Monday, August 25, 2008
"Flying isn't fun anymore," my brother-in-law frequently proclaims along with other travelers tired of security checks and crowded seats. I certainly agreed with him while I sat on full plane in New Hampshire for an hour waiting for clearance on my way home from visiting our children and new grandba...
So many of us do end up with lymphedema and yet there is so little out there. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
It does anger me that treatment costs so much, given that early treatment can keep lymphedema from becoming debilitating. It's so short-sighted of insurance programs not to see this.
I have truncal lymphedema and, while I do have a sleeve, opt not to wear it while flying. Some of the research indicates that squeezing the arm can make truncal lymphedema worse...
Sigh. I wish so much more were known.
Laurie
Insurance must cover lymphedema treatment as a side effect of mastectomy according to the same law that requires that mastectomy and reconstruction be covered. If I understand the law correctly (and I'm not an expert on it), the loophole is that they have to cover these conditions in the same way they cover similar services. So if you have a high deductible for heart surgery, you have the same high deductible for mastectomy and reconstruction. If you have a $40 copay for physical or occupational therapy for a hip replacement, you have the same copay for your lymphedema therapy. I used to have a health care policy that had much better benefits for PT and OT, and I paid almost nothing for my therapy although there was a maximum number of covered treatments.
A lymphedema specialist will know the details of the law and will usually call the insurance company and explain the law if they give you trouble. i agree with you that the prevention and/or early treatment ultimately prevents disability and should be easier to get.