4 replies to this topic

[blakeperkins]

Self-care on a budget? Funding options?

[edlee]

Medicare or Medicaid. Those are the two main options in the States. If you are a veteran then there's the VA. A few states and cities have additional,, smaller agencies that somethimes, can offer specific items,, but other that those,,, we're talking a corner and a tin cup. Not always a rosy picture.

Tell us who you are and where you are,, and , maybe, somebody can give you some more specific advice.
ed

[A trophy guy]

Cheap medical supplies?

Ha, that phrase is an oxymoron. There is no such thing as cheap medical supplies. Medical supplies, heck, anything manufactured and sold by a medical-based company that is by-and-large paid for through individual or group insurance plans is a racket.

It's a crime, in my opinion, how this system operates. These companies, which basically have a monopoly on their respective markets, charge astronomical prices for things that are not worth such costs and they do it because they know the insurance companies (who are the ones actually picking up the costs for these ridiculous fees) will pay the price and simply turn that cost over to the consumer (you and me) in the form of higher and higher premiums and rates.

Whether it be a $13,000 standing wheelchair or a $50 roll of adhesive tape; these costs are out of the reach of the patient who does not have adequate insurance coverage. And this is shameful. The quality of life for someone living with SCI should not be directly determined by their level of insurance. But it is.

Edited by A trophy guy, 07 January 2012 - 08:19 PM.

[blakeperkins]

edlee, on 07 January 2012 - 07:40 PM, said:

Medicare or Medicaid. Those are the two main options in the States. If you are a veteran then there's the VA. A few states and cities have additional,, smaller agencies that somethimes, can offer specific items,, but other that those,,, we're talking a corner and a tin cup. Not always a rosy picture.

Tell us who you are and where you are,, and , maybe, somebody can give you some more specific advice.
ed

I'm a 20 year old college student at Western Kentucky University in south central Kentucky. I'm studying exercise science and will apply to physical therapy school in one year. I'm a para with a complete injury between the T10 and T11 vertebrae. Hope this helps whomever help me!

A trophy guy, on 07 January 2012 - 08:18 PM, said:

Cheap medical supplies?

Ha, that phrase is an oxymoron. There is no such thing as cheap medical supplies. Medical supplies, heck, anything manufactured and sold by a medical-based company that is by-and-large paid for through individual or group insurance plans is a racket.

It's a crime, in my opinion, how this system operates. These companies, which basically have a monopoly on their respective markets, charge astronomical prices for things that are not worth such costs and they do it because they know the insurance companies (who are the ones actually picking up the costs for these ridiculous fees) will pay the price and simply turn that cost over to the consumer (you and me) in the form of higher and higher premiums and rates.

Whether it be a $13,000 standing wheelchair or a $50 roll of adhesive tape; these costs are out of the reach of the patient who does not have adequate insurance coverage. And this is shameful. The quality of life for someone living with SCI should not be directly determined by their level of insurance. But it is.

Well...that sucks. How do you manage your medical expenses? I make decent money for a college student as a personal trainer, but these medical bills and the cost of medicine, and catheters, and gloves, and blah blah blah are scaring the crap out of me. I can't imagine trying to balance rent, car insurance, cell phone bills, and the usual cost of everyday living along with these NEW expenses for everyday living.

[A trophy guy]

blakeperkins, on 07 January 2012 - 10:57 PM, said:

edlee, on 07 January 2012 - 07:40 PM, said:

Medicare or Medicaid. Those are the two main options in the States. If you are a veteran then there's the VA. A few states and cities have additional,, smaller agencies that somethimes, can offer specific items,, but other that those,,, we're talking a corner and a tin cup. Not always a rosy picture.

Tell us who you are and where you are,, and , maybe, somebody can give you some more specific advice.
ed

I'm a 20 year old college student at Western Kentucky University in south central Kentucky. I'm studying exercise science and will apply to physical therapy school in one year. I'm a para with a complete injury between the T10 and T11 vertebrae. Hope this helps whomever help me!

A trophy guy, on 07 January 2012 - 08:18 PM, said:

Cheap medical supplies?

Ha, that phrase is an oxymoron. There is no such thing as cheap medical supplies. Medical supplies, heck, anything manufactured and sold by a medical-based company that is by-and-large paid for through individual or group insurance plans is a racket.

It's a crime, in my opinion, how this system operates. These companies, which basically have a monopoly on their respective markets, charge astronomical prices for things that are not worth such costs and they do it because they know the insurance companies (who are the ones actually picking up the costs for these ridiculous fees) will pay the price and simply turn that cost over to the consumer (you and me) in the form of higher and higher premiums and rates.

Whether it be a $13,000 standing wheelchair or a $50 roll of adhesive tape; these costs are out of the reach of the patient who does not have adequate insurance coverage. And this is shameful. The quality of life for someone living with SCI should not be directly determined by their level of insurance. But it is.

Well...that sucks. How do you manage your medical expenses? I make decent money for a college student as a personal trainer, but these medical bills and the cost of medicine, and catheters, and gloves, and blah blah blah are scaring the crap out of me. I can't imagine trying to balance rent, car insurance, cell phone bills, and the usual cost of everyday living along with these NEW expenses for everyday living.

Well, for one, I was lucky enough to be injured in a car accident, and car insurance (in Michigan at least, for now) has "catastrophic claim" coverage that covers the medical costs of things such as accidents. So I like to tell people, "if you ever have to become SCI, pray that it is in a car." And I have Medicare, which covers most doctor visits and most of the prescription costs. I had to actually qualify for Medicare coverage, however, and it's not as easy as it sounds. I hired a lawyer who guided me through the maze of legal hoops, requirements and red-tape that stand as obstacles to obtaining Medicare coverage.

That being said, for six years I had to pad my buttcheeks because of my severe lower-body atrophy. I created artificial buttcheeks, basically, out of a three-step process of applying adhesive-pads directly on my skin, then applying about an inch (or so) thick layer of soft gauze on top of the pads, which I then taped down on all sides with special (i.e. medical) hypoallergenic tape that would stick but wouldn't irritate my skin, since I was using it every single day.

These supplies: adhesive pads, soft gauze and hypoallergenic tape were all medical supplies which I had to order from a medical-supply company. I couldn't just go to the grocery store and pick them up. For the first year or so of my "butt-padding", I wasn't able to get these supplies covered by my insurance. So I had to pay out of pocket for them. And the cost was astronomical.

My average monthly costs to pad my ass that first year were around $700. A MONTH! I quickly became broke, but I had to do it. I had the monthly payment for a Bentley strapped to my ass! Fortunately I was able to finally get these things covered, but still; tape, hypoallergenic or not, is not worth $50/roll.

It's a crime I tell ya...A crime.