Ryan White (or ADAP) and Lab tests

[PeteNYNJ]

Hello All

I am having some trouble finding out if RW ADAP pay for lab tests?  I know they will pay for your meds in full, but how do you all on a tight budget pay for your labs to see how you're doing on those meds.  Last time I looked at how much it would cost me out of pocket from my doctor it was around 400-500 dollars.

Thanks for any insight into this.

Pete

[Miss Philicia]

Here in Filthydelphia it will pay for lab tests, but this only happened a couple of years ago.  It was not like this AFAIK when I first moved here.  I'm sure it varies from state to state so you're just going have to pester your case manager about it.  Doesn't your doctor even know about any of this?

Are you going to a private doctor or to a public clinic that's free?

[PeteNYNJ]

This is the quandary - My doctor is in NY and I reside in NJ. 

He is the same doctor I have had for 10+ years so I would hate to dump him.  He is a wealth of knowledge regarding NY, but NJ...not so much.  He filled out his paperwork for them but he didn't know how they run it here.

My case managers suck shit so I am doing a lot of this myself.  I call them and wait for a phone call 3 days later to answer one question. 

[tednlou2]

Here in Louisville, we have an HIV clinic called the WINGS CLINIC and it is part of the University of Louisville.  If you have insurance, they take a co-pay from you just like any other doc office.  If you have financial issues or no money, you can get reduced or free doc care and labs.  

I would say most people at the clinic probably don't pay anything to see the doc or the labs.  I hope you can find something like that where you live.

MODIFIED:  I just wanted to modify this to say how great the clinic is here.  Like I said, if you don't have income or low income, you can get free care with no co-pay.  If you go to the colorectal doc at the clinic or the psychiatric doc, they require like a $20 co-pay even if you don't have a job.  The HIV clinic does not make people with no income pay that.  They are awesome!

[Miss Philicia]

I don't even know if a doctor in one state can bill a neighboring state like that.  You may need to get a new doctor.

If your case manager takes three days to return a call why don't you just go to his/her office and camp?  It's not like you're doing anything all day except eating bon bons and watching McGyver.

[PeteNYNJ]

It is Judge Judy I watch all day.

Yeah, camping out will happen this week.  I want her to look everything over before I mail it out. 

As far as billing, the ADAP would pay the pharmacy for the drugs, not the doctor.  I get what you mean about getting a doctor over here for labs.  There are resources - I make it sound like NJ is like Iraq or something.  I just feel really comfy with my doc so i would probably still pay out of pocket to see him and have him review my labs and such if we go down that road.

[Assurbanipal]

Pete

NJ does have a program to pay health insurance premiums -- if you were laid off in February last year don't you still have a few months of COBRA eligibility left (til August or September)?


The NJ health care premium assistance program is here

http://www.state.nj.us/health/aids/keepins.shtml

A