Health Insurance...huh?

[inkjunkie]

Ernestina is covered by Medicare. She also elected to keep her insurer from the USPS when she was forced into disability retirement.
She has several arthritis problems. Has been seeing Arthritis North West since 09. Docs there told us from the onset that with what she is dealing with the best that they can do is slow down the destruction that these arthritic conditions cause. Ernie is sensitive to many meds. Some of the meds they have given her worked well...for a few months....then stopped working entirely. Couple of them did nothing. She had some allergic reactions to a few, one of which I am grateful she was at the docs office when it happened.
While back doc decided to put her on Cosentyx. They submitted the paperwork to GEHA, her secondary insurance from her days with the USPS. Denied...GEHA said protocol is she needs to be on Humira and Enbrel first. Ernie was on Humira few years back, was one of the meds that did help her some. Doc srnt the paperwork in to get her on Enbrel. Was denied...twice. Finally approved...Ernie had a somewhat serious injection site reaction.
They submitted the paperwork to GEHA for Cosentyx again. Denied again. Doc did not submit the required information. Sent a second request in, including what was asked for. Denied again. Sent in another letter, again detailing what GEHA asked for. Denied...again. Ernie was on the phone with her Docs medical assistant. Kelly informed Ernie that she had just emailed Ernies entire medical file to GEHA about 15 minutes prior to Ernies call...as they were sitting there talking Kelly got an email from GEHA...apporoved.
I really hope Cosentyx helps. While she had the reaction to Enbrel the med did help her. I seen my old Ernie for the first time in years. She had the glimmer in her eyes, that glow she had prior to all this crap happening.
Apologies for rambling...dealing with her health problems is really starting to take its toll on me.

 

[Back in Time]

Hope like Hell it works for her....Unless you live with chronic pain you have no idea how it affects not only your physical self but your mental self..Good luck.

 

[No name needed]

The pain some Of us deal with on a daily bases, pales in comparison to the pain we feel when a loved one suffers, and were helpless to do anything about it.

 

[yellow rose]

Any time you are dealin with any RA related issues you'll be screwed. The medical community considers any autoimmune disease NOT related to HIV/AIDS as a loser because all the funding for the last almost 40 years has went to the HIV nonissue disease. And breast cancer. So there is NO MONEY. The RA test is essentially worthless. It was developed between the world wars. At least half of the time that test is wrong. RA therapy is so far behind its silly.

Another problem is the moron at the insurance has probably never been a practicing Doctor. They go to medical school for the purpose of working for insurance providers and all they do is read the medical literature and determining what the insurance will pay for by what the drug companies and the criminal FDA say. Not what your practicing rhumatologist says.

I forget the number of doctors moving to RA and related fields, but IIRC it is less that 2%. That's why RA doctors are so damn hard to find, nevermind a good one.

I was told in 2006 that in 5-10 years there would be therapies that would make the RA patience as though they were symptom free. That was either a lie or cockeyed optimism.

Do I sound pissed? I go through the same crap. And we suffer because Ronald Reagan bowed to the Marxist left and the dictatorial feminists and flooded medicine with funding for 2 diseases to the suffering of many others.

 

[hemi71x]

Hey Ink, not to highjack your post, but i was officially given a diagnosis of artharitis in my feet last Thursday by my primary care doc, here at the Mather VA Hospital.
The X-Rays are showing up problems.
So now what the heck to i get to look forward too, in old age? (64)
Been schuduled to now see a rhumathologist, also.
All this started afew months ago for me when i also was diagnosed with Gout, in my big toe, right foot.
Now I'll tell you, that is one painfull ailement to have to deal with in old age.
Getting old, (got old) sure sucks, doesn't it.

 

[yellow rose]

hemi71x did the doc say you have RA?

Kinda wired it's only in your feet, but it can be. There are so many different classes of RA. I don't know them all.

If you do have RA, make sure they are taking regular X-rays to make sure joint damage stays at a minimum. Diet can help, but not always. If you do have RA, they won't tell you about the fatigue, fluctuating body temp and other issues. When you hurt, don't be afraid to stop.

RA sucks. And research is decades behind. And will probably continue to be retarded.

 

[Phily]

I use a coconut oil infused with pot. Just rub it on and it works. I've given some to plenty ppl with walking issues and such due to pain and they say it's the best thing ever. Plus u don't get high off it. Not cbd only oil cause it does have thc as well. Not sure where you are from but alot of states allow for medical now

 

[yellow rose]

I use a coconut oil infused with pot. Just rub it on and it works. I've given some to plenty ppl with walking issues and such due to pain and they say it's the best thing ever. Plus u don't get high off it. Not cbd only oil cause it does have thc as well. Not sure where you are from but alot of states allow for medical now

So rubbing the oil on a joint helps with RA pain? I have not found any external treatment to help...yet.

BUT...my RA doc is wanting me to look into CBD as a treatment option. Here is what I know about CBD so far.

1. Marijuana was used to treat RA almost exclusively BEFORE the Marxist government decided it knew more about disease than the people treating it.

2. It's hard to nail down a treatment, because as a plant you can breed into marijuana almost any CBD/THC content you want.

3. Getting 2 experts to agree on a supplier, form of use and correct CBD/THC content is as hard as getting 2 cam grinders to agree on cam timing.

4. Getting the same doseage once you get it nailed down can be difficult. Suppliers change, soil changes and other factors make it difficult to have the same dose 6 months apart.

5. There is no way of knowing who is measuring the amount of CBD/THC from the same , let alone different sources.

All said, marijuana has serious potential to help with RA. I'm just not satisfied I know enough to start using it. It's worth a hard look and I'm looking very hard.

 

[Phily]

Where are you located

 

[yellow rose]

Where are you located

Washington state.

 

[inkjunkie]

@yellow rose....we are in Washington state as well. Sadly I am under a Pain contract...even though none of my issues are work related...I guess overuse injuries are but was retired by the time I got under my docs care....thanks to L & I I have to sign a pain contract. Any "non prescribed" substances show up in lose access to pain meds. So no pot for me.
Ernie was recently diagnosed with RA. Luckily (?) the proteins that cause joint disfigurement are not present so she will only have the pain to deal with. But coupled with the infamous fibromyalga, psoriatic arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis think she has enough crap on her plate.
Chronic pain........depression....a marriage made in effing hell. We are both thankful that the docs at Arthritis North West have at least been honest with us...they told us from day one that the best they can do is slow this crap down.

 

[yellow rose]

@yellow rose....we are in Washington state as well. Sadly I am under a Pain contract...even though none of my issues are work related...I guess overuse injuries are but was retired by the time I got under my docs care....thanks to L & I I have to sign a pain contract. Any "non prescribed" substances show up in lose access to pain meds. So no pot for me.
Ernie was recently diagnosed with RA. Luckily (?) the proteins that cause joint disfigurement are not present so she will only have the pain to deal with. But coupled with the infamous fibromyalga, psoriatic arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis think she has enough crap on her plate.
Chronic pain........depression....a marriage made in effing hell. We are both thankful that the docs at Arthritis North West have at least been honest with us...they told us from day one that the best they can do is slow this crap down.

Man that is tough. Not sure on the fibromyalgia but Ankylosing Spondylitis and PA are very closely related to RA.

Never heard of a pain contract but I get regularly tested to make sure I'm taking (and not selling) what I'm prescribed and not taking other stuff. So the marijuana thing is in the learning stages. At least the docs didn't lie to you. There is no cure I know of, and the pain is just a part of it, as you clearly know. The hardest part is (for the most part) you LOOK and SEEM normal to most everyone. You don't actually look sick. When you look normal but don't feel it, people think you are faking. But it's damn sure real. And it hurts.

Hope you guys get some help.

 

[inkjunkie]

Man that is tough. Not sure on the fibromyalgia but Ankylosing Spondylitis and PA are very closely related to RA.

Never heard of a pain contract but I get regularly tested to make sure I'm taking (and not selling) what I'm prescribed and not taking other stuff. So the marijuana thing is in the learning stages. At least the docs didn't lie to you. There is no cure I know of, and the pain is just a part of it, as you clearly know. The hardest part is (for the most part) you LOOK and SEEM normal to most everyone. You don't actually look sick. When you look normal but don't feel it, people think you are faking. But it's damn sure real. And it hurts.

Hope you guys get some help.

If you are getting randomly tested chances are you are on a pain contract, just don't have it signed. From the way I had it explained...currently a signed contract is optional here...but that will be changing shortly. My doc told me that several states have been in contact with Washington state about it. You may want to talk to your doctor before venturing down the Mary Jane path. Even though recreation pot use is legal here once you are on a pain contract you agree that the only pain relievers you will use are those prescribed by your doctor. They find anything in your system that he didn't give you your doc has to stop writing scripts for you. I even get checked for Gabapentin and NSAIDS

 

[yellow rose]

If you are getting randomly tested chances are you are on a pain contract, just don't have it signed. From the way I had it explained...currently a signed contract is optional here...but that will be changing shortly. My doc told me that several states have been in contact with Washington state about it. You may want to talk to your doctor before venturing down the Mary Jane path. Even though recreation pot use is legal here once you are on a pain contract you agree that the only pain relievers you will use are those prescribed by your doctor. They find anything in your system that he didn't give you your doc has to stop writing scripts for you. I even get checked for Gabapentin and NSAIDS

Thanks for the tip. I'll check with my doctor at my June appointment. Sounds like you are correct. I may have to get a lawyer and see if I have to sign it.

 

[TrailBeast]

All this and Marijuana is still not federally legal, and insurance that you have to fight with to get help legally mandatory.
Wrong road people.

 

[inkjunkie]

Luckily when the doc submitted all the paperwork they also took care of the co-pay assistance card...damn co-pay is $300@month.
One of the infusions she was on was costing $3900@month.