New Tester from QAS

[The Bionic Duo]

Well we finally got the home tester-- its a INRatio meter from HemoSense-- this is a new device on the market.

This device is really cool, just one strip in the monitor and everything gets done from there--it runs a test to see if the monitor is functioning properly and then it prompts you for a blood sample-- put the sample on and viola you have your IRN and PT!! Even Bob the techno-phobic can use it with ease

He's used it three times now, and on the last test he was a little high (3.9) so he made a minor adjustment in his coumadin (he's such a slow metabolizer he as to skip a day for anything to happen, and even then it may not change) and he will retest this Friday. He's already in seventh heaven not having to go get stabed at the lab and can make his own adjustments.

For information about this device go to http://www.ptinratio.com/

Joan

 

[Ross]

Home testing makes all the difference in the world doesn't it?

Of course just when I thought I'd gotten away with no more needle jabs, the Doc decides he wants to run a BMP (Basic Metabolic Profile) on me. Even the little butterfly needle was unwelcome as far as I was concerned.

 

[Raverlaw]

Joan,

Thanks for the link and information. My review of my Blue Cross pollicy indicates that there is coverage for "medical machines." I'm going to try to get them to buy me one of these - they'll save thousands in lab costs over the years.

 

[Ross]

Bill pick up the phone and call QAS! They will do the insurance dirty work for you so long as your Doc will write a prescription for the machine. You can't go wrong by trying.

Call Us Today With Your Questions - 1 (800) 563 5680
Mike George at extension 2402
Email The Customer Service Department - [email protected]
The Sales Department - [email protected]

 

[The Bionic Duo]

Blue Cross and tester

Blue Cross and tester

Bill

If you have Blue Cross you should get coverage on this since this is what Bob has. Acutally we are both covered by Blue Cross, mine is BC of CA, and Bob has BC of Illinois--both are PPO's. The only problem we have is BC not paying very good attention when a claim is sent in (they both go to the same place where BC is supposed to weed out who it goes to), we have had way to many claims to to the wrong carrierand then I have to spend an inordinatle amount of time straightening it out.

The tester was supposed to come some time ago, but I guess QAS had quite a time getting BC to make up their minds on how they wanted to handle it. At first they wanted us to "rent" it and then call in the results to a BC site every week, but I guess Medicare changed their coverage on these tester and BC adjusted accordinly. We had to pay for it up front, and now we're waiting for BC to reimburse us. The good part about buying the testers is that he doesn't have to call in the results to a BC site every week--he can now deal directly with his cardio.

Hope you get one!!

Joan

 

[Perrster]

How much $$$?

How much $$$?

Joan, just curious what the purchase price of the INRatio meter from HemoSense was?

I've been denied a machine two times (in spite of supplying the QAS doctor's prescription forms) and am not too interested in pursuing again although I might consider paying cash. My cardio uses a Coaguchek which I've grown to like (duh!). They would support me even if my insurance carrier won't.

The real oxymoron here is that insurance would rather pay for the high cost of monthly visits than pay for a cost saving machine. I don't get it, but I don't much get the health insurance business either.
Once I reach my deductible, then I don't pay anything as it stands. But, I worry about the long run. Deductibles will go up. A cost savings benefit does not sway them any toward my side.

Thanks.

 

[catwoman]

Perry:

Did your doctor also submit a Certificate of Medical Necessity to QAS? (I'm sure QAS sent one, because they sent my PCP one).
It's not just a matter of the insurer saving $$ on office visits/testing fees, it's also a matter of the insurer saving $$$$ on possible hospitalizations in the case of clots/hemorrhages.

Have you talked to a live body employed by BC? Or the HR Dept. of your employer or corporate owner?

 

[catwoman]

Oops!

Oops!

Perry:

Thought your post mentioned BC as your insurer. Forget that -- it's Joan and her husband who have BC.

 

[The Bionic Duo]

Cost of INRatio

Cost of INRatio

Perry

I'm at work right now so I don't have all my notes on the tester, and we also paid the extra $500 (?) to have QAS do all the hassling with the Doctors and the Insurance CO's. (Between all the time I had already spent on the phone with Dr's offices and insurance Co's with Bob's surgery and my impending surgery I was willing to pay the price to have someone else do it for me.) The total charges on my credit card came to a little over $2400.

Marsha

Yes there is much more advantages to having a home tester than eliminating the hassle of having it done at an outside lab. I don't know about the rest of you but there never seems to be a convient time to go get the test done, then when you get there you may have to wait around to get the test done, which eats up time you can be doing other things, driving also takes up gas especially if you don't live close to a lab. Add the additional time wasted playing telephone tag with your Dr to get what the test results were and then finding out what the DR wants you to do if the results are out of theraputic range. I think Bob is going to find it very nice to be able to test everyweek (or less if he is stable) and be able to adjust if nesessary and retest agian in a few days without messing with a vien.

I know some of you have had never ending hassles with getting your DR's to ok a home tester and some of you have totaly struck out. Bob has been very fortunate that way, his cardio was all for it right from the beginning, and when he went to a new PCP she immediately asked about home testing when she heard about his taking coumadin. Our only problem was the insurance co and QAS handled that.

Good luck to all of you trying to get home testing.

Joan

 

[Karlynn]

My bro-in-law is on Coumadin for his A-fib. He has had 1 heart attack and 1 small stroke. They live out in the country (distance from testing facility). My sister called QAS about getting a unit , and when asked who their ins. provider is (I believe BC/BS) QAS said to forget it. That it wasn't even worth contacting them. My bro-in-law is a Teamster (UPS driver) and they get pretty darned good medical coverage.

I've had my ProTime about a year and a half. My provider (United Healthcare) paid 100%. QAS did all the leg work. I pay 10% for my testing supplies. However, for my next reorder I need to submit another letter from my doctor stating a medical necessity and we'll see what our insurance does then. I'm pretty much counting on it being a P in the A.

I really don't understand why insurance providers haven't thrown themselves full force into covering preventative medicine - which is what I feel having a home testing unit is.

 

[The Bionic Duo]

Insurance Coverage

Insurance Coverage

Karlynn

That interesting that QAS turned down your bro-in-law, how long ago was this? The QAS representative told me that Medicare has recently got on the bandwagon for home testers and now many insurance companies are following suit, so it might be worth their while to try again. They did tell me that BC of CA had different rules for home testers than Bob's BC of IL (his is out of state because he get its through his SBC retirement), but from what you said it sounded like they only heard BC/BS and turned him down.

Joan

 

[Guest]

The Anticoagulation Forum Newsletter that I got today says that there are 6,000,000 people in the world on anticoagulants. 100,000 of these self-test. 85,000 of these people live in Germany.

You can see the newsletter at
http://www.acforum.org/doc_2003_fall.pdf

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Protime machine

Protime machine

Hi
I have a protime machine and it has been a GOD sent!
I have humanna KPPA. My husband works for FOrd motor co. And QAS did all the work and I din't pay 1$ for anything. They were great to work with. I have to test every week and sometimes more since my stroke in 3/02. I am so glad I don't have to go to the Dr. office ever time to have this done.


Sherrin Hutt
Valve repair 5/99
Valve repalcement 3/02

 

[ccrawford]

Another advantage of home testing is that you don't have to sit in the doctor's waiting room with all of those coughing and sneezing patients.

 

[heartyone]

We have BC/BS of Alabama, a PPO, and have received a ProtTime3 from QAS, paid for 100% by insurance. The doctor sent in the certificate of medical necessity and QAS handled it from there. There was some monkeying around by the insurance company, which is to be expected cause that's how the world works. Now they are haggling over who pays for the Cuvettes, BC or our prescription drug plan.

We did have a small fight over the fact that QAS is "out of network," but once they were read the rule that if there is no in network supplier for an item then the out of network supplier rules, it was cleared up.

This was a worthwhile fight, I feel my wife's physical and mental health benefits greatly from having this testing in her control.

 

[Karlynn]

Just found out from my sister that their outpatient medical insurance is Aetna. And they are the ones that QAS said to not even bother trying to get them to pay for home testing. Their inpatient coverage is Blue Cross - but that wouldn't cover home testing obviously.

 

[QAS Lance]

Hello

Hello

Just wanted to let everyone know that BOTH Aetna and BCBS have paid for home PT/INR monitors. However, the decisions are based on medical necessity. It's weird because sometimes it seems random as to who they cover and who they deny.

Lance

 

[Guest]

Isn't BCBS a different company in each state?

 

[QAS Lance]

BCBS

BCBS

Yes, and that's why we can't make the statement that they "cover" or "don't cover" because it is different in every state.

 

[Guest]

If it is like prescription plans, there are probably dozens of different plans within one company in the same state. It is like going to the store and buying a bottle of Heinz ketchup. There are lots of different sizes depending on what you (and your employer) are willing to pay.