Need some support

MsGreenEyes · 12-29-2005, 03:44 AM

Hi everyone,

I just found out that my insurance will no longer cover anything to do with PCOS. Not the doctors visits, not the labs, not the medication...nothing. Uuuuggghhhh!!! So, where does that leave me.....?

I've been reading some on this board about alternative therapies. Which ones have you seen the best results from with the fewest side affects? I've been reading about cinnamon and vinegar....those don't sound too bad. The herbs kind of worry me...but I may just need to do more research on them to feel comfortable. Any advice/suggestions you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!,
Jessy

Severely_Aggrivated · 01-01-2006, 09:37 PM

Jessy,
Hey I cant ofer too much advice but I donot have any insurance adn so am doing this on my own too. I feel for you. Stuck in a hard rock adn a hard place.

Right now I'm taking B-vitamin complex tincture, vitex, and metformin. I've only been taking the vitamins for three days but if I start feeling/seeing diferences I can let you know about that if youre interested? Also, theres an supplement that I'm trying to read up on with D Chiro Inositol and its supposed to be very good for you and some of the other women on here have has success with it. If I can find it at a reasonable price and all I'll also let youknow about that. It is confusing. If you are in need of energy flax seeds work. They made me practically high I had so much energy from taking them! My hair also seemed healthier after a while. Good luck!

pcxo · 01-05-2006, 11:27 PM

I take vitex, nac, cinnamon, green tea capsules, prostavan--has saw palmetto in it among a few other extracts. Also I take a multi vitamin and something called florify--which is for the digestive tract.

hanshab · 01-06-2006, 05:12 AM

How can the insurance company not cover PCOS? If I were you I would protest that decision. I had to do that with my insurance company when they refused to pay for a CAT Scan of my abdomen and pelvic area. My doctor had ordered it to rule out a cancerous tumor on my adrenal glands. Seemed my testosterone levels were pre-indicative of a tumor. Anyway, the insurance company deniad it saying it was exploratory in nature and not medically necessary. When is a CAT Scan ever medically necessary. IT'S A TEST which is always exploratory in nature. Anyway...it took me 8 months but they finally paid the $2400 bill. Unless your doctor is diagnosing/treating you for infertility and not PCOS, I can't see how the insurance company can deny your claims. That's like saying they won't pay for a broken leg. Anyway, it's worth a try.

As far as alternative therapy, I'm trying progesterone cream to regulate/start my periods.

Hope this helps.

Severely_Aggrivated · 01-06-2006, 08:36 AM

hanshab: the company probably doesnt conver the medical treatment because one its not mandatory and two they look at treatment of it as elective reproductive stuff and generally insurance doesnt have to cover fertility treatments.

mj_romo · 01-06-2006, 09:15 AM

I take a pre-natal vitamin, vitex and dong quai. I've also given up caffeine, white flour and sugar, and I've started doing the Fit for Life diet, which uses food combining to create the proper meals. When I first got off BCP, I was also on black cohosh, but it gave me terrible headaches.

You will probably have to pay for this out of your pocket, but seeing a Chinese herbalist might be a good idea if you can find someone licensed in your area. It's about $100 a visit opposed to $250 for a dr's visit without insurance.

hanshab · 01-06-2006, 03:05 PM

If this is the reason that the insurance company is denying the claims, then I would protest clear to the insurance company's benefit board. PCOS is a medical condition and not all treatment is designed around fertility. Left untreated, PCOS can cause all kinds of additional problems (diabetes for one). That's how I would start my arguement.

R in R · 01-07-2006, 10:10 PM

Check out this site
www.pcos.insulitelabs.com
It's kind of expensive but if you were to purchase all of the ingredents separtely it would cost alot more.

I've been on it for almost 2 months and I
no longer have migraines,
my facial hair has lessoned,
the hair on my head falls out way less,
no anxiety attacks,
calmer moods, no crying-anger-depression,
I'm not craving food all the time,
I have had 2 periods,

For me it's worth every penny.

Rebecca

camarofanatic90 · 01-07-2006, 10:24 PM

I get my meds on insurance but at the same time I see the same dr for pcos and my thyroid problem. I hope that you can get what you need

a-mac · 01-08-2006, 11:24 PM

If you want ot fight your insuraces decision it speeds up the process quite a bit if you copy all of your letters to the insurance commission. Type very clearly that you have copied it to them and I guarantee it will at least speed the process up.
Amber

Fula97 · 01-09-2006, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a-mac

If you want ot fight your insuraces decision it speeds up the process quite a bit if you copy all of your letters to the insurance commission. Type very clearly that you have copied it to them and I guarantee it will at least speed the process up.
Amber

hanshab: the company probably doesnt conver the medical treatment because one its not mandatory and two they look at treatment of it as elective reproductive stuff and generally insurance doesnt have to cover fertility treatments.

Jessy

As other posters have said I would appeal this decision with the insurance company! Last year they denied a request for a CAT scan saying that it was not medically necessary. (It was to rule out a thyroid tumor) My Endo called and I don't know what she said but i did get a letter from the insurance company stating that they would cover the CAT scan.

If you are being treated for fertility they could probably come up with the fertility not covered nonsense. However since PCOS has much larger ramifications than simply fertility (not to downplay the importance) this is an issue that affects your overall health and welfare. They could also dispute the necessity of glugphage since that is primary used as a diabetic medicine.

MsGreenEyes · 01-14-2006, 05:26 PM

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions! Sorry, with all the holiday stuff and then I've been sick the past two weeks with bronchitis, I haven't been on the computer much. I am going to fight this with my insurance company. I've already got an informal request in that they are researching, and I've almost got all my paperwork together to send in for a formal appeal. So, I'm definately not giving up that easily. I've never been treated for infertility. I know our insurance doesn't cover infertility treatments. All I'm wanting is coverage for the treatment of the PCOS (labs, met, etc). Until this year, they have always covered it. Many times it would be initially denied, and I would have to get the doctor's office to send the medical records to the insurance company showing that it was for PCOS and not infertility and then they would pay it. But this time even that didn't help. This time the insurance is saying they no longer cover infertility or PCOS. So...that's where I'm at now. I will copy a letter to the insurance association or board too. That sounds like a good idea. We'll see what happens. In the meantime I'm on my own.