Quote:
Originally Posted by daylilyfan
I went up to Cleveland Clinic the other day. My doctor there really wants me to try ketamine infusions, once a week for several weeks. I do not think my insurance will cover it. Even if they do, they won't cover doctors fee, or the fee for the outpatient room, and what they will cover will only be 70%. And, I still have nearly $3000 to meet on my deductible.
I have not worked since December, filed for disability in May. When I filed, I went in to the office to do it, and the woman there who helped me file, back dated my filing to well before I stopped working, as my employer had to make a lot of adjustments the last year I was working due to my RSD. I did not quite understand what she was doing, but it sounded like my date of onset of disability would preceed my date of stopping work... which would mean my date of being eligible for medicare would be sooner.
Now I am still on Cobra.
I am wondering if anyone has had Social Security Medicare cover ketamine as outpatient.
I am thinking I will wait to see if I get disability first time (yeah right, I know, chances are slim)... I should hear something end of Oct. or in Nov. Then, if I do, wait to get Medicare before getting ketamine. I've had RSD almost 10 years, what is a few more months wait.
Otherwise, this is going to cost me a lot of money I just do not have.
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Just a little note on SSDI and Medicare. I was fortunate to be approved for SSDI the first time I applied (in 2014) for my CRPS. I, too, am on COBRA. However, you cannot apply for Medicare until about 2 years AFTER you have been on SSDI unless you have a life threatening disease (i.e. ASL or need a kidney transplant). I had an attorney file my SSDI claim (which I would highly recommend) and I was reimbursed his "fee" through my LTD carrier. My attorney even said you have to be "dying" to get Medicare right away and even though my CRPS is very severe (has spread to internal organs now), I would not qualify.
I wish you the best. I hope you are able to receive the ketamine infusions because they really do help. I get them every other week until I am able to go for the 7 day inpatient infusion. My insurance does cover the majority of the payments. A resource you may want to check out for help with payment is the Power of Pain foundation. They gave me some information on help with paying for ketamine infusions.
Good luck and God bless