I'll make this as short as I can..... After 17 years of employment my husband lost his job on Friday due to downsizing. I'm on SSDI due to MG and have Medicare Part A and B but never enrolled in Prescription Coverage because I was insured under my husbands policy. His insurance plan had EXCELLENT coverage which allowed me to receive IVIG in the comfort of my own home by a Home Nurse who is not only a wonderful nurse but also has become a wonderful friend. Hubby's insurance coverage was so good to us that I've never had to pay one cent out of pocket for any of my infusions and I've been getting them for over 5 years.

Well, sadly that has come to an end. I have until October 31st to enroll in a prescription drug plan with Medicare and to be honest, I'm very confused. I have no idea who will cover IVIG or what I will have to pay

If anyone on here has Medicare and receives IVIG could you please advise where I should begin? Do I contact my Neuro to ask them which medicare prescription drug plans cover IVIG? Do I call Medicare and ask them to assist me?

The rug has been pulled out from under us (especially me in regards to my health coverage) ...Please Help

I'm on Medicare and they cover 80% of the IVIG costs. My military program (Champus) covers the other 20%. It sounds like you need a supplement policy to cover that 20%. I go to a infusion center fot my IVIG treatments. I think AARP has supplement policies but I think they run around $200 a month.
Good Luck
Mike

OMG.. There's no way I can afford to pay 20% of the IVIG! I have to get it once every 5 weeks. How in the world can I afford to pay for all this extra crap on my little amount of SSDI per month?????? I don't know where to begin. I do know that I'm getting stressed out.

I appreciate your reply pingpong man but this is just turning into a big mess for me. I can't believe his stupid job did this to us.

I hope someone posts soon with some answers for you. I know in my case stress is really rough on my MG. I'm pretty sure none of us can afford the 20%.
Mike

Shari,
I have checked into a supplement policy but until you turn 65, they want anywhere from $400 to $450 a month. I'm like you and have medicare and a prescription policy tht doesnt pay anything on IVIG. I cannot afford a supplement policy. It doesn't seem fair that we have to wait until age 65 to get the cheaper price. My husband is 71 and pays $159 a month for one. With medicare you only pay 20% of what they pay. Get your doctor to check on that. Good Luck

Shari,

I am Medicare part B and that pays for 80% of my infusions and I'm sure Medicare was paying 80% of your infusion cost while the other 20% was being picked up by your husbands private insurance. My 20% was being covered while I had private insuance. I was carried under my private insuance for 2 years after I lost my job.

I then had to purchase a supplement policie just like pingpongman explained.
My AARP supplement policie cost $159 a month and thats going up a little on January 1srt. A cost that is much much less than the 20% you or I would have to pay without the supplement.

There are supplements out there that are less expensive and i will be looking into some of then of them before the end of the year.

I also had to purchase a presciption plan. Medicare part D. The premium is only $39 a month but the co-pays are going up like crazy next year. I am looking into other plans for presciptions and comparing yearly cost based on the presciptions I am taking now.

As much as it hurts you will probably need both B and D supplements but you may be able to take a little bit of the pain out of it if you start right now by comparing plans and deciding on the ones that will cost you the least YEARLY out of pocket expense.

Tony

Shari, I'm told that the MDA (muscular distrophy association) classifies MG as one of the conditions under it's "umbrella", and that you can call MDA clinics to see if you can get any help that way. Haven't tried it myself, no need. Hope you get the help you need.

Thank you ody10!
I'll add them to the my "places to call" list for Monday. I hope you never have to place that call for yourself either.

God's Blessings,
Shari

Shari, All I can say is that this makes me so sad that money gets in the way of good health but glad that people here are so willing to help.

I hope you can work things out to get the care you need.


Annie

Thank you Annie
I agree one million percent and have always felt that way even before my current situation. It was getting very frustrating talking to the Agent/Representative for Anthem because she couldn't understand that "Privigen" wasn't a drug that could be picked up at my local Pharmacy. I don't know how many times I had to keep telling her that it's a blood product which can't sit on the shelves of my local pharmacy like Cellcept and Mestinon. I finally gave up, thanked her and told her to have a nice weekend.

I've been on IVIG since 2005 and it really works for me. I dare not think of what could happen if I can no longer take it due to lack of money to pay for it on m part. That's not going to happen. I'll find the assistance I need to get my "go-go juice" from somewhere.