MG probing by Dr ******

[Lucy]

Also, in checking with Dr ******'s office I was told that Medicare will pay for the procedure. Sure hope so!

If so, this is great! I know that insurance companies look at Medicare and what they pay and sometimes "go along with the program." (Don't hold me to this.) I just think it's a good sign that insurance may start paying for some of this.

pbeinetti will you let us know later the specifics on Medicare payment? Lucy

[pbeinetti]

I'll be having MG probing by Dr ****** on Feb 2. I'll post results. It's sort of a last resort as I have tried just about everything. I have not had IPL, and have decided to try MG probing instead. From what I've read IPL needs 4-6 applications at minimum at $500 per application (at least), and there are very few doctors that do it. That means flying to Memphis many times. It appears (hopefully) that the MG probing has longer lasting results, and often requires only one procedure. AND there are quite a few doctors around the country who are doing it. I decided to go to DR ******, the 'pro', rather than going to one of two local doctors who are doing the MG probing. But, if I need any future probing, I can go to the local doctors, which I couldn't have done with IPL. Also, in checking with Dr ******'s office I was told that Medicare will pay for the procedure. Sure hope so!

[djb]

Susie28,

I would have paid the $500 if I had no other options. The other doctor performed cautery and I had other options for this procedure "in network".
500 instead of 40 for cautery....frustrating.....djb......

[Susie28]

Thats very frustrating, djb. Would you have paid the 500 $ by yourself when you had known that the insurance company doesn't pay...?

The problem is that we are depend on these dry eye treatments and if the insurance doesn't pay we have to pay on ourselves:-(

In Germany neary every dry eye treatment is at the experimental stage (at our country nearly nobody knows that dry eyes could be a problem) so we have to pay for everything : drops, plugs, scleral lenses, MG probing, goggles and so on.

In spite of this we have to pay lots of money for the health insurance (the amount depends on our incomes - in my case the monthly fee for insurance is more than 250 Euro) and we have no choice - the insurance is obligatory - nowone can't be without insurance. That's so unfair:-(( I don't want to have insurance which cost more than 250 Euro a month and which pays nearly nothing of my dry eye treatmens! Weteyes, I want to move to another country, too!!!

[djb]

Susie28,

My local doctor who performed the probing was 'in network' with my insurance company, so the insurance company paid for my procedure. But, I had a different doctor tell me they accepted my insurance last month and treated me as in network, but I just got insurance info that says they are out of network and now I'm stuck with a $500 bill..........frustrating in any country..............djb.............

[irish eyes]

Hi

I'm just chipping in again with the UK persepective.

Treatments and drugs that are still at the experimental stage would not be normally be covered by any health insurance here. Perhaps that is also the case in Germany?

If the probing procedure meets with efficacy and cost-effectiveness criteria, then it may be included eventually. For example, acupuncture is an alternative medicine covered by a number of health insurance companies and it hasn't always been the case.

Hey Susie28,
I'm also German and know how you feel about German "health insurance". It is quite frustrating. That's why I want to move to another country within the next 3-4 years (until I am 30).

[irish eyes]

I live in the UK and have had private health insurance in the past.

Costs relating to my eye problems were excluded from the policy because they were pre-existing medical conditions.

I hope IPL goes well for you; it's not something that has reached our shores yet!

[Susie28]

Hi!
I got an appointment for MG probing on 23th March by Prof. Geerling in Germany. I'll post here when the procedure is done.

I have one question to all non-Germans here: Does your insurance company pay for MG probing? Prof. Geerling told me that I have to pay 270 Euro for MG probing and the insurance doesn't pay anything of this amount:-/
Thats so frustrating because I've already spent 1000 Euro for (at the moment) not successful scleral lenses and soon I have to spent lots of money for my moisture chamber googles (MEGS) with high prescription:-/ the German insurance companys nearly pay for nothing :-(

[pbeinetti]

Pete:

How are your eyes now? Still feel the probing was effective?

[Susie28]

oh thank you very much!

Take a look at this thread:
http://www.augen-forum.de/augen-foru...ge-meibom-itis

[Susie28]

Hi thanks for your reply. I was already browsing this forum today but I didn't find the post that you mentioned. Could you please post the link to the concrete forum article? Thank you very much!!

www.augen-forum.de

It is not a conventional forum. Instead, patients ask questions to the expert who is administrating the forum. His name is Prof. Brewitt.

[Susie28]

Weteyes, please can you tell me what forum this was? I would love to get more information about how to get probing by Prof. Geerling. When I was at his office he couldn't tell me so much about the probing procedure because he has just started this..