Good Luck and please let us know how it goes, Vic!

Maybe you can educate us so others in the same situation can learn about it and be pro-active if and when it happens to them!

Balance Billing:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine...8040915634.htm

Pay close attention to what you are billed, and NEVER believe those in the Billing Department of any institution/company. They will always say that you are wrong and that your credit will be damaged if you do not pay the bill.

-Vic

You mean, like when a hospital Doc billed me for Psych counsols for my DH, who was in a coma, at the time? Needless to say, I did not pay them and after a phone call from me, was never billed again.

Biogen has helped to resolve a ton of billing issues with information from my insurance provider. Lauren (MSLadyInca) has helped alot.

Next week I am getting an emergency dose (free) from Biogen. It is being shipped to a new infusion center wherein my out of pocket expenses will only be $25, as opposed to what the other infusion center was charging (over 20 times that amount).

So, if everything goes as planned, then I will be starting my Tysabri data collection once again and will not be joining the Rebif wagon.

-Vic

I am so happy for you, Vic . . .

Cherie

Wow, Vic . . . this is VERY important information for people to be aware of:

"These laws require medical providers to seek payment only from the insurer for services covered by the plan. Many states also shield insured patients from balance billing by out-of-network hospitals and doctors in emergencies, since patients usually don't control who treats them in those situations. (Bans on balance billing generally don't apply when a patient gets an elective procedure, such as cosmetic surgery, or seeks out-of-network, non-emergency service without a referral.)"

I hear of this happening a LOT in the US (excess billing, like this). Thank you for pointing this out, and I hope it helps a lot of people.

Cherie

That's grrrrrreat, Vic...

Good Luck..

Oh BRAVO Vic!!!

You da MAN!

As most of you know, Tysabri trials have been started for Multiple Myeloma (a form of cancer) The P1 trial started a few weeks ago.

There is a man, Frederick Baron, who is dying of MM. His family has asked for Tysabri. The Mayo clinic doc who is treating him said he only had a few days to live, and told them his only chance at recovery is Tysabri. Mayo happens to be one of the trial sites, even though they are not advertising it, due to the overwhelming number of patients who want in on this trial)

Mr. Baron also happens to be a lawyer who has sued a lot of drug companies and manufacturers ( think Merck and Vioxx, mesothelioma and asbestos) and a huge Democratic fundraiser.

He has had some big friends go to bat for him ( Clinton, Kennedy, Lance Armstrong, etc) and begged the FDA to allow him to have Tysabri. The FDA said ok. Then the family went to Jim Mullen ( the CEO of Biogen Idec) Jim Mullen said NO.

It now appears that Mr Baron's family has found a way, outside of the TOUCH program and outside of the P1 trial (only 12 trial patients) to get Tysabri and has been infused, despite Biogen Idec refusing to agree to the compassionate use granted by the FDA.

No one is saying how the family overcame the TOUCH program, but they did.

This case will bear watching, due to the unknown implication it will have, both on the trial for MM and for those who do not have influential friends to go to bat for them and have late stage MM, and on Mayo Clinic as one of the trial sites ( for allowing off label use without Biogen's permission)

To read more search on Frederick Baron or go to his son's blog at http://dembot.com/post/54498664/open...omment-3101930

I wish him well, River......but, I thought that Ty was actually linked to possibly causing MM???