No Insurance

[bra]

We have no insurance to help cover the cost of this illness. We have a reduced rate medical center here that charges you for your visits based on your income. That is where my mate goes because of the frequency that he has to make office visits. He has to pay for all of his medicine and supplies out of pocket. I am trying to find an assistance program to help.

[Dusty]

It may be different in your state but here the main hospital uses a sliding scale based on your income to charge for visits and also medication through their own pharmacy.

My doctor has been giving me samples for the last eight years for my BP and now he gives me metformin but I still have to buy strips out of pocket.

[bra]

We do have access to the sliding scale on the actual office visits to the doctor but there is not a sliding scale pharmacy. Oh that would be a grand idea, I think I will write to one of the politicians to see if we could get that program. Now if I just knew where to begin.

[jimmys devoted]

At this moment I dont even have a doctor..........
here if you make 9000 dollara a year you have to copay the 125 per office visits Also here in TN 9000 is cnsidered a good salary and yu cant get medicaid.
So I dont have any medical insurane excet for a prescription plan that will allow me to pay untl december for my nsulin at 5 dollars a vial and syringes or srips on every other visit.

[bra]

Okay, I have a visit planed at the clinic this coming Tuesday. There is a sliding fee. I imagine my appointment won't be too costly, but I worry about my treatment and prescriptions and their costs. I will come up with the cash somehow until I can find some assistance. Hopefull I won't need any high tech medicine! (fingers crossed)

[bloemmarc]

I understand, we have no insurance at the moment either. My wife won't be available for her work insurance until December again. Plus, I am unemployed and in the middle of looking for stable work.
It would be alright in most cases. She's only 23, but she needs blood pressure medication pills badly, and hers will run out at the end of July. We haven't enough money at the moment to pay for it without insurance. Plus, we have a baby on the way.

[snapdragon1]

My employer just changed our coverage to save a few bucks. It's now Horizon Direct Access (one of the BCBS of New Jersey plans). It's cheap all right. But their loophole is they don't cover any "diabetic supplies". The reason the customer service guy gave me is that they are considered "over-the-counter."

For me, a low-salaried, but full-time worker, diagnosed 6 months with Diabetes II, I found myself paying about $100 a month for test strips at my nearby Wal-mart. I searched the web, and this site, ADW, looks like the best deal I've been able to find at about $80 a month including shipping.

New Jersey has a "Charity Care" program, but so far I still earn too much to qualify and I am still too young for any of the "senior" programs.

Suggestions from anyone are appreciated.

[admin]

Hi snapdragon1 and welcome to our forum!

How many times do you test a day?
What type of meter are you using?

There are many meters in the market nowadays, and you can certainly find something more affordable than $80 a month. At ADW we just put up a new program together, take a look: Advocate Meter Program (http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.com/Advocate-Program.html)
With this brand, you can basically get your strips for $16.99 per 50ct. I'm sure you already have a lancing device, and the only other thing you need is lancets, and once in a while control solution. which are also pretty cheap.
The Duo from Advocate is a 2 in 1 monitor, in case you also check your blood pressure often, and it also speaks.

If you don't need the blood pressure monitor, and the speaking feature, you may want to go with the regular version of their meters.

Hope this helps!

[snapdragon1]

I may give what you suggest a try.

I have the One-Touch Ultra system which works very well, but I now know is about the priciest.

I liked the idea that it requires very little blood and lets me alternate to palm/forearm sticks sometimes. as I'm sticking my-self a minimum of 4 times a day and my results fluctuate wildly sometimes.

You see, my doctor is having a problem finding the right meds/dosages for me. I've had some bad reactions. (I also take a few other meds for other conditions that have apparently interacted.)

As soon as he feels I'm stabilized, I will certainly look into the cheaper system you recommend.

Thanks for your input.

[Brenda Bush]

What a pain! Diabetes can be controlled, but the cartels don't want to ensure any diabetic--unless someone on this website knows something different! I've been stranded and without a job for 7 years due to age discrimination. Every job that whirls past me wants to under pay me and if it is a possibility, the "pre-existing" conditions keeps me from being insured for a number of months! This isn't right...Americans are experiencing epidemic diabetes now and the system is failing us. Time for a change.

[donna47]

I happen to be in the no insurance category right now myself. I was put on the diabetic pump in Dec 2006 and had insurance until 6/2007 and I can tell you, this stuff is very expensive, :mad: but it is still cheaper then me getting insurance on my own or paying the cobra payment from my old job.

I have emailed my representatives for my state and keep getting the same old reply to apply for medicare (which I am not old enough for yet) or go to DHHR or I can go to DHHR and get insurance for my son (who is 19), so what good does that do me.

Does anyone know of anywhere I can go for help? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[metaour@comcast.net]

I realize this thread is old but I was wondering if anyone has had success in getting insurance. Any new ideas. I am without major medical... my prescriptions are up to $1000 a month... it is wiping us out! We own are own business.. but I am trying to get a job. I was working full time in the fall but it didn't offer insurance. I also had a very hard time working full time. I hope that I can work full time but it worries me. Any suggestions?
Mary:eek:

[donna47]

I just went to a clinic here in WV that has a sliding fee scale...right now hubby & I are at 10%. Which means that we pay 10% of what someone w/ insurance would pay. They also have a program alled prescription ***istance for low income families. You may want to check your clinic & see if they have sliding scale and also a prescription ***istance program. This clinic I just started at has 2 employees who do nothing but find manufacturers who offer free or lost costing meds to help their patients. The only thing right now that I am taking that the manufacturer doesn't offer this program is my pump supplies. But the rest of my meds will be free. That includes Novolog Insulin which Walmart was charging me $95.00/bottle for.

[jimmys devoted]

i was dropped from medicaid when bredesen redid medicaid.. he dropped 96,000 tenesseeans from teh roles who had severe chronic illnesses.
So we disocvered i can do everything myself. from blood tests to urine tests to getting medical supplies and insulin.
So now i do all of my own and it costs me about 100 a month> Which is cheaper than having toi pay deductable or having high medical insurance of rpre existing condition.

julie

[Phonelady61]

I was told that walmart has generic isulin at 21.95 a bottle and it is called reli on and it is the same thing as novolin . apparently novolin has teamed up with wal mart and they now offer the insulin in the reli on name for 21.95 a bottle and they also offer syringes for reli on at 12.95 a pack . you know the system aint perfect but one does what one has to do . I dont even bother with those state health care programs because you get turned down if anyone in your house is employed no matter what they make you will always be turned down or if you have a car you will be turned down . I mean i have been put through flaming hoops enough . they told me I could sell my car and then they could help me . What ? sell my car how would i get my meds then wait for my hubby to come home ? I dont think so. anyways the whole system is ridiculous and needs an overhaul .

[donna47]

I wanted to let everyone know that if you contact Abbott who manufacturers the Freestyle meter & strips, they offer a program where you can get both free.