Quote:
Originally Posted by SandyRI
This is SOOO true - And the quality of the facility is especially true if you are checking into a hospital for the high dose or "inpatient" treatment. There are hospitals where the care is reputed to be outstanding - such as Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. Hahnemann, on the other hand, does NOT have such a great rep, despite having Dr. S. on board. Its nursing staff just doesn't care that much. The outpatient is OK, but inpatient care can be shaky...
Daniella, if you ever find something that works for your ears, would you please let me know? It is amazing how many aspects of your life the sound sensitivity can impact - my husband and I cannot eat out at most restaurants, or go to the movies, or watch TV together, etc. It's such a drag.
Dee - you got into the BI before they closed it to newcomers. Wow. Interesting. I understand the Arnold Pain Center is STILL closed to new patients, although for a while last year they said they were going to take new WC. They don't do a start-up protocol of 4 or 10 days, just the one day at a time, every 3-4 weeks....
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hi Sandy,
Yes, I was one of the first to get into BI/Arnold Pain Center and I think the doctors and nurses were awesome. I know a lot of others may not think so but they treated me excellent. I was going every 2-3 weeks for the low dose and when I knew I was moving out west, it was hard to leave them as they took such good care of me, I even have one of the nurses email to keep in touch with them, letting them know how I am getting along. It was my NH doctor who got me into their program, he is considered the top dog in NH and knew ketamine was my only chance at a somewhat normal life. He fought so hard for infusions in his hospital, afterall, it is a teaching hospital, but he just couldn't get them approved there. Hopefully someday they will wake up and listen to this doctor.
BI/Arnold also accepted my medicare advantage insurance for payment as well, I believe at that time I had Today's Option. Todays Option is not available where I live now though so I had to switch and I have to pay out of pocket for infusions now. But, I am fighting them this time for payment and Dr. L is behind me on this, and will provide any info/help he can. He would be more than happy to accept insurance payments but really, Medicare pays 140 bucks of the 2000 treatment, he would not be able to keep doing these if that is all he could get which I totally agree and understand.
I will pay for this next infusion myself, wait for their (Medicare's) little payment, and wait for my advantage insurances denial as I have no doubt they will deny me, and then I will start what may be the fight of my life to get these covered. I will write my governer, congress and even the President if I have too. They wonder why Medicare is in the state that its in when they would rather pay 32 grand for a pain pump ( which I only tolerated for a little over a year because it wasn't hitting both upper and lower, and not to mention the going in every 4 weeks for a refill....
) when a 2 grand infusion gives me longer relief. Heck, I may even contact the news stations. I'm just not going to accept this any longer and when I get a hair up my.....well I won't finish that but alls I can say is lookout, I'm like a storm brewing
Sorry to ramble on so and I best stop here for now, I will keep you up to date if you'd like, and I hope to be more active on this board too. I'm just really frustrated/mad/depressed lately but as an ole friend once said " chin up"
Dee
