I don’t have chronic liver problems. Can you please give me a reference for this change. I’ll share it with my PCP.
1 Like
1 Like
My MD always orders bloodwork 2x/year. There is never any copay for blood tests under our insurance. It includes checking liver function. I get a fairly complete physical annually and a check up in the visit 6 months later. I can opt to have any visit virtual if desired, but of course it’s not the same as an in person visit.
And the expense/insurance question is definitely a big part of the point. There is the inconvenience of time for appointments, but with telemed, much of that is reduced.
Costs vary so much, @Thumper has that great Medicare Advantage plan, yet most states don’t have nearly as favorable options. @HImom , I am guessing yours is work funded, too?
People who buy there own coverage or have newer policies with high deductibles, they adapt a different mindset. The year I needed a surprise surgery, an ED visit and scans ate of the $6K deductible, the surgery finished off the $12k out of pocket. You can imagine that decades of that type of coverage habituate one to be sensitive to prices and needs/wants of medical appointments.
Heh. I’m over $10k in out-of-pocket already this year, and the big hospital bill hasn’t even arrived, and my cardiac catheterization (from early January) hasn’t even been billed yet.
My specialty insurance used to authorize my daily oral chemo for a full year and sent it to me in 90-day supplies. Now it gets reauthorized every six months and I can get only a 30 day supply. Yes, the drug is expensive, but they KNOW I can’t stop taking it, yet won’t acknowledge that reality. Instead, I get to constantly deal with refilling and tracking all my meds (most of my other stuff is also 30-day fills). What we do about Medicare vs. retiree medical coverage has everything to do with the ability to continue to get this med and the possibility that it may one day be taken off the formulary.
Sometimes this is a full-time job, and I’m fortunate that I worked in the benefits industry and can research/advocate for myself. It’s easy to see how people quit taking meds and get over prescribed when they are older – this can be overwhelming. That doesn’t even count the financial expense.
I have contact with medical folks almost every day. I see the onc, my primary (for one thing or another), and cardiologist every three months. Don’t have to go in for separate medication renewals – I just poke them (or have Costco do it) if I need refills/new script. This year has also involved the orthopedist and many, many PT visits for a knee replacement. Doc had definite protocols about pain relief, but I got off that stuff as quickly as possible because while it relieved the pain, it made me feel miserable. Am also back at cardiac rehab, which allows me to get extra exercise to push the knee along while also keeping my heart in better shape.
3 Likes
Thank you.