Dahlek; I have a question.

You said: "IF one has an ACQUIRED immune disease such as GBS or CIDP...your coverage under medicare IS NOT gonna continue! AT age 65..."

Does this mean, that if one is 60, on medicare, that when that person is 65, and has been on medicare, that they THEN WON'T BE COVERED UNDER THEIR HMO (for IVIG I mean)??

Why is this? Why should there be a change when a person turns 65, if they have been on medicare for years before they turned 65??

Thanks,

Mel

My "best guess" is because at 65 your catagory changes.
The people that I know who were receiving Disability checks from Soc Sec were automatically switched to regular retirement SS classification upon reaching age 65.

Okay, but isn't medicare, MEDICARE!!! I mean, if you are on medicare and you are covered for certain things, then you turn 65, and they change your classification from disability to retirement, BUT YOU STILL ARE ON MEDICARE, right?

So why does changing the classification change the benefits that you were receiving?? I thought that once a person was on medicare, that when they turn 65, the medicare still continues. They might reclassify a person as 'retired" instead of "disabled", but I never knew abouts benefits changing, (especially if one is on an HMO)

I must look into this.

Thanks much

Melody

That you check out your state and city medicare resources to 'plan' and be 'aware' of how benefits can and do change at that 'golden number'. I also suggest that you either read or re-read all the back issues of IGLiving and see what kinds of issues people who have 'approved' ON-label IVIG uses have had in not only getting but keeping merely ACCESS to infusions. Many are now finding [even in NYS] that their 'plans' including BC/BS are either putting a 'cap' [lifetime or yearly] on the $ amount one can receive or upping the copay to half the total cost of a monthly infusion. This is an issue you have to plan for? You mite want to read the IGLiving back issues to LEARN that this is a big problem for ANYONE receiveng infusions. The only alternative approved therapy for CIDP now is prednisones and some cortisones.

IVIG is an OFF-LABEL use for CIDP[according to the FDA], even tho there has been a recently completed NIH trial for one brand of IG that was successful. It does not constitute FDA approval for the IG. Thing is, IG use has been accepted 'practice' by medical professionals for over 25 years and is approved for use by many insurance companies...but once that calendar year page changes over? The RULES CHANGE! Why? The COSTS CHANGE! Someone else also pays that BILL! Things are NOT automatic, and you might continue any benefits only if you have an extra 'supplemental plan'. I do not know much about these things other than they exist. I believe my own plan will be more generous than most for reasons that I will NOT go into here...EVER. I do know tho, that once that year happens, and you continue? You can get 'rejected coverage' backdated to that magic date and you can believe that those bills are well, HEFTY?

I suggest that you get to work and do your homework. This preparation is needed to be done for both you and ALAN NOW at age 60 for when you become 'of age'. I wish you luck and that YOU can share your own wisdom in the learning with all of us. - j

I agree with your suggestions. I also know that plans change, and one doesn't know if one will be staying with a particular HMO 5 years from now.

So any "homework", that is done now, might not be applicable to 5 years from now.

Co-pays change, what's covered under medicare will no doubt change.

Any info we gather now, well, I really don't think it will be applicable to 5 years from now.

I'm not worried about any hefty bills when all this ends, because we don't have any assets, and you can't get blood from a stone.

But I believe I will call up my HMO and see what their position is when a person changes from 64 and is on Disability, to age 65, and are they still on disability or on Social Security??

I can't wait to call on Monday.

I'll surely post what I find out. Thanks much!

Mel