<p>My son just started allergy shots with an allergist here at home. We had it all squared away for health services at his university to receive the serum from our local allergist and administer the shots at school. The school was to sign a release stating that they had epinephrine and oxygen on hand, would have the student wait for 30 minutes after the shot, etc., etc.--usual stuff. So, yesterday, the allergist sent the release to university health services in anticipation of FedExing the serum to health services for DS to continue shots next week. </p>
<p>I got a call this morning from health services, 24 hours before DS is to return to school, saying they talked to my allergist and my son and were letting me know that they would not be signing the release and, thus, would not be administering his shots. </p>
<p>From what I understand, allergists have gotten together recently and changed the standard release to include a clause releasing them (the allergist who mixed the serum) from any liability if the serum was mixed incorrectly. So, basically, they want the university health services to take full responsibility for allergist error, even though the health services doctors/nurses are simply giving the injections.</p>
<p>I can't imagine any university is going to take on such a responsibility for the handiwork of an allergist with whom they have no relationship. The allergist says that all allergists are adopting this release and that they aren't budging. So, today, I am in the process of setting my son up with a new allergist a half-mile from campus. The local allergist will just have to eat the cost of his remaining serum because I'm not going to waste my time trying to deal with this ridiculous clause that no school in their right minds would sign. So, I just wanted to give you the heads up that, if your student is currently having allergy shots administered at school, but mixed at home, this new release is probably coming to an allergist/health services center near you.</p>
<p>“The local allergist will just have to eat the cost of his remaining serum”. That seems very unlikely to me. Allergy serum is custom-made for each patient. My daughter’s allergist bills the cost of the serum every year when it’s made. That seems entirely reasonable to me. They cannot use that for any other patient. Why should they have to “eat the cost” if a patient moves or discontinues treatment.</p>
<p>Mathyone, we had originally intended to start treatment once DS got back to school. However, the allergist talked us into starting shots the week before he returned to school, doing rapid treatments (12 in total this week) and said that they could just send the serum to school for them to administer the treatments once he got there–no problem. We contacted the school and sent them the allergist’s release form that they were using at that time (a month ago) that did not include the liability release. The school agreed to those terms. So, when DS returned to the US last week, the allergist mixed the serum, and DS went for his first four treatments on Monday. </p>
<p>However, when the allergist sent the release to the school yesterday, it was a NEW release including the release of liability language that the school had not agreed to the month prior. Basically, the allergist pulled a last-minute bait and switch on the university, and my son got caught in the middle.</p>
<p>I called the insurance company and they said that the allergist is only allowed to bill us for the serum that is used. Since they changed the terms of their agreement with us and the school, we aren’t liable for the remaining costs of the serum, and neither is the insurance company. </p>
<p>The allergist made unreasonable requests of the school at the 11th hour then, when I explained that I wasn’t sure that DS would be able to find an allergist within walking distance outside of the university system since he doesn’t have transportation, the nurse said, “Well, he’ll just have to take a taxi”. When I said that we don’t have $20 for him to take a taxi to and from the allergist every day, not even considering the time it would take, she said, “Well, he’ll just have to figure out a way to work that out, won’t he?” Nah, I don’t feel even an ounce of remorse for the allergist or how this was handled. When DS gets back from school, he’ll be going to a new allergist here, too. Totally unimpressed with the way this was handled. I do plan to talk to his actual allergist here to explain the decision, though, as I feel that allergists need to understand that university health centers are not the only people with concerns about these new protocols. This is why health care costs continue to soar. Ridiculous not to allow health centers to administer the shots to students.</p>
<p>The insurance may only cover the cost of serum that has already been administered, but I am not sure if it would be the allergist or you end up eating the cost of the remaining serum. You better sort it out with the allergist.</p>
<p>billcsho, I have already called to set up an appt. to speak with the allergist on Tuesday. I got a copy of the form and can certainly see why the university would be concerned. The form was changed on July 28, right after we had all agreed to the terms. Do any of you know if everyone (patient included) signs releases of liability in situations like this? It seems that, perhaps, the fix may be that patients of the health center also sign to release the university from liability? I don’t know. But it certainly isn’t something to spring on a patient at the last minute. And, since we have the back and forth in July in writing (because of emailing documents), I think it would be hard for the allergist to claim that I’m liable for the serum, given the circumstances. I don’t plan to try the allergist’s legal case on CC , but I did want other parents to know that this is evidently “a thing” so that they aren’t blindsided by it when it’s time for their student’s new batch of serum to be delivered to the school, and the school balks.</p>
<p>I found quite a few releases online from various universities, so it does seem that some/many schools are resolving it with a counter release. Seems the easy fix.</p>
<p>Except won’t the allergist simply reject the counter-release? By the way, allergists collectively getting together to agree on a contract term that they will not budge on seems totally illegal to me. </p>
<p>nottelling, I have the impression that the release change is a “suggestion” coming from whatever association or certifying organization they are members of, so it’s probably not illegal. I’m not even sure if those sorts of things are actually held up in courts of law. But, it looks to me like a lot of universities have counter-releases posted online, so I guess that’s the way things are headed. It’s just that some schools evidently don’t have the shot administration-specific counter-releases in place yet, which leaves students hanging without being able to get shots. In the grand scheme of things, not the most frustrating thing to have to deal with. But, it is potentially frustrating and time-consuming and possibly, for some families, expensive, nonetheless. I hadn’t planned to spend half of my day on the phone dealing with this, and it’s only just begun. Annoying. :-/</p>
<p>I have to say that I have a dim view of allergists. Many of them seem to be quacks. And a dear friend of mine died in her allergist’s office, less that 5 minutes from a hospital, after going into shock after receiving the second half of a new allergy shot. Not only did the allergist’s staff grossly mishandle the situation, but as my friend’s corpse was being wheeled out of the office by the EMTs in front of her husband and 4 yr old son, the allergist said to the H, “Don’t worry, my insurance company will take care of it.”</p>
<p>I took allergy shots for about 7 or 8 years before finally giving it up. It was just too hard to get there regularly when I wasn’t ill for a period of time (had cold for about 3 months and couldn’t get an allergy shot in that time period). Every time we used up all the serum, we had to start all over again with minute doses and work our way up and I’d react EVERY TIME. Finally said, enough. The funny thing is, after all those years, my allergies have improved most from getting and using the robotic vacuum cleaner, “Roomba,” regularly. These days I rarely need ANY allergy meds! I did have a very bad reaction twice–once I needed to return to the allergist’s office for an injection of epinepherine (full body hives), and once my lung function dropped alarmingly low and I had to take 50mg of benedryl and 40 mg of prednisone, plus some inhalers.</p>
<p>I am glad to have stopped taking the allergy shots. We tried them on S but he would wheeze from EACH dose–even the smallest ones, so we all agreed he was better off without the allergy shots but using the robotic vacuum cleaner. He and D also cannot tolerate flu shots–they get VERY ill from each dose, even when it is divided pediatric doses.</p>
<p>I know allergy shots have worked wonders for some folks but I am quite ambivalent about them.</p>
<p>I think the U was smart to refuse to sign the release sprung on them at the 11th hour that absolved the allergist who mixed the serum of all liablity.</p>
<p>@Consolation , that is such a horrifying story! Pretty much the ultimate nightmare. For the first 8 shots (two days), I went with my son and sat ready with the epipen. Yesterday, I was doing all of his laundry and decided that since he had tolerated the first 8 shots, he’d likely survive the next four, so he was alone at the nurse’s . One reason I chose this allergist is because she is directly across the street from a large hospital. She does have an excellent reputation. But, yes, your story is the great fear. </p>
<p>When we adopted the puppy last year, DS was at school. We didn’t figure out until Christmas that there might be a problem. Turns out, he’s also highly allergic to our cat that we’ve had for 6 years. (I guess she’s just not all over him like the puppy is.) So, before we started giving away pets, we thought we’d try the shots, since DS is gone for nine months out of the year, anyway. But, it’s too early to say whether they will work or not.</p>
<p>@HImom , I just can’t imagine DS doing shots for 6-7 years! There is no way he would do that. We are hoping for good results in the next year or so. If we don’t start seeing a difference, we will probably just drop the shots, at least until DS is in a more stable location. It’s already a pain to schedule and get them, and he’s only been doing them a week! We have a Roomba for the main floor, and he has an air purifier for his room here and his dorm room. He says they help. He hasn’t had any reactions at all to the Rapid Build-up shots yet. I do appreciate hearing everyone else’s stories, though. Let’s me know what to look out for.</p>
<p>Sadly, I agree that there a lot of questionable allergists out there. We fired 6 before I found my current one. One kept changing S’s meds so much and so often none of us could keep track and he wouldn’t clarify what meds and doses S was on. </p>
<p>One big problem also is that allergy swrums are only for standard extracts and may not include a lot of local culprits. </p>
<p>I was having to go to the allergist 2x/week for shots initially and could never reach maintenance dose until I went to Nationsl Jewish in Denver and had RUSH IT there 12 or more shots in 2 days and then another 8 shots in the last 2 days. Felt like a human pin cushion but figured it was the ONLY way of ever reach maintenance dose. </p>
<p>In Europe, they have sublingual (under the tongue drops) immunotherapy. My needle phobic D said that appeals to her far more than shots. </p>
<p>You are probably going to be in a fight with the allergist’s billing office. Doubt they will eat the cost without a fight. THey will simply bill you when the insurance won’t pay and send the account to collections when you won’t where it will go on your credit record unless you take active response to all thing happening.</p>
<p>My daughter had allergy shots, and yes it was a huge time commitment for both of us. She feels it has helped her a lot, though she still has symptoms, even with shots and multiple meds, so no miracle cure. But at least she is not incapacitated in the spring for more than a few days, and also can now go to friends’ houses without dosing up on meds. </p>
<p>They have sublingual here also, but not everyone is a candidate for sublingual. That would have been so much easier but she needed two different shots, for nearly everything in the panel. As I understand, you can’t put very many allergens into sublingual, and also there are some allergens that just don’t work well with it. </p>
<p>After 3 years, have discontinued and hoping for some permanent relief. We’ll see.</p>
[quote=Consolation]
And did the allergist’s insurance policy pay the maximum amount, or did your friend’s dh have to go to court to get the maximum malpractice award (which they certainly should have gotten)?</p>
, but I did want other parents to know that this is evidently “a thing” so that they aren’t blindsided by it when it’s time for their student’s new batch of serum to be delivered to the school, and the school balks.</p>