paid into SSDI enough over the years then you go for SSI. Your resources are checked and for me I had none so I qualified for SSI and for medicaid. Thank God ! My doctors bills and hospital cost that they are telling me I owe (mix up due to misunderstanding) is $94,964.00 plus. With SSI, Medicaid and foodstamps I am hoping this will work out for me. We are lucky to have a roof over head and my fiance owns the property.
Also you might check out your Health Department and see what if anything they might suggest as far as meds. Also years ago I was informed and it is true as I have had to do this myself… as far as payments to places like hospitals and doctors you can send them $5.00 per month or whatever youare comfortable in paying as long as you pay that amount or more each and ever month. They just need for you to be paying something towards your bill. That worked for me and it worked for my mother when my father’s medical bills were so high.

Hope I am on the right soap box LOL :~)
Good luck…………
[url]http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10029.html[/url]

the web site for IGLiving. It’s a magazine put out by IVIG manufactures and is designed to help those of us on IVIG and access to it.
I suggest that you sign up to their on line magazine [hey, paperless] and read a lot of the back issues. Then contact them, once you have some background about how peculiar getting IVIG can be, even with insurance! I know many, many folks who have gotten more help from this resource than I ever imagined possible. It is certainly worth a try. Nothing ventured nothing gained, as they say. IF you get the help AND treatment you need, when you need it, you might not need it for a long term! That is what I truly, from my heart wish for you.
Try it? At least it’s free. Just know that replies aren’t exactly returned the next day? Give it a 3-4 day time and then be surpised when they call you back!
Please give this good resource a try?