Re: Tikosyn to Tambocor

[Guest guest]

May I ask why would you need 2 follow up scans? Usually one is recommended 3-4

months after the procedure. I hope your out-of-pocket is low.

w6jcw wrote: I had a PVI on October 13.

My insurance was billed the following for my PVI (without

complications)and a 24 hour hospital stay.

Hospital: $78,408.01

EP: $13,665.00

Anesthesia: $4,800.00

----------------------------------

Total $96,873.01

I stil have 2 folow-up CT scans scheduled, one in mid January and

another in mid April. Who knows what those will cost.

>

> > I don't know... someone quoted the surgery at being

> > about 20k?

> >

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[Guest guest]

there is that... I guess you'd have to look at the overall cost of medicating

for x years vs. the average cost of surgery... things I'm sure the insurance

companys look at very closely!

Jean wrote: Yes, but you are not factoring in the

complications --

my surgery and 5 days in ICU was $130,000 -- not

counting the doctor's bill and follow up -- I have

really good insurance and paid $250. So thankful to

have good insurance for 16 more months and hope I can

return to work before COBRA ends.

Jean

--- Quarter Acre Orchids

wrote:

> I don't know... someone quoted the surgery at being

> about 20k?

>

> I've had afib for about 5 years now. I've gone to

> the ER probably 8 times, I've been hospitalized 3 or

> 4 times during that time (for several days at a

> time), I've had 4 electroversions (at $3,000 a pop)

> and insurance has now paid for 4 years of various

> drugs... there are also a gazillion doctor visits,

> ECGs, echocardiagrams, CT scans, TEEs, stress tests,

> protime tests... etc.... I think I long long long

> ago surpassed the 20k mark with my insurance

> company. And NOW I'm in line for an ablation, which

> is going to be another 20k on top of all this.

>

> When you look at it this way, in reality it's

> probably much more cost effective for the insurance

> companies to nip it in the bud.

>

> Bill wrote:

> Medicate then operate is still the mantra of most

> medical people I think. I also suspect health

> insurance companies would not like doctors jumping

> the

> very costly surgery option without first trying

> meds.

>

>

>

>

>

> --- Quarter Acre Orchids

> wrote:

>

> > I've read in a few places that the " new

> thought "

> > coming down the pike is to have a procedure

> > immediately upon diagnosis of afib, instead of

> > farting around with medication for years and

> years.

> > I think we will see this trend increase as the

> > procedures become more and more refined.

> > I think the quote on medication being

> effective

> > is something around 50%. That's not very high,

> and

> > once the complications of procedures like a PVI

> are

> > less likely, I think we'll see lots and lots of

> > first timers going right for them.

> >

> > Stef

> >

> >

> > The resident on the floor told me about a patient

> > she was following who was recovering from the

> > mini-maze (that didn't work) who is now starting

> > Tikosyn. She was surprised his docs didn't try

> him

> > on any meds first.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > [Non-text portions of this message have been

> > removed]

> >

> >

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

wow... apparently I was way off.. not sure where I heard that quote!

w6jcw wrote: I had a PVI on October 13.

My insurance was billed the following for my PVI (without

complications)and a 24 hour hospital stay.

Hospital: $78,408.01

EP: $13,665.00

Anesthesia: $4,800.00

----------------------------------

Total $96,873.01

I stil have 2 folow-up CT scans scheduled, one in mid January and

another in mid April. Who knows what those will cost.

>

> > I don't know... someone quoted the surgery at being

> > about 20k?

> >

Web Page - http://www.afibsupport.com

List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email,

send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help

Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should be

acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

[Guest guest]

I'm taking part in the CryoCor clinical trials and they want 2

followup CT's..one at 3 month and one at 6 month's. I don't know if

these will be billed or CryoCor will take care of them.

I'm a Kaiser member, and our local Kaiser hospital does not do any

cardiac surgery. It's all contracted out to a large local hospital

with a great CCU, and they bill Kaiser. My co-pay was $10.00.

I had a PVI on October 13.

> My insurance was billed the following for my PVI (without

> complications)and a 24 hour hospital stay.

>

> Hospital: $78,408.01

> EP: $13,665.00

> Anesthesia: $4,800.00

> ----------------------------------

> Total $96,873.01

>

> I stil have 2 folow-up CT scans scheduled, one in mid January and

> another in mid April. Who knows what those will cost.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I'm taking part in the CryoCor clinical trials and they want 2

followup CT's..one at 3 month and one at 6 month's. I don't know if

these will be billed or CryoCor will take care of them.

I'm a Kaiser member, and our local Kaiser hospital does not do any

cardiac surgery. It's all contracted out to a large local hospital

with a great CCU, and they bill Kaiser. My co-pay was $10.00.

I had a PVI on October 13.

> My insurance was billed the following for my PVI (without

> complications)and a 24 hour hospital stay.

>

> Hospital: $78,408.01

> EP: $13,665.00

> Anesthesia: $4,800.00

> ----------------------------------

> Total $96,873.01

>

> I stil have 2 folow-up CT scans scheduled, one in mid January and

> another in mid April. Who knows what those will cost.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Did you draw the medicine card, or the ablation card? I unfortunately got the

medicine card, so have to be medicated for three months and THEN apparently have

to have three documented cases of afib after that to qualify for the ablation.

My heart monitor is supposed to be coming this week, so I can start tracking

things.

I went into afib on Sunday afternoon after steam cleaning the carpets, and

thankfully converted on my own (but in the hospital ready for a zap) ... that's

a first in a very long time. So, I've had 4 recorded events since August. My

clinical coordinator for the study is going to see if they can count, since the

point of being medicated for three months and THEN having 3 events is to show

that the medication doesn't work... I'd say 4 times since August is a pretty

good indication of that already, so what's the point in making me go through

three more?

Where are you in the study?

Stef

w6jcw wrote:

I'm taking part in the CryoCor clinical trials and they want 2

followup CT's..one at 3 month and one at 6 month's. I don't know if

these will be billed or CryoCor will take care of them.

I'm a Kaiser member, and our local Kaiser hospital does not do any

cardiac surgery. It's all contracted out to a large local hospital

with a great CCU, and they bill Kaiser. My co-pay was $10.00.

[Guest guest]

Did you draw the medicine card, or the ablation card? I unfortunately got the

medicine card, so have to be medicated for three months and THEN apparently have

to have three documented cases of afib after that to qualify for the ablation.

My heart monitor is supposed to be coming this week, so I can start tracking

things.

I went into afib on Sunday afternoon after steam cleaning the carpets, and

thankfully converted on my own (but in the hospital ready for a zap) ... that's

a first in a very long time. So, I've had 4 recorded events since August. My

clinical coordinator for the study is going to see if they can count, since the

point of being medicated for three months and THEN having 3 events is to show

that the medication doesn't work... I'd say 4 times since August is a pretty

good indication of that already, so what's the point in making me go through

three more?

Where are you in the study?

Stef

w6jcw wrote:

I'm taking part in the CryoCor clinical trials and they want 2

followup CT's..one at 3 month and one at 6 month's. I don't know if

these will be billed or CryoCor will take care of them.

I'm a Kaiser member, and our local Kaiser hospital does not do any

cardiac surgery. It's all contracted out to a large local hospital

with a great CCU, and they bill Kaiser. My co-pay was $10.00.

[Guest guest]

Hi Stef,

I guess you missed my previous post's..I had my CryoCor PVI on October

13. I had one 15 minute run of Afib 6 days after ablation and NSR

since. I'm still on meds (I take Diltia XT and Flecanide) till Mid

April. I have an event monitor I carry and send them a test every

Thursday. Things are looking great so far...

Bob

>

> Did you draw the medicine card, or the ablation card? I

unfortunately got the medicine card, so have to be medicated for three

months and THEN apparently have to have three documented cases of afib

after that to qualify for the ablation. My heart monitor is

supposed to be coming this week, so I can start tracking things.

>

> I went into afib on Sunday afternoon after steam cleaning the

carpets, and thankfully converted on my own (but in the hospital ready

for a zap) ... that's a first in a very long time. So, I've had 4

recorded events since August. My clinical coordinator for the study

is going to see if they can count, since the point of being medicated

for three months and THEN having 3 events is to show that the

medication doesn't work... I'd say 4 times since August is a pretty

good indication of that already, so what's the point in making me go

through three more?

>

> Where are you in the study?

>

> Stef

[Guest guest]

I remembered after I sent the messages... duh... I blame the drugs on my slow

brain function

your news is excellent, though... I look forward to my own procedure, whenever

that might be!

Stef

w6jcw wrote:

Hi Stef,

I guess you missed my previous post's..I had my CryoCor PVI on October 13. I had

one 15 minute run of Afib 6 days after ablation and NSR since. I'm still on meds

(I take Diltia XT and Flecanide) till Mid April. I have an event monitor I carry

and send them a test every

Thursday. Things are looking great so far...

Bob

[Guest guest]

I remembered after I sent the messages... duh... I blame the drugs on my slow

brain function

your news is excellent, though... I look forward to my own procedure, whenever

that might be!

Stef

w6jcw wrote:

Hi Stef,

I guess you missed my previous post's..I had my CryoCor PVI on October 13. I had

one 15 minute run of Afib 6 days after ablation and NSR since. I'm still on meds

(I take Diltia XT and Flecanide) till Mid April. I have an event monitor I carry

and send them a test every

Thursday. Things are looking great so far...

Bob