Infusion Nursing Service in New York

Is there a VNA (visiting nurses association) in NY? MY father needed home care for injections (not Lyme) and the VNA came to my house weekly to care for him. Has to be prescribed by a physician but maybe you could get someone to do that for you?  D

Hi Dowa, Thanks for the suggestion. I already contacted them and they will not provide infusion services unless it's covered by insurance. The other companies I contacted will not send a nurse unless I purchase the meds through them. I find it strange that there are all these catch 22's. I have a month to figure something out. Thanks.

Dowa, I realized that I was thinking of VNS and immediately contacted VNA. Unfortunately they do not offer this service and referred me to an infusion comany in the area that already told me they can't provide this service to me. Ugh!! LOL

I just got approved for IV and it is through
http://www.onesourcehomecare.com/

I am trying to find out if they come to my home to do the dressing changes. Last year Gary (DH) was on IV and he had to go into the office every week for dressing changes.
Being that the dr is almost an hour from me, I don't know how I am going to make that kind of trip. Exhausting just thinking about it, YKWIM???

However, we have NJ Family care, Health Net HMO and this was covered through our RX plan.

HTH


Chris

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Chris: Diagnosed Lyme, Chronic Mono
Married to Lyme in NJ aka Gary: Lyme, Bartonella
Mom to Scott: Lyme, Babesia, Bartonella
Mom to Caitlyn: Lyme, Bartonella
My Blog: http://faerywings.wordpress.com/

BTW- I just looked around that website- it is only for supplies. There is no info about their services.

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Chris: Diagnosed Lyme, Chronic Mono
Married to Lyme in NJ aka Gary: Lyme, Bartonella
Mom to Scott: Lyme, Babesia, Bartonella
Mom to Caitlyn: Lyme, Bartonella
My Blog: http://faerywings.wordpress.com/

Hi Chris, Empire BC/BS approved me for one month of IV meds and a visit from the infusion nurse once a week. Maybe your doctor needs to submit a request for the weekly visit from the nurse. I made it clear to my doctor that I'm unable to get out of bed most days, no less get to an appointment once a week. Anyway, good luck and let us know what happens. Valerie

Scorpio1960, It is all about the money with these insurance companies. If you got one month approved if it seems to help tell them and fight for another month then another. I got mine to cover 3 months of the four that I did. That was after they absolutely refused to cover even one. After the fact someone in the insurance company had mercy on me and told me that 3 months is the limit even if they say no at first. They said they wouldn't cover the nurse but they ended up doing that as well.

These infusion companies play a lot of games with the supplies. Many times I was short things or the bags were leaking but they still charged anyway. After while when I had to begin paying myself I was very careful not to let them send what I did not need. However if you are getting the meds from somewhere else good for you. I am sure you could pit an ad in a local paper or library or put the word out to people for a weekly dressing change by a licensed nurse and with the way the economy is you would get many responses that wouldn't charge the $75.00 per change that they did for me.

Good luck with the IV I hope it makes a difference for you.

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DX. LYME  7 /03 -I believe I 've had it since 1985- 

Minerals, Thanks for the response. I hope I get lucky enough to get three months out of them. Did you have to stop treatment while you were waiting for the insurance company to approve the next month? I was warned already by my doctor and the infusion company that my insurance will not pay for more than one month but I can still hope. lol If they won't maybe I can talk the rep from the infusion company into having mercy on me and continuing with the weekly visits. It's not like I'm not willing to pay for it.

Minerals, I just noticed your history and all the meds you've taken. You really have been through the wringer with this thing and I hope you've made substantial progress and continue to do so. I love what you wrote and will try to not only remember but also practice it - "Outstare The Darkness--The Light Will Come!"

I think it's fantastic that you and many others here share your experiences and knowledge to help those of us who are fumbling through and trying to find our way.

Thanks.

Scorpio, Thank you for your good wishes. No I had no lapse in treatment. When it got close to the end of the month, I called the insurance company and spoke to the person that sent the letter saying they would deny future treatment and told her that it was helping so much and begged her to please allow me to continue. I had to get a letter from my doctor saying that it was helping and I would benefit from more treatment. Thats how it went for 3 months. They absolutely denied the fourth and I paid myself. I could have put myself in more debt and continued but felt it was time to go off because I wasn't sure it was working and because it was so expensive.

It wasn't until a few weeks after stopping the IV that I realized it really made me feel better and many symptoms were leaving, but I felt pretty bad while on it---not everyone does it is an individual thing. If I had the right doctor at the time who knew enough to give me meds after I stopped I would probably be even better than I am now. Many of my babesia symptoms began to return and I ended up going to another LLMD paying another 750.00 consultation fee and that is who I am with now. I am OK with him, and I think after 2 years of treatment the babesia is under control. He is in the movie Under Our Skin, Dr. H in Hyde Park, N.Y. Have you seen the movie? If not I have an extra copy I could send to you. My email is on my profile. Hope this answers your questions. Blessings

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DX. LYME  7 /03 -I believe I 've had it since 1985- 

Minerals, That was so nice of you to offer to send me the movie. I have not seen it yet but plan on placing the order tomorrow when a new billing cycle starts on my credit card. I appreciate your offer so much but want to have a copy that I can pass on to friends and family who I know do not have a clue. I think my doctor might be either in or affiliated with the movie also but am not certain. I'm being treated by Dr. R in NY and think he is a wonderful, compassionate man. I feel like I'm in good hands but realize there are no guarantees. I hope both of our doctors manage to work wonders for us. You most certainly deserve it. Valerie P.S. Thanks again for the information re the insurance company.

I am also having a hard time finding someone to change my dressing.  I have already purchased my meds and now the home care/VNA place doesn't want to come and do anything.   Please post if you find out any other info. 

Thanks, Tina.

 

Do you have a local ambulance volunteer group? They were very nice and they occasionally helped me when I had problems, I did learn to do the dressing by myself, maybe when you get the line you can get the nurse to show you how to do dressings? Who is doing the line for you?

I don't know about Valerie, but I got a script from Dr. F to put the line in at Yale.  It seems that Connecticut has some type of weird law that requires an in-state doctor to write the script for home care.  This is why I have been unsuccessful.  I am going to my regular MD on Monday to have his wife change the bandage.