Medicare and Procrit

[tousled1]

Medicare has changed their guidelines for receiving Procrit shots. Your hemoglobin now has to be below 10 in order to receive the shot. I was wondering if anyone on the board has been affected by this change.

[fauxgypsy]

There appear to be medical reasons for this. I will look up the info and post it.

Leslie

[tousled1]

Thanks Leslie. My secondary insurance United Health Care has not changed their guidelines. I'm currently working with a patient advocate from United Health Care to get this problem straightened out. If Medicare will not pay for the shot my United Health Care will as my secondary. My hemoglobin drops very quickly -- always has since the beginning. My hemoglobin even dropped when I was only getting Herceptin. Seems like I suffer from anemia all the time and the chemo just makes it worse. I had no problem until I had to go on Medicare in March. I had been on disability retirement unrelated to cancer and after 2 years I had no choice but to go on Medicare. My employer pays for my secondary coverage.

[fauxgypsy]

I think this may be the reason for the changes. I kept meaning to post it but didn't get around to it. Silly me. I keep thinking it's financial.

http://www.procrit.com/HCP07.pdf

http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/Prescriptions/tb/5231

Leslie