Qualifying for Chronic Care Management
I'm not sure this question is pertinent to COPD alone, and if not, just ignore. My doctor referred me to Chronic Care Management, which gives me a special agent to help with Drs. appts, taking medications, and general health care. You have to have 2 or 3 chronic illnesses to qualify. I looked into it, and the lady sounded very good. She sort of lost me though when she said everything she did would probably bring an extra charge. Insurance would supposedly pay most. I got a little uncertain, so put it off for now. Extra research led me to reasons why this may not be so good. I'm wondering, have any of you been approached about this and what do you think about it? Thanks!
Hi
. You are wise to be skeptical. Chronic care management is similar to palliative care. It can be a great option for those who are stressed out by multiple doctor appointments, overlapping tests and doctors who don't communicate with each other for coordinated care plans. It's that "extra charge" comment that worries me. Personally, I would want details as to when and why there might be extra charges, and I would want the option to deny the services before they are provided if I couldn't afford or disagreed with the extra cost. I would also request all of it in writing. If you want to explore other options, you can try this website for a palliative care providers and then check with your insurance to be sure it's all covered: https://getpalliativecare.org/. People are often wary of palliative care because they think it's for people who are dying. It's not. Many people who have curable conditions often use palliative care during their treatment phases. I hope this helps and that you get the care you need and deserve at affordable rate. Warmly, Lori (Team Member) @Lori.Foster, thank you so much for your feedback. I agree with you totally. I know I do not need palliative care; in fact, this was first introduced to me by the same clinic a coupl
e of years ago, and I'm doing very well. Though I know I'm not just sailing through life, I never feel sick. I've never been hospitalized yet for any of my chronic illnesses. I even suggest to the doctor when I think I can cut back on some of my meds. I do get impatient when I feel like nobody's listening, so maybe that's why they think I can't cope. Like you, I'm wary of the charges which, by the way, she was pretty vague about. I ended up feeling like a fool, because I felt encouraged to tell things about my life that she didn't need to know. Bad all around. Thanks again, and I hope others have paid attention to your good response.
