- Joined
- Oct 4, 2013
- Messages
- 561
I'm fortunate enough to have found an insurance company which covers ostomy supplies, but I find it's still quite expensive and my coverage limit will likely run out before my 12 month renewal, and I'm quite concerned at how much it could cost me to purchase these supplies out of pocket...
Having a new ostomy is great, because you can go off samples for a little while, but it also means you may have to try many different products to find one that works, or use extra products in order to correct skin issues/leaking/adhesive problems.
I've calculated that a bare minimum I would have to spend just to get by, assuming no skin issues, and no "extras" like pouch deodorant, barrier extenders, etc. It would cost approx. CDN$124 or just under $1500 a year. And that's only for a flange, pouch, adhesive remover wipes and gauze pads for cleaning around the stoma. My government only covers $600 a year.
Now, this can easily balloon to close to CDN$3000 a year if I needed to use a moldable ring, like Eakins and even more if I include the "extras" (which really do improve quality of living).
How much have you guys been spending on supplies?
One irony to note regarding insurance... my policy only covers supplies purchased in Canada. Unfortunately, that means I'm often paying double for supplies that I could be getting from the US through a friend who visits her parents often. This would not only save the insurance company money, but it would get me more supplies that I need, without being concerned about going over my coverage limit. It's really silly that they wouldn't cover these out-of-country purchases, considering a) I'd be getting them state side if I was paying out of pocket anyways b) All the work to get them in falls on me. They don't have to do a single thing different, since they reimburse me directly.
Having a new ostomy is great, because you can go off samples for a little while, but it also means you may have to try many different products to find one that works, or use extra products in order to correct skin issues/leaking/adhesive problems.
I've calculated that a bare minimum I would have to spend just to get by, assuming no skin issues, and no "extras" like pouch deodorant, barrier extenders, etc. It would cost approx. CDN$124 or just under $1500 a year. And that's only for a flange, pouch, adhesive remover wipes and gauze pads for cleaning around the stoma. My government only covers $600 a year.
Now, this can easily balloon to close to CDN$3000 a year if I needed to use a moldable ring, like Eakins and even more if I include the "extras" (which really do improve quality of living).
How much have you guys been spending on supplies?
One irony to note regarding insurance... my policy only covers supplies purchased in Canada. Unfortunately, that means I'm often paying double for supplies that I could be getting from the US through a friend who visits her parents often. This would not only save the insurance company money, but it would get me more supplies that I need, without being concerned about going over my coverage limit. It's really silly that they wouldn't cover these out-of-country purchases, considering a) I'd be getting them state side if I was paying out of pocket anyways b) All the work to get them in falls on me. They don't have to do a single thing different, since they reimburse me directly.