Ready To Go Home!

I will do my absolute best to try and not harp on the asinine rules set by Medicare that are keeping Mom in the hospital right now. But first, just to let you know, she is healing very well with the regimen of  IV antibiotics that she has been on since Monday. Her incision site is looking better and more importantly she is feeling better... but (here it comes) she is still at the hospital even though all three doctors were ready for her to be released yesterday morning. One may ask, "why, if the doctors are in agreement for her to leave hasn't she been discharged". Excellent question. For that answer we will have to ask 'Mr Medicare". For those of you that have dealt with issues through Medicare you undoubtedly know where this is going. For the rest of you, well, you had better sit down. It seems that the new Medicare rules for not covering medications taken outside of the hospital now also apply to infusion therapy. We wondered when Mom was discharged from Cleveland Clinic in March why they gave us her prescriptions to be filled at a nearby pharmacy. In the past when you were discharged, you were given your supply of medications to take with you with refills to be purchased at your pharmacy. Perhaps, we thought, this was a Cleveland Clinic policy. Nope! In fact, it is a new Medicare policy. Here is our dilemma, we have a case worker and all three doctors offices working on this, but please, please if you have any insight let us know. Mom is sooo ready to get back home, and to be honest get up and moving around again. Medicare will not approve in home infusion therapy, but the caseworker worked with them to agree to it, in principal, but Mom's co-pay per week is $800. She is likely looking at 6 weeks of antibiotics. Actually, Medicare wants her to stay in the hospital for the 2x daily treatments. NO. The infectious disease doctors office worked out where Mom would be fitted for a constant infusion type halter that she would have to wear around 24/7 and go to the doctors office every three days for a refill because, again, Medicare won't cover medications taken out of the hospital. So, at this moment, Mom is dressed in her day clothes having already had this mornings treatment and will just lounge around her hospital room or take a stroll waiting for her next treatment in 12 hours. Did I mention that the hospital is near capacity and they really need her room? Thank you for letting me vent. No more. I promise; well, until Medicare does something else dumb. 

** I know, let's start a "Free Shirley" petition!     ^_^ 
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