Re: Remicade Trials

[Guest guest]

Hi Tracie. Thanks for all the info on the Remicade. My doctor

filled ou the paperwork for my insurance last week to see if they

would cover it. I have a feeling its gonna be a fight to get them

to do it. But he's going to try his best. I will know within a

couple of weeks he said. There may be a problem because I live

right on the Mass/NH Border and he is in Mass. My insurance is NH.

SO I am crossing my fingers....

That's great that they are having a trial in Jan. but that's quite a

trip for you, huh? Good luck anyway. I hope you get in. Free of

charge would be great, huh?

I am going to let my doctor know about the sheet he can call for on

the treatment of sarc with Remicade - might come in handy.

Thanks again, I appreciate it. Luv, Debbie T.

> This last couple of weeks have been one of trying to get

everything taken

> care of so that I can start Remicade infusions. This has meant

contacting my

> PCP, my insurance co, calling the local infusion centers to see if

they'll

> administer the Remcade, calling Remicade to see if they have any

patient assistance

> programs for financial assistance and calling addl numbers for

their

> Reimbursement centers, Clinical Trials Dept, Nurse Advisory Dept,

and more. Needless

> to say, I was totally woop-assed when I got thru.

>

> I did get a call back from Centocor today, they are the sub-corp.

that makes

> Remicade (Parent Corp is J & J). For those of us on the west

coast, there is

> a clinical trial that will start in Jan. 2004. What this would

mean- if we

> qualify, is that Centocor would supply the Remicade without cost.

It will also

> mean that we'd be going to L.A. several times over for follow-up.

For me, it

> would mean a 11 hour drive -one way- or a 3 hr flight. (Pray for

air-fares to

> stay low.)

>

> I know that ie Bear is in L.A., we have someone in San Diego,

and

> Stinson's near San . Guys, this is relatively close by all

things considered.

> So, if you're fence sitting on talking to your MD's about

Remicade, this might

> be a good time to bring it up. ie, I hope you're already

hooked up with

> Om Sharma, MD. He's the sarc guru in LA- second to Dr. Baughman

back east.

>

> Remicade's Medical Info line is 1-. The Patient Asst.

Line is

> 1-. The Patient Assistance Line is for patients on

Remicade that

> either have no insurance or their insurance won't cover it, and

that meet

> certain financial criteria.

>

> They are sending out both the pt asst forms and the info on the

Trials.

> Also, if your MD's office calls, they do have a sheet that they

will fax to an

> MD's office on Remicade & sarcoidosis treatment protocol. This

can then be sent

> to the insurance company as proof that there is a history (short)

of Remicade

> being used for Sarc.

>

> Guys, my info is still in alot of flux, I don't have the forms

yet, and am

> sharing what info I have gotten so far. This is my understanding

of what is

> coming up. I hope that it will help someone that needs treatment,

but can't get

> it because of cost.

>

> Love to all,

> Tracie