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Old Thu Jun 5, 2008, 09:12 PM
Wendy Beltrami Wendy Beltrami is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 269
Blue Cross......... ugh

Hi To Haylee's mom-

I soooo feel your pain. We are having the same fight with Blue Cross here in Calif. Do you have a Blue Cross Case Worker? You might want to ask for one to help you. Our son got many shots of neupogen while he was in the hospital getting transfusions or in the procedure center getting transfusions and I am hoping those might be covered by our major medical. So far, they were initially declined and more info was requested from his physician. All the shots he got in the doctor's office were turned down flat.

I have not yet tried contacting Amgen directly to ask for help through their patient assistance program because for now, we have stopped the neupogen. Although he responded very well and very quickly in the past, he is currently not responding to the neupogen, even at increasingly higher doses. He is going for another BMA & B in a few weeks, and the doc wanted him to be off of neupogen for 4 weeks or so prior to the BMA. Being under treatment for neupogen at the time of a BMA & B can cause marrow to show changes that may not be truly indicative of the current status of the disease.

I have battled with Blue Cross in the past trying to get Exjade for a price that humans can afford and had no luck. I went directly to the drug company (Novartis) and hassled with them for months and months but finally was able to get it for $300+ monthly. Still expensive but at least possible. If you are declaring bankruptcy, etc. I'll bet you can qualify for the Amgen patient assistance program.
http://www.amgen.com/patients/assistance.html

There is a telephone number there too. We had to actually go so far as to send Novartis our tax return. They kept denying us over and over but I didn't give up. The Exjade Blue Cross price was over $2100 per month so I feel pretty good about getting it for $300.

Don't give up! Make sure you let them know that the cost of Neupogen is only ONE of many medical expenses when caring for your daughter. However, if her ANC is 500 or better, you might want to just let it ride since the risk may not outweigh the benefit.

Wendy B.
mom to Grant
dx 12/4/98 AA
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