RSD and Medicare
 

Hello, I was diagnosed with RSD in 2000. I am 46 years old and I feel as if I am all alone in this. I do have a great support system in place with my family and friends. I use to be a nurse and now I am disabled. I was going to my neurologist for Lidocaine infusions and had to follow a protocol which i did. The protocol was 10 days in the hospital with a Hickman port in my chest. After the hospitalization I went to the infusion suit for 4 weeks 2 days a week. After the 4th week I went for 2 days every 2 weeks for 5 weeks and then went two times in a row once a month. After 2 months then it went to three months.
My three month appointment was scheduled this past Thursday and Friday May 1 and 2. On Wednesday my doctor's office called and told me that Medicare was no longer covering the infusions. This made me really mad. I do not have a lot of money as I am on SSD. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as how I can get treatments when Medicare will not pay for them?
Please respond. Thank you and have a wonderful day.
Steve

I would get on the horn with medicare. My first go-to is always directly my insurance to get things straightened out. Before I had decent insurance I was able to get a few procedures through state sponsored programs donated to me. Maybe your doctor has heard of such a thing and participates in this? If not maybe they know of one or where to refer you. Try a state health clinic or low income health clinic for the best resources on how to find such things. I know that the legwork on this sort of thing takes a lot out of you (it sure did me!) but it can be worth it in the end.

Hello Steve,

You have every right to be angry!! I am so sorry!

Have you ever heard of Mexiletine? It does the same thing as a lidocaine infusion in the form of a pill. Here is a link to one of the pubmed articles: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8803379

The other thing that might be covered under medicare that may work for you since you responded well to the lidocaine infusion is a Continuous Epidural Infusion. This requires a port similar to a hickman line, only it would be placed in the rib area with a catheter going directly into your epidural space.

Did you ask your doctors office if they were going to submit further documentation to prove the medical necessity on your behalf?

So unfair!!

OP, are you a member of a medicare "Advantage plan?"