Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

Dad's biopsy results - malignant. Medicare will now not pay for the heart surgery.

FaithManor

By FaithManor,
in The Chat Board

 Share

Recommended Posts

FaithManor

FaithManor

Posted
Posted

He's having significant signs that a coronary is headed his way. However, Medicare won't pay for bypass surgery on someone with cancer. He has to be able to withstand cancer treatment and be declared in remission. Then they'll approve the surgery.

 

Frankly, there is every chance the heart is going to take him out. The cancers are small, very small. We are waiting for another battery of test results, but they believe it has been caught early. So, he's a ticking time bomb waiting to find out how they want to treat the cancer. I'm trying really hard to be optimistic and I want him to fight this thing. But, the odds are against us with the heart. Without the bypass, I don't see how he's going to survive cancer treatment and he could easily have a massive coronary before he ever got the procedure approved.

 

I feel like it's a stalemate.

 

Trying to process, trying to stay on task. Wedding, rocket team, 4-H engineering project on Saturday that we promised Duke U we'd complete and send the data in on ASAP - has to be done on time or MSU doesn't get the next portion of the grant - fundraisers for the rocket team since they need another $800.00 in order to go to Finals - ACT prep with the boys, AP's in May when they get back from D.C. - just need to remember to breathe in and out.

 

Faith

Link to comment
Share on other sites
FaithManor

FaithManor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I'm so sorry, Faith. :grouphug: Why on earth couldn't they have done the heart surgery and THEN investigated the cancer????

 

 

I question that every.single.day. His pulmonary tests were superior for his age. He passed every single test needed to get the heart surgery and the only thing left was a chest x-ray the day before...that's when the two spots showed up. They refused to operate and won't do so now. It's a holding pattern and time is not on his side.

 

I'm so mad I can hardly breathe. I don't know who or what I'm angrier with, the docs, medicare, or the cancer. Cancer is my new enemy.

 

I wasn't going to go work out at the gym tonight, but I think I need to kind of exhaust myself in order to sleep. Right now I'm every keyed up, too alert...I'll never snooze like this. So, I may change and go put a few miles in on an exercise bike.

 

Thanks everyone,

Faith

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Halftime Hope

Halftime Hope

Posted
Posted

Faith, if it is blockages, do you think he could undergo IV chelation? It is hard on the kidneys, but not terribly expensive. Perhaps that would clear out the arteries. Might it be worth looking into? My dad is a heart patient due to valve issues from Scarlet Fever as a child. He does chelation periodically to be sure that his heart isn't having to work any harder than necesary since his valves are so leaky. His ejection fraction stinks, even after two valve replacements, but his arteries are clean. Just a thought...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Susan C.

Susan C.

Posted
Posted

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

Is Medicare your dad's only insurance? Does he have private as well? If so, he may be able to get approved through that. You might have to pay a little more through private (if he has that option) but treatment might be faster and not as complicated.

 

I have heard about the IV chelation as well. A google search may turn up cases where surgery wasn't an option and how well it worked.

 

Don't hurt yourself on that bike!! Breathe in, breathe out....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jhschool

jhschool

Posted
Posted

WHY WON'T THEY DO SURGERY ON SOMEONE WHO NEEDS IT???

 

The cancer could be there for 10 more years or more, even without him being in remission!!!

 

The heart issue is there now, with the coronary looming! Why does he need to be in remission

to get a surgery that he needs now????

Is this some kind of macabre "keep down the costs" game? Because he has cancer, he

has to have a coronary?

 

I'm with Imp. Go to the press (if the first one doesn't listen, go to another one, and another...)

Contact your congresspeople. Contact everyone you can. This is unfair and should be

illegal. Explore the private care option as well.

 

Or do a fundraiser to pay for the heart bypass surgery.

-----------

I never heard of anything so ludicrous in my life.

What kind of fiends are running this show?

Honestly, this makes me so mad I can't think...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Liz CA

Liz CA

Posted
Posted

This is the kind of horror of which I think we will soon see more.

Any chance of looking at supplemental insurance? I know - probably a shot in the dark now that it's part of his medical record. But perhaps it's worth just checking into some supplemental carriers to see what - if anything - they could do and for how much.

:grouphug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SunnyDays

SunnyDays

Posted
Posted

Oh, Faith.... I'm so sorry. What an awful situation. I don't blame you a bit for being angry. What a helpless feeling, to know the bureaucrats can simply put on the brakes.

 

Sending you hugs and wishing you comfort. I hope someone is able to come up with a solution. :grouphug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pawz4me

Pawz4me

Posted
Posted

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

As others have said -- appeal the decision. Someone on the hospital staff should have informed your dad (or someone in the family) of his right to appeal any coverage decision made. And ditto the suggestion of checking with his supplemental insurance provider, if he has one. You do NOT have to accept the denial w/o a fight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
melissad2

melissad2

Posted
Posted

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

As others have said -- appeal the decision. Someone on the hospital staff should have informed your dad (or someone in the family) of his right to appeal any coverage decision made. And ditto the suggestion of checking with his supplemental insurance provider, if he has one. You do NOT have to accept the denial w/o a fight.

 

:iagree:

 

IME you have to just keep calling Medicare until you get someone who is sympathetic to your case on the phone and work your way up from there. Call your congressman too, they have been known to give a push to Medicare before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...