Re: I think I'm being ripped off

[Guest guest]

I just got my first insurance statement. My first visit for Xolair shots

cost $88 for the doctor to put his stethescope to my lungs 2x and say, " your

lungs sound good, " $139 for a shot in the left arm and $139 for a shot in the

right arm, for a total of $366. Of that, they settled for $179 and I am

supposed to come up with $20 copay for the supposed doctor visit, and $12.12 for

a shot in each arm. It's going to cost me $44.24 each time I visit the doctor,

and the insurance company is going to have to come up with $180 for a medical

assistant to give me a shot in each arm and take 2 sets of vitals.

No wonder they want everyone on Xolair. I'm miffed.

Does no one in medicine care about the patient? Are they all out for

themselves????

Carol

[Guest guest]

>

> I just got my first insurance statement. My first visit for

Xolair shots cost $88 for the doctor to put his stethescope to my

lungs 2x and say, " your lungs sound good, " $139 for a shot in the left

arm and $139 for a shot in the right arm, for a total of $366. Of

that, they settled for $179 and I am supposed to come up with $20

copay for the supposed doctor visit, and $12.12 for a shot in each

arm. It's going to cost me $44.24 each time I visit the doctor, and

the insurance company is going to have to come up with $180 for a

medical assistant to give me a shot in each arm and take 2 sets of vitals.

> No wonder they want everyone on Xolair. I'm miffed.

> Does no one in medicine care about the patient? Are they all

out for themselves????

> Carol

l,

Welcome to the financial shock of just the administration of your

Xolair. The people who are allowed to self inject are so lucky! I am charged

114.00 per shot, thats 258.00 every two weeks,

516.00 a month, JUST TO GIVE ME THE SHOTS! I pay 120.00 for a 3 month supply of

the drug separately from that.

My insurance is NOT in network with this doctor's group; thus, I have to pay out

of my own pocket. Hey, I am not rich! I already pay 1/3rd of my gross annual

salary to my insurance company for premuims alone.

Are you sitting down? Guess what they file these injections with my inaurance

company? " CHEMOTHERAPY " treatment. Yes, thats right, and I don't have cancer.

Anything for a buck, forget the patient who is struggling to breathe and pay for

his/her treatment.

My doctor as no say in how much is charged or how to file the insurance. The

company who owns his practice does.

He is one super person, for he is personally giving me a huge discount to keep

me from going off xolair because of the cost.

Like I said in a previous post not long ago......... " Nothing suprises

me anymore about billing and insurance. "

Doug

[Guest guest]

Please forgive my anger about the financial situations in that last post.

Instead of lash out and complain, I need to count my blessings and be

grateful. In January, I told my doctor that I had no choice but to

stop Xolair because of the high administration costs that his clinic

owners were charging.

He went the extra mile and somehow gave me another discount. Even when

his clinic overcharges, he still cares about his patients. I wouldn't

be suprised if he is paying for this out of his own pocket.

I have caring good doctor, am on Xolair and breathing. I am most grateful

Doug

[Guest guest]

WOW!!!! I feel really blessed. I can't self administer, doctor says

no way, but they only bill my insurance $50 for the injections. Total

for both shots not 50 a piece. My insurance is trying to force my

doctor into self admin, but they aren't biting. They are fighting it

tooth and nail which I am soooo thankful for.

[Guest guest]

$139 per shot just to ADMINISTER the shot? Talk to your doctor AND

to the folks in the bookkeeping office. Are they charging for

refrigeration? That's RIDICULOUS.

Addy

(who is lucky enough to be storing her Xolair in her own fridge....)

--- In , " Carol Corley " <mybouvs@...>

wrote:

>

> I just got my first insurance statement. My first visit for

Xolair shots cost $88 for the doctor to put his stethescope to my

lungs 2x and say, " your lungs sound good, " $139 for a shot in the

left arm and $139 for a shot in the right arm, for a total of $366.

Of that, they settled for $179 and I am supposed to come up with $20

copay for the supposed doctor visit, and $12.12 for a shot in each

arm. It's going to cost me $44.24 each time I visit the doctor, and

the insurance company is going to have to come up with $180 for a

medical assistant to give me a shot in each arm and take 2 sets of

vitals.

> No wonder they want everyone on Xolair. I'm miffed.

> Does no one in medicine care about the patient? Are they all

out for themselves????

> Carol

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I don't particularly care for BCBS of Alabama but in my area it's the

only one that makes sense if you want some choice of doctors & /or

hospitals. Anyway, that being said, I'm amazed to hear how much

better they are at covering out-of-pocket expenses for my Xolair. They

pay the almost $2000/month for the Xolair itself at 100%, which shocked

me after being told I'd have to meet my maximum out of pocket before

they'd switch from 80% to 100% coverage. It appears they are

processing it as " Medical Care " instead of a pharmacy benefit as I was

originally told. Also, my doctor's office charges BCBS $18 everytime I

receive shots (every 2 weeks), that has just gone up 4/1/06 as it used

to be $14 per shot visit. They also pay this 100%, with no copay,

since I don't actually see the doctor or do anything other than receive

the two injections.

Sitting here with my new roses on my desk in Spring(not even silk, they

are real....amazing to me!) I'm sure I'd do whatever it took and pay

whatever it cost to stay on Xolair even if I didn't have the coverage.

I think I'm definitely getting my money worth for my $274/month

premium. =)

I don't see how some practices can justify the rates some of you are

being charged. Although, I guess they figure, what choice do you have,

right? I remember the month and a half I had to stop taking Xolair

just due to insurance issues just after starting to feel some relief, I

argued with the guy at Acreedo Novafactor until he finally let me pay

for a month out of pocket while they got everything straightened out.

Why this appeared to be a problem I'll never know, you'd think they'd

want my money. I told him that in the future, IMO, it'd be better to

get insurance approval BEFORE starting someone on a wonder drug. It

sucked to know how much better I COULD feel then go back to how it

was. At least I was used to feeling crappy so it didn't seem like such

a shock when I felt worse. I would rather not have known.

Sorry for the rambling on.......

[Guest guest]

Hi Doug:

Mine filed it under chemotherapy also. I'm not upset with my doctor but

with the clinic. They're all money money money. I see another doctor at the

same clinic and they charged me for 2 office visits because I asked a question

related to the medication that he prescribed. I'd quit them, but the doctors

are good.

Carol Corley