HealthCare Journey for Multiple Sclerosis
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Virtual MS Center
    • Q & A for Virtual MS Center
    • Read About Our Virtual MS Center Staff
  • News & Resources
  • Seminar Registration
  • Health & Wellness
  • Blogs
    • Physician Blog >
      • Healthcare Provider Blog
    • Physical Therapy Blog
    • Patient Blog
    • Caregiver Blog
    • Research Blogs >
      • "Ask Dr. Debbie" Research Blog
      • Multiple Perspectives In Multiple Sclerosis Research Blog
  • About MS
    • What is MS?
    • Diagnosis
    • Treatment
    • MS Tips
  • Symptoms
    • Balance and Walking Issues
    • Breathing/Respiratory
    • Bowel Dysfunction
    • Cognitive Dysfunction
    • Crying/Laughing Uncontrollably (PBA)
    • Depression and Anxiety
    • Dizziness/Vertigo
    • Dysphagia
    • Fatigue
    • Foot Drop
    • Hearing or Smell or Taste Changes
    • Heat Sensitivity
    • Leg Weakness
    • Loss of Hand Dexterity and Coordination
    • Memory and Mutliple Sclerosis
    • Migraines
    • Numbness/Tingling/Altered Sensation
    • Nystagmus and Oscillopsia
    • Pain
    • Sexual Dysfunction
    • Sleep Issues
    • Spasticity/Spasms/Cramps
    • Speech/Swallowing
    • Urination/Bowel Problems
    • Vision
  • MS Clinics
  • MS Topics
    • Pregnancy and Infertility
    • Caregivers and Family Members
    • Employment and MS
    • Medical Costs and Insurance
    • Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
  • Register With Us
  • Terms of Use/Privacy/HIPAA
  • MS HealthCare Journey

Getting Insurance Coverage for MS Treatments

2/2/2014

 
I did not know when I headed down the holistic path there would be so many tests. But it seems every new diet I try or symptom I bring up; there is a test for that. These tests don’t carry the $3000 sticker price that more conventional MS therapies do, but a $100 out of pocket here and there adds up, especially when you are not working. So what is a person with MS to do?

Advocate for yourself! Something so simple that I had not thought of in all of my previous interactions with insurance. I was so used to just answering the questions they had, providing the bare minimum. This time when I was checking to see if the Intestinal Permeability and NutraEval tests were covered, I asked, “Does coverage depend on what the tests are for? I have multiple sclerosis and the conventional therapies have not worked for me and were making my symptoms worse. So now I am working with doctors to try and figure out if there is something else going on.” It took them three weeks to deliberate, and two follow-up phone calls from me, but the same woman I spoke to originally called me back. She said many people had input on it, with emails floating back and forth between insurance and nurses, but that the tests would be covered in full. In full! This has never happened to me.

My inspiration to advocate in a polite but persistent way came from the book “How To Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for The Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers” by Toni Bernhard.  Amazing book. This is only one tidbit of insight I have gotten from it so far. If you have allowed your illness to limit the treatment you have sought, feel inspired to get the health access you deserve.

--Emily Royce


Donn
2/2/2014 05:32:20 am

Emily,

Great read, advocating for yourself is the greatest thing you can do!

Donn


Comments are closed.
    If you would like to become a blogger, please contact us and let us know!
    CLICK ON THE RSS FEED ICON BELOW TO GET A LIST OF ALL OUR PATIENT BLOGS

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    October 2020
    March 2020
    January 2019
    September 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All
    Caregivers
    Cortisol
    Depression
    Diagnosis
    Diet
    Donn's Blogs
    Emily's Blogs
    Exercise
    Fatigue
    Fatique
    Foot Drop
    Heat Sensitivity
    Holly's Blogs
    Insurance
    Lizzie's Blogs
    Mobility
    Pain
    Service Dogs
    Spasticity
    Steroids
    Susan's Blogs
    Terri's Blogs
    Travel
    Treatments
    Tysabri
    Urination
    Work
    Yoga


© 2023 HealthCare Journey, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
HealthCare Journey™ is a trademark of HealthCare Journey, LLC
Picture
  • About Us
  • Home
  • Virtual MS Center
    • Q & A for Virtual MS Center
    • Read About Our Virtual MS Center Staff
  • News & Resources
  • Seminar Registration
  • Health & Wellness
  • Blogs
    • Physician Blog >
      • Healthcare Provider Blog
    • Physical Therapy Blog
    • Patient Blog
    • Caregiver Blog
    • Research Blogs >
      • "Ask Dr. Debbie" Research Blog
      • Multiple Perspectives In Multiple Sclerosis Research Blog
  • About MS
    • What is MS?
    • Diagnosis
    • Treatment
    • MS Tips
  • Symptoms
    • Balance and Walking Issues
    • Breathing/Respiratory
    • Bowel Dysfunction
    • Cognitive Dysfunction
    • Crying/Laughing Uncontrollably (PBA)
    • Depression and Anxiety
    • Dizziness/Vertigo
    • Dysphagia
    • Fatigue
    • Foot Drop
    • Hearing or Smell or Taste Changes
    • Heat Sensitivity
    • Leg Weakness
    • Loss of Hand Dexterity and Coordination
    • Memory and Mutliple Sclerosis
    • Migraines
    • Numbness/Tingling/Altered Sensation
    • Nystagmus and Oscillopsia
    • Pain
    • Sexual Dysfunction
    • Sleep Issues
    • Spasticity/Spasms/Cramps
    • Speech/Swallowing
    • Urination/Bowel Problems
    • Vision
  • MS Clinics
  • MS Topics
    • Pregnancy and Infertility
    • Caregivers and Family Members
    • Employment and MS
    • Medical Costs and Insurance
    • Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
  • Register With Us
  • Terms of Use/Privacy/HIPAA
  • MS HealthCare Journey