Anyone get Neulasta shots covered at home?

AnewBeginning

My insurance wants 4,700.00 co-pay for me to get the Neulasta and inject it myself. If I go to the hospital they will cover it.......My hospital is a long drive and I dont know how I will feel the next day and hate to have my son lose 2 days of work a week. I have Medicare and AARP and pay a fortune. Whats wrong with this picture?

ruthbru

Does your hospital have a clinic site nearer to where you live? My cancer center was 100 miles away, but I would go to the local clinic with which they were affiliated the next day for the shot.

SpecialK

Some can get Neupogen shots covered for home use - this is similar to Neulasta but a daily injection for a number of days following chemo - it seems to be more commonly given at home.  Check with your insurance company on this.  You could also see if your MO will hold off on the Neulasta and see if you need it - some don't.  There is also a newer form of Neulasta that comes in a timed injector.  It is put on right after chemo before you go home and injects itself based on a timer that is set before you leave the center.  You remove and discard it in a sharps container after it has done this the next day - maybe check with your doc and see if this is an option.

ruthbru

If those suggestions don't work, do you have any other friends who could take you? People really DO want to help (think of the times that you wished you could do something for someone but did not know WHAT to do), and are often grateful if you say, 'Yes, here is something you can do for me, and it is......" I did 6 weeks of radiation every day at that same center 100 miles from home. I had a calendar & when people asked if there was anything that they could do, I whipped it out & said, "You can drive me to radiation." I never had to drive even once (plus they always bought me lunch ). This is definitely time to ask for help, you can pay people back later.

inks

I did 2 of my shots at home since the treatment center was 1 hr away. But it took some armwrestling to make it happen. My co pay was $100, I am not medicare age. I got the Neulasta shipped by a mail order pharmacy. You would still need to go in once so they could teach you to inject yourself. But likely you will still be high on steroids and should be able to drive yourself. I had an 18 month old at home so that was the main reason for shots at home I did not want to subject the baby to a 2hr drive.

AnewBeginning

Ruthbru, SpecialK and Inks

Got last minute approval to give myself shots at home........they were sent overnite and paid for. Made my life a little easier, thanks for replies and suggestions.

(((hugs)))

ruthbru

Good!