Boston area

actually that would be fine with me..I'm leaving the next day for a week in York! I can meet whereever!

Sorry,

Can't make the 16th either as I'm starting a weeks vacation down the cape..But if it works for everyone else I'll maybe make another one !!

Kerri--Stay away from Eastern Maine Medical Center's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.  Also stay away from MaineGeneral in Waterville and Augusta.  I drive 90 miles to see Dr. Nicolette Erikson in Lewison at Central Maine Medical Center's Hematology and Oncology Clinic.  I have been through 3 insurances during my journey (Maine General's self insured system, Anthem and now Harvard Pilgrim)  If you are looking for insurance in Maine the only choices are Anthem BC/BS or Harvard Pilgrim.  No other companies write health insurance in Maine now.  If you have insurance from out of state you would be wise to look into keeping it if you possibly can.  Maine has some of the worst health insurance in the country. 

NativeMainer, THANK YOU for your honest input - it's exactly what I was looking for. I knew it was slim pickings for insurance in Maine, but I didn't realize it was THAT slim. I'll see if I can retain an out-of-state BC/BS policy that will be accepted in Maine. Again, I really appreciate your response.

Hi Kerri72,

Welcome to our group.  

I live in Utah for part of the year and get a lot of my health care done out there, but my primary residence is in Massachusetts. Regulations require insurance to be purchased in the state of your primary residence, so you'll have to work around the residency issue to keep your current insurance. This is because there are such variants in health insurance reg's from state to state. Also, If you get insurance thru your job this could help or hinder depending on your status, after the move, with this employer.  The residency issue gets complicated for many reasons; voting, income & estate taxes, other insurance, just to name a few.

I'm self-employed and have a Massachusetts BCBS PPO policy which allows me to have network coverage out of state, it's more expensive than other policies, but even in MA I can go for health care where ever I want, no PCP referrals required.  

The state of MA has very liberal insurance coverage regulations, including coverage for pre-existing conditions, this is not so in many other states although will be when the federal health care reg's fully go into effect. I don't know what the current ME policy is, it may be that if you've consistently had creditable coverage they cannot deny coverage for a p-ec.  This is an important consideration.  I'm sure you could find more info thru the Maine.gov web site and/or a reputable insurance agent.  

Hope this helps, good luck. 

In Maine if you can show you were insured ( a certificate of insurance I think it's called, comes from the insurance company you are leaving) getting insurance is no problem.  I have changed insurances twice since getting bc and have not had a pre-existing condition problem yet.  I pay more for a PPO plan through Harvard Pilgrim but I get network benes in any state.  Since I go to Boston for some of my care that is important.  Since my employer is going to a self-insured system next year I am currently trying to find an HSA plan to get into, but so far every one I've found has not written policies in Maine.  I'm going to have to find an insurance agent for help, I guess.  Maine's rules and regs for insurance companies are very complex and require insurance companies to pay into the the state sponsered program (Dirigo Health) so most have left.  The very best way to go in Maine is to have enough money to be able to pay directly, then you can negotioate prices with docs, hospitals, and health centers. 

NEW ENGLAND BREAST CANCER SISTERS IN HOPE   New   Facebook group

The message boards are great, but having sisters locally to chat, exchange referrals, vent if we have to and just support each other from our local communities can be a big plus in our lives. Make new friends, exchange info on local trials, doctors, hospitals and all other community events . Chat about BC, kids, communities, events etc.

Please join us!

Grammytotheboys



I see Younger (MO) and Smith (SO) from MGH and both are amazing.

LuvRVing,

the last get together was almost a year ago in Gloucester.  We have to do it again.

I had my rads done at the Winchester Hospital Radiology Oncology Center in 2007.  I just learned that my RO was dx with ALS and retired in 2009.  I go to the Breast Care Center at Baldwin Park

in Woburn, MA. 

www.winchesterhospital.org

Deborye - I am getting treatment at the Dana Farber clinic in Londonderry.  I will need to find a Radiation Oncologist, a really good one because I already had Mammosite (brachytherapy) last July.  I was told my rads will be "complicated." 

We just moved back to NH in May/June after 17 years in the Kansas City area.  We are leasing a place in Salem and leasing out our house in Missouri.  I have 4 kids, they all live in the area. 

Michelle

They should refer you to a Rad Onc.  All my doctors are on the same page when it comes to communication.  It's a network, all my reports and records can be accessed by any doctor in the network of the Winchester Hospital. It is so easy, you don't have to keep filling out form after form.  I travel 20 to 30 minutes for my appointments.  I am all done my treatments except for 1 more year of Arimidex. Then I am done!!!  I did not need chemo but my onc is seeing me every 6 months to monitor my CA27-29 which is slightly elevated.  I had a CT scan and Uterine US last week and the CT scan was negative and the US showed uterine fibroids which is probably why the test is elevated.  It can be off even for B9 reasons.  Which makes me feel a whole lot better.  I was really scared, my Mom lost her battle with BC 15 yrs ago.

I am quite sure that Dana Farber will refer me to an RO.  But I also like to do my own homework.  When I was being treated in the Kansas City area, my breast surgeon and her nurse were the "project managers" for my treatment.  I've been here not quite 3 months and I haven't had much of a chance to worry about rads, there have been a dozen other things on my plate including my mom who has Alzheimer's and my chemo. 

Thanks for the tips!  Nashua is doable for me, along with Elliot Hospital in Manchester and probably Lowell.  I really want to keep the treatment site no more than 30 minutes away if that is at all possible.  I think there is a group from Elliot that has an office in the same building with DF in Londonderry.  That location is ideal.

Michelle

bump

I'm in Deborye!  Let's pick a time and place that seems right, and see who else can join.  I'm sure we can get JoyceK to do it if we pick a time when she's back in the area. 

Michelle