Posted by Penny on November 16, 1998 at 17:57:30:
In Reply to: Insurance rejected oxygen....Huh? posted by Susan on November 15, 1998 at 19:49:57:
How stupid! How can anyone believe that oxygen is not indicated in stopping cluster headaches??? Is this 1998 or am I just dreaming.
I guess I am just so lucky. My Blue Cross covered the O2 with a prescription of course. My doctor, who is an internist, jumped on the bandwagon on my treatment as soon as he thought that I had CHs. He dug out everything he had in his "headache file" from reading and lectures and whereever, and put me on preventives at first and some abortives like cafregot (this was several years ago). Then three years, maybe four, he practically jumped up and down and said "oxygen is what you need, it is the leading abortive" Now, getting the supplies proved tough because they wanted insurance approval first (as I am dying here) and then it was a weekend, etc, etc. By the time I got the stuff (had to buy the equipment-insurance paid most of it) naturally that cycle had ended. But since then it has worked like a dream.
And do I live in some great urban area??? No, I live in Northern Michigan! Town of maybe 3500 people in the winter. So if I can get quality care, why can't other people??? Do doctors not have time to keep up on the latest??
I know my venting probably does not help you, but I just can't help but wonder where the caring has gone in being a doctor. I know that my doctor cares if I am in pain because he tells me that I need to take better care of myself and that I should not "put up" with the pain like I had for many years.
The HMO system may save us money for generalized care but it sure makes it impossible to have any say at all in our health care when it counts the most.