Medicare Costs

[Rmitchell55]

Last week my wife had back surgery. Had 3 discs fused to the pelvis. Went to the doctor yesterday and the Dr. prescribe a bone growth stimulator. Today the company shows up with it and starts showing us how it works. Have no Idea what this thing is going to cost the insurance co., but seen one for sale on the internet for 10.5K. You use it once a day for 30 minutes. It is powered by a 9 volt battery. It is only good for 270 cycles/9 months. And was told when we are finished with it toss it in the trash or take it to a electronic recycling place. It is not designed for re-use.

 

[trike lady]

That's an expensive item to toss in the trash.

 

[cScjhb]

Hi Ray. That's over $38.00 each time it is used. And then to toss it in the garbage.....? Somebody is making a lot of money at our expense. (I assume Medicare is covering the expense) The most important thing is that it helps your wife. And if it does the job then the cost is not the point. Hope all goes well and hope to see you again next year in Eastern Arizona..... Jim

 

[rhino 2]

That's an expensive item to toss in the trash.

Money is cheap right now.....What with the printing presses running 24/7 in Washington DC.........

 

[PosseRider]

If it works for the wife Ray. worth it. Best of luck. Let us know if it helps her. Then maybe she can come to AZ with you next year. :clapping:

 

[BillR]

My wife had her 109th treatment tonight. She had L2-L5 fused on July 8th.

She went for an X-ray today and her Drs. appointment is next week. We will find out if it helped then. Can't hurt, not inconvenient and no pain involved.

She hit her out of pocket maximum for the year on our insurance plan, so I don't know what it cost. We didn't get a bill for it.

Just a side note. If you have one with about a dozen 9 volt batteries in the foam case that always fall out. Cut a drinking straw into 1 1/2" pieces and put them in the pocket beside the batteries. It wedges them in enough to keep them from falling out.

 

[hogcowboy]

I had to use one of those bone growth stimulators when I shattered my leg. It was not mending so the doc prescribed it. Apparently it worked as the leg that had a huge gap did mend. Unfortunately I still had to have a complete ankle replacement. I was ready to just have them cut the foot off just above the ankle it hurt so bad. It still bothers me(especially weather changes) which makes no sense being that it is now metal and plastic.

 

[Lee H. Mann]

Money is cheap right now.....What with the printing presses running 24/7 in Washington DC.........

Between greenbacks and ballots, Bob, you know just how much ink costs.

 

[rhino 2]

Between greenbacks and ballots, Bob, you know just how much ink costs.

Least someone misinterpreted my last post on this subject I’m not saying that the machines don’t help or the user is taking advantage of the government..What I’m saying is that the medical establishment and the bureaucrats that run the program are taking advantage of us the taxpayers... My old Man would tell me back when no one had medical insurance the doctors would charge 75 dollars for an appendix operation..(40’s/50’s)once they found you had insurance they raise their charges to 350 dollars ... The patients didn’t care it the operation was free right!...... The insurance companies didn’t care they just raise their rates...

 

[evermill]

Ray, hope all works out for your wife. I do know what you are talking about with expensive equipment that is provided, with the instructions of "Do Not Return" when you finish with it. I have two pieces of specialized medical equipment setting in my closet costing 10K. I'm lucky between Medicare and Tricare (military retirement insurance) they cover the cost. Ask the company representative that delivered equipment why they didn't want it back, she said it cost to much to recertify them.

 

[hogcowboy]

Least someone misinterpreted my last post on this subject I’m not saying that the machines don’t help or the user is taking advantage of the government..What I’m saying is that the medical establishment and the bureaucrats that run the program are taking advantage of us the taxpayers... My old Man would tell me back when no one had medical insurance the doctors would charge 75 dollars for an appendix operation..(40’s/50’s)once they found you had insurance they raise their charges to 350 dollars ... The patients didn’t care it the operation was free right!...... The insurance companies didn’t care they just raise their rates...

And it's still true today. But...we used to have to file our own paperwork. Now they have a full staff that does that so naturally the charges go way up. You can see just how much they over charge with your own doctor. Just tell him you don't have insurance and will have to pay cash so how much would he charge. Ours is 75% less. But they are all different I suspect.

 

[BillR]

My wife had her 109th treatment tonight. She had L2-L5 fused on July 8th. She went for an X-ray today and her Drs. appointment is next week. We will find out if it helped then.

The Dr. said the bone growth stimulator is working just fine. I circled the new bone areas that are penetrating the replacement disks. They look like a comb with some teeth broken out. He said continue use for another three months.