Not much time today, as I have an appointment to get my iron levels pumped up. Since the emergency surgery in September I have been severely anemic but my stomach does not tolerate iron supplements.
My Primary Care Physician was made aware of this but seemed to think it would be fine for me to wait 2 months for the infusions.
Last night I nearly fainted and I don’t think it had anything to do with cleaning up the remains of the latest mouse murder. So I’m hoping I may start to feel better soon.
This isn’t my first experience with anemia and I’ve had infusions before. I seem to remember that they make me itch but that was sometime ago, so maybe things have improved.
Then for tomorrow’s entertainment, I have to get a nerve conductivity test on hands and feet. What I am not sure about is how useful the information will be.
After all, I know my nerves are messed up and they have been since 2007, but no-one ever suggested anything I ought to do about it.
Time for me to become assertive, but I’ve never been very good at that. What happens is that I get upset and then I begin to weep which seems to scare young medical doctors.
The psychiatrist I was finally persuaded to consult was a kind man who knew how to deal with tearful old women. but two weeks ago, suddenly he died and so far no other doctor has been assigned.
A sad circumstance I can hardly complain about.
But when I recently collected my monthly prescriptions, I discovered that I am in the so-called Medicare donut-hole and that did not please me!
What is the donut hole? It’s just another way of torturing old people.
You spend your working life paying in for the Medicare Plan so you will be covered when you reach retirement.
In my case that was only 42 years because I was forced to retire early, though I would happily have worked longer.
Medicare does not cover anything like one’s expenses, so you are obliged to purchase a monthly supplement.
Even with that supplement, drugs are not fully covered and there is always a “co-pay”, of varying amounts.
And your coverage is limited to a ceiling. If you reach that figure, you fall into the celebrated donut-hole wherein you have to pay the full price of your medications, until such time as you reach another ceiling and then, oh joy, Medicare covers you 100%. But that, inevitably is not until December 31st and in the New Year you go back to square one and start over.
Who thought up this system, I don’t know, but I’d like to shove them in it.
The hole that is.
Somehow, I think I would find it less annoying if that gap had a different name.
Donut-hole indeed.
Yet, I fully realize I am still one of the lucky ones who for now at least can purchase a supplement. This time of year, us oldies are inundated with information about better supplements and about how our coverage is at risk. There is a limited time frame for signing up, you see. Scare tactics.
Bastards.
If all the liars who told us in the past that we need to pay this, and save that, every month, in order to have a care free later life were laid end to end I would take great delight in driving a steam roller over the line for the rest of my life (and I would ensure there was a relief driver to take over when I fall off my perch!)
You and Grant could join forces. He’s going to be driving a tank/
A good choice!
They actually changed the name of this problem. It’s now called the coverage gap. While in it, you pay 25% of the discounted price of the meds & the insurance co pays 75%. This can be substantial when before one is paying only a co-pay before reaching this gap. I feel for you, as I am in that spot too! And of course it all starts over in January!
We got our first taste of that dreaded donut hole last year because of ONLY ONE of my husband’s meds. The total cost is $1560.00 for a 90 pill bottle. During this past year, so far that one med has cost us out of pocket a whopping $1242.00 and of course, the year is not over yet. Most of our other meds are free or a very low cost. They keep saying that they are going to do something about the price of pharmaceuticals, but nothing is ever done.
Good luck with the iron infusions. I have had those myself. They must have worked because I’m not anemic now.
Outrageous isn’t it?
Check out GoodRX for medication discounts. On some meds, the GoodRX price is LESS than my Medicare part D copayment.
Thanks!
I like donuts … maybe too much and that might put me in the donut hole soon!! It seems medical aids are the same – doesn’t matter where in the world you are 👀👀