Hospital Stays?

[Crohnsnewbie]

I'm in the US and last year I went to the ER 23 times and they never kept me over and never gave me medicine for my diarrhea only for my Crohns pain. I was told never to take immodium or pepto bismol again because I took both for 8 weeks after the other, they gave me an xray to test for distention and thank God I didn't have any. I was diagnosed with Crohns in December but my Crohns first flare started that April (after 4 months of antibiotics for UTI's and other infections). Is it because I was undiagnosed at that time? If I went to the ER again with problems would they help me?

*Have no insurance
*Can't get medicaid because I'm waiting on disability.
*HCAP (charity of the hospital) is paying the $4k of any visit I've ever had there plus 12 months from that point. Then I just send papers in and still have the charity pay for everything.

 

[Rebecca85]

If the charity is paying for ER visits, can't they pay for you to see the GI and get some treatment for your Crohn's? Did they not discuss treatment options when you were diagnosed? If you are suffering from pain and diarrhoea then you need to treat the Crohn's, not just the symptoms! at the very least, they should prescribe a course of steroids (cheap!) to get your flare under control. There are also specific drug assistance program's which you could look into- maybe someone in the US would have more information.

 

[Crohnsnewbie]

no Hcap is for the hospital only. They will not pay for a specialist, my specialist is $155-$200 a visit and I can't afford anymore visits at all. Yeah he only put me on Lialda! So I'm still unable to work or get out much....

 

[Rebecca85]

It might be worth trying ER again to see if you can get access to a GI that way. Unfortunately Liaida is quite a mild drug, for maintaining remission rather than knocking inflammation on it's head.

It just seems strange to me that the charity will pay 4k for dozens of ER visits, but not 200 for one GI visit, which could prevent the need for further visits! (is the specialist not based at the hospital? Because that's how it works in the UK)

Just another thought, have to tried contacting any of the Crohn's charities? I know there are UK charities that give out small cash sums to be spent on necessities.

 

[Crohnsnewbie]

All the times I went, they said you HAVE to see a specialist and although my specialist is never in his office and always working in the hospital HCAP does not cover his costs because specialists make big bucks off of charging sick patients like me especially since they have their own office. The hospital doesn't care how much I owe the doc, and they wonder why I can't afford doc visits........

 

[Rebecca85]

Ahh, I didn't realise doctors charged separately to the hospital, I figured the Doctor is employed by the hospital, so you just pay the hospital fees. I'm really sorry I can't help you more, but I don't have enough experience of the American system!