@A MyCOPDTeam Member, my Supplemental Insurance has assumed control of my Medicare Insurance coverage, and I am very frustrated as it is only February, and I am out $202 for my breathing medicine because the new insurance provider determined it “wasn’t in their formulary”, so you know I’m writing an appeal letter to both the insurance service provider regarding their ridiculous “formulary”, as well as cc’ing the state insurance commissioner. They covered the medicine for January, so this block on getting necessary meds by the paper pushing accountants is ridiculous.

I can see them telling me I may need to make up the difference in price between what they are willing to pay for breathing meds based on their formulary vs. what has helped to keep me stable and excerbation-free, but I cannot see them refusing to pay for my medication at all.

Was it Medicare that denied you, or the Supplemental insurance provider? You might want to appeal their decision, especially if you feel it’s causing a decline in your quality of life.

As for me, this weekend will be wet and rainy, so I’ll be sitting at my computer, drafting my complaint, researching their formulary, and hitting them with an appeal letter early next week.

I’m not giving in without a fight !

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A MyCOPDT...

My Hospital rehab has valet parking So I save my energy for rehab. Once in the building there is the walk down the long corridor to the rehab area. I have a rollator which I use only in situations like this. First noticed I could walk for quite a while w/o sob in the super market holding to the grocery cart. Same principle. Even if I am having a good day & not sob I still use it in case I am feeling fatigued from my rehab work out. It has a seat that enables me to stop at any given point to catch my breath. Some one mentioned airports....they can be the worst...I always ask for wheel chair accommodations from baggage check to boarding. All airport provide this service & makes the whole process easy peasy. They even take you through express security check so your not caught up in that frantic mob trying to get thru security. The key to all this for me was learning to accept & work with my limitations. We all have them. Once I got thru the acceptance process then it was a matter of learning coping strategies. Hope this helps someone.

Does your pulmonary rehab location offer transportation or valet parking? Many hospitals in CA do, as well as wheel chair transport from the parking area to where the treatment is offered, and back again.

If you haven’t already done so, @A MyCOPDTeam Member, call the office that scheduled you for pulmonary rehab and ask if they have solutions such as the ones I’ve mentioned for you.

We also have a door to door taxi / diability rideshare service called, “Outreach”, in our area, and I woukd check with your local transportation authority, too, if talking to the scheduler at the pulmonary rehab center doesn’t give you workable options.

As for trouble walking more than 100 feet... that’s particularly challenging given your situation. Have you seen if you can qualify for an electric mobility scooter to help conserve your energy when trying to get to an event or appointment?

I live in a senior mobile home park, and we all recycle our glass and beverage cans, giving the $.05 deposit to the mobility committee, to help subsidize and pay for scooters and maintenance for those who may need such help. If you shop around, you may find an electric / rechargeable one for about $600, which could also be paid for or reimbursed via Medicare (not an expert, just aware of how our Mobility Committee gets our units in terms of pricing and payments for qualified individuals).

Otherwise, I end up leaving VERY early for appointments and taking lots of breaks for a rest on the way to my destination. I, personally, do ok most of the time, but the Las Vegas airpirt is a hassle to get thru, so I usually arrive 3-4 hours before my flight to ensure I have enough time to get through security and to my gate, it can be so tiring to walk.

Hugs to you. I hope this info helps.

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A MyCOPDT...

No.that is correct,i recently had to hire a special medical type type taxi that has a wheehchair equipped van at$50. a pop to drive me to my pulmonologist office for an appointment because of no available parking.Its rediculous if you do not have anybody to drive you and drop you at the door and park your car your screwed.everything is so money oriented all they eem to care about is how much they will make,it become a business not a calling.

@A MyCOPDTeam Member - there is a huge gap between reasonable care and pandering and neglect. It is not unreasonable to demand accommodations. Have you looked into this scooter lift for trucks and cars to see if you can use it for the segway?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qYPgzBZLaSM

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A MyCOPDT...