sjogrens and RA people

[eye2dry]

How often does your rheumy order xrays?

once a year he has me get hands ,feet and chest xray

I want to cut down on this mainly b/c of radiation thing and another

d/t the cost, I have a $2500.00 deductible every year.



I had these xrays in July and I got my bill today for $1500.00

plus I'll be getting the radiologist bill for reading them!


He told me he was checking for pulmonary fibrosis and to

check on joint erosions.


Anyone else go through this?


eye2dry

[Joe S.]

I did b4 Dx. Now it is ocassional as I do not see specialists very often.

[Carolina]

You can say 'no', or 'later', Eye2Dry.

I don't have to pay much for my imaging, and I think it's all part of the same category that my IVIG will max out anyway.  So it doesn't make much difference.  I don't have a deductible, just a co pay which is much lower, by the way.

BUT, I have a cat that has severe arthritis in the hips and the VET wants to give him surgery and check various levels and blah blah blah.  And I say 'no' (it was $450 to diagnose the hips via X-ray)  or later.

He's fine, and happy and cuddly, and I give him an NSAID every three days.

My point is, WE are in charge of testing.  Doctors often order it as a reflex.

I have had chest X-rays twice in the same month in the same hospital because departments didn't share the data that was right THERE.  Or felt that the X-ray had to be TODAY, not three weeks ago.  I understand, this was pre surgery. 

But honestly, doctors are test happy.  For tests that aren't going to show us what we need to know.   As my doctors says: we use the tests we have, not the tests we need".

Make a chart of your conditions, cross reference it with your tests.  Add in things you are concerned about developing or changes that need to be looked for. and decide for yourself how often you want to have those things checked.

Figure your budget in relationship  to those items, as well.

The test costs ARE tax deductible in relation to your income.  That helps ease my pain somehow.

Right now our medical/dental costs are approaching $10,000 for this year.  99 percent is mine. Scary stuff.

I just wish we all had reason medical care and it was pretty much all covered.  That is possible, many countries have it.  It's a matter of priorities.

Hugs,  Elaine

[Molivier]

My rheum doesn't order any new x rays unless I present new symptoms.

[warmwaters]

My rheumy examines my hands and wrists herself each time I visit. And inquires into any new joint issues. She did a baseline set of X-rays when I started with her (since I had not had any in the past). My guess is that she would order a new round if she thought it necessary.  For example, I had new back issues, and she did some specific X-rays.

Perhaps as your doctor - How important are these? They are expensive for me, so I am just trying to balance the cost against the info that you need. Is there a less expensive way to approach this?

Often doctors don't have any sense of cost of what they are order, other than a general "small" "medium" "large".  They usually don't know all the details of all the different kinds of insurance, and so they may not realize that what they think of as a "routine test" is going to cost one person a $20 co-pay, and another person $900. 

If I am concerned about costs, I very politely ask  about benefits and alternatives. For tests, procedures, and meds.   

Best

[lori]

Every year I get the hands and feet " modeling" session with the X-ray technician! Hummm didn't think about the radiation over time... Maybe I'll ask her if every other yr would be better?

[eye2dry]

re: Lori

What reasons did your rheumy give to you for doing this every year?
How about your chest xray? every year too?



In the year 2012 I had the following xrays:


panaram (?) of jaws for dentist...he does them every 5 years

mammogram per gyno

CT of head and neck per ENT  (for enlarged lymph node)

CT of abdomen per urologist (persistant blood in urine)

chest ,feet and hand xrays per rheumy


I was not at all comfortable about the above...all that radiation.

eye2dry

[lori]

I don't get chest xrays every year- I think I did have one at beginning of dx to get a baseline.

the hand/feet is to make sure the ra is not progressing. some times things can look ok on outside but damage is happening where we cannot see.

I recently had a false pos. tb test ( blood test) which prompted a chest xray- then that showed a nodule so off to a ct I went. turns out it was nothing and I did not have tb but I spent 200 $ for the ct and of course some more radiation. have had a few ab cts for diverticulitis attacks. I wonder if I will begin to glow in the dark

lori