Rick.Edwards@p0.f113.n106.z1.fidonet.org (Rick Edwards) (02/12/90)
Index Number: 6657
[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference on Fidonet]
I've had it....I need help, right now.
I'm tired of PAIN, I wanna be free! Long days and LONGER nights are reaching
into my very soul.
Ok, ok, enough of the dramatic diatribe. Seriously though, has anyone else
in here had problems with getting MEDICARE to pay for PAIN CLINIC treatments?
I've had my physician try to get me into several of the pain control clinics,
have called several myself, and all of them say the same thing, MEDICARE
will NOT cover it...I could pay for it, and submit my claim to MEDICARE for
reimbursement...uh uh, did that before and got burnt.
Chronic pain suffer'rs know what I'm talking about here when I say that it
is next to impossible to have physicians prescribe pain killers for chronic
pain. Right? Ok, I have little problem with understanding that. Just be a matter of time before one would be taking lethal doses of meds and gawd forbid
more surgery or a broken bone or something come up that you can't quell the
pain...sigh...yeah, I can understand their reluctance.
I know, I am digressing...Anyways...how can one get into a pain control management program with lack of funds and no coverage from MEDICARE?
Any ideas would be most appreaciated...thanks
...Rick
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!106!113.0!Rick.Edwards
Internet: Rick.Edwards@p0.f113.n106.z1.fidonet.orgNadine.Thomas@p0.f10.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Nadine Thomas) (02/13/90)
Index Number: 6710
[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference on Fidonet]
Hi Rick. I do know that if you are eligible for Voc. Rehab. they will
pay for such things as pain clinic fees. Check it out and don't take no
for an answer.....They do cover such things...After all, whose to say
that you are not employable if you are pain controlled?
Nadine
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!10.0!Nadine.Thomas
Internet: Nadine.Thomas@p0.f10.n300.z1.fidonet.orgDan.Payne@f5.n290.z1.fidonet.org (Dan Payne) (02/23/90)
Index Number: 6901
[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference on Fidonet]
RE>in here had problems with getting MEDICARE to pay for PAIN CLINIC
RE>treatments?
RE>
RE>I've had my physician try to get me into several of the pain
RE>control clinics,
RE>have called several myself, and all of them say the same thing,
RE>MEDICARE
RE>will NOT cover it...I could pay for it, and submit my claim to
RE>MEDICARE for
RE>reimbursement...uh uh, did that before and got burnt.
RE>
O.K....here goes....My wife works for the local MEDICARE intermediary and here
is what she has to say on the subject...
The Medicare guidelines regarding coverage of pain clinics are extremely strict
and rigid. Coverage is available for specific conditions and treatments. The
best this you can do is contact your local Medicare office and ask for a copy
of the Medicare guidelines regarding pain clinics. If the local office has
a restriction on sending that information to a beneficiary, have your doctor
or clinic ask for the information. The clinic may also have the information
available in their Medicare handbook.
Since interpretation of the guidelines may vary from region and intermediary,
I cannot offer detailed information, but if I can help with general information,
or provide direction on getting information, let me know.
Hope that helps...... Anyhow let me know if we can help...
later
dan & deb Payne
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!290!5!Dan.Payne
Internet: Dan.Payne@f5.n290.z1.fidonet.orgJoe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.org (Joe Chamberlain) (10/02/90)
Index Number: 10783
[This is from the Spinal Injury Conference]
N O T I C E
Under a new law, the working disabled may buy lost
Medicare coverage. If you choose to go back to work, thus losing
existing Medicare coverage, you can purchase the coverage with a
payment of a new monthly premium. For more information contact
your local social security office.
-=joe=-
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!150!140!Joe.Chamberlain
Internet: Joe.Chamberlain@f140.n150.z1.fidonet.orgSusan.Goldfield@p0.f1089.n261.z1.fidonet.org (Susan Goldfield) (06/05/91)
Index Number: 15969
Hi Pandora, I am a daily caller on Blinktalk, but I decided to take
a peek at this echo for a change. I couldn't help but comment on your
discussion about Medicare. Just a hint to help you out, If you need
any info about Medicare or other medical benefits offered, call the
Welfare Office. Social Security does not handle any medical benefits.
Welfare assumes that if someone is eligible for SS benefits, they
are eligible for medical coverage. I learned this bit of information
while attending a conference through my previous job. I was an Employment
Specialist working with adults who are developmentally disabled. I
have all sorts of pamphlets at home, so if you think I can help, give
me a holler. Hope to talk to you again.
Susan Goldfield
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!261!1089.0!Susan.Goldfield
Internet: Susan.Goldfield@p0.f1089.n261.z1.fidonet.orgPandora.Nigh@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org (Pandora Nigh) (06/05/91)
Index Number: 15987
Hi Susan, this gets into the mix up again between Medicare and
Medicaid or simular state programs. Social Security handles Medicare and
you must pay for medicare. Medicare payments can come out of your Social
Security Disability check, or
seniors may opt to purchase it on their own if they are not covered
under Social Security. Social Security does not automatically asume that
you will take SSA medical coverage just because you qualify under SSA
for a disability you have to sign up for it and have the premiums
deducted from your monthly check. On the other hand SSI which is
Supplemental Income automatically comes with Medicade and if you also
qualify under SSA they will pay the SSA part A and B premiums for you so
that that amount is not deducted from your check. Medicade is funded by
the state and also the fed. gov. but the state runs Medicade. If you
have a problem with Medicade you contact your state or county welfare
office. If the problem or you are appealing a claim for SSA then you
must call Social Security.
What gets even worse is if you are in a state that doesn't have
medicade then almost anything goes. You can get Nadine started on that
one real well. Of course private insurance companies and HMOs run a
whole other story. If you can qualify for Medicade you will be better
off than being covered only by SSA. Medicade will pay for and covers
more than Medicare, and it doesn't have a deductible and percentage of
coverage either. Medicare seems to love to up the deductible and lower
the coverage every year. Plus some of the things that they won't handle
just don't make sense. Considering that the majority of people that are
covered by Medicare are elderly and that one of the top 3 problems that
the elderly suffer is hearing loss, Medicare doesn't cover hearing
aides. I guess we should have figured anything that is setup by committe
and by politicians would come to great leaps of logic and sense like
not covering hearing aides for the population that would need them.
Pandora
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!157!3!Pandora.Nigh
Internet: Pandora.Nigh@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.orgPhilip.Kirschner@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org (Philip Kirschner) (06/21/91)
Index Number: 16318
Pandora,
There is this fine line within the halls of SSA,and it says (if
we can avoid paying) by all means do so.I for one have been rejected
right up through the Administrative law Judge hearing three times.It
seems learning disabilities are the least awarded disabilities for SSI,
and services.
Within our own State of New York,Vocational and educational
services for the disabled attempts to make the fammilys pay for services
such as remediation,if not through them in an organization or sheltered
work shop where it costs less.
People with learning disabilities in general have an above
averaerage inteligence because of the over compensation needed to get
by.It's very recent that the learning disabled in this country are start
ing to get recoginized by congress and the house of reps.We need moe
advocacy and it's not parents,but ourselves.
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!157!3!Philip.Kirschner
Internet: Philip.Kirschner@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.orgPandora.Nigh@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org (Pandora Nigh) (06/25/91)
Index Number: 16446
Hi Philip, you hit one of the nails on the head about discrimination
and disabilities. Yes learning disabilities and other mental illnesses
or very low on their list and also maintain much stricter rules for
eligibility. If all else fails then the other option open to you is to
apply under regular welfare and that will give you medicade medical
coverage at least. Yes, legislation has to been done to remedy the
situation, but that also means severe tax increases. When an entity has
said numbers of dollars to spread they have to set some standard or
priority for spending them, inorder to equate the inequity they have to
get more than the now said dollars. Not easy. One of the things that may
be considered that would be basically fair (though would tend to put a
lot of people in a severe bind) would be to allocate everything fairly.
For example provide insulin, hearing aides and mental hospital bills and
fund this by cutting the percent that they approve across the board to
60%. This would make it a fair system, while not neccessarily making it
a workable system. Another approach to work for is forffordable coverage
under the regular existing insurance companies and getting benefit
coverage for some under that system and then freeing up some of SSA and
SSI money. That is something that should realy be pushed and advocated
for.
Pandora
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Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!157!3!Pandora.Nigh
Internet: Pandora.Nigh@f3.n157.z1.fidonet.org