An Enlightening Government Healthcare Moment

As I have stated in the past, my youngest son gets a weekly infusion of a blood product called IgG (immunoglobulins). Three months ago, the home health company notified us that the manufacturer of the needle sets we were using was no longer making them. They switched us to the Cleo 90 sets. We've had three months of infusion hell. Out of the last 12 infusions, we've had maybe two go on without an issue. In the last 6 weeks, they have sent us 3 of the cheapest pumps ever made in an attempt to solve the problem.

Monday night, we almost had to cart him off to the ER, but after 6 hours, we got the infusion done. What should only take 2 hours took 6. Aftera series of phone calls, we found out the Cleo 90s were never intended for use with IgG. Had we had a more sophisticated medication pump (i.e. not a plastic piece of crap) we would have known the lines were occluded 12 weeks ago.

Which leads me to the enlightening moment. When calling to get the Crono pump and new needle sets, I was repeatedly asked (by different folks) if we had Medicaid. When I said replied, "No." They said, "Good because Medicaid doesn't cover the Crono or pumps like it."  So, folks on Medicaid have no choice other than to use suck ass crap.

Here's information on the pump we are switching to. Read it and keep in mind poor people on Medicaid don't have this technology available to them: 

"Improved site absorption and less site pain

Crono S-PID 50 has an extremely high PSI and a particular mechanism in which the pump pushes directly on the rubber piston, making it possible to push the medication with a significant thrust and with high accuracy, especially viscous medications like immune globulins. This pulse equates to 20 µl (microliters) (0.020 ml) per impulse. The effect to the patient is that a strong thrust of a very small pulse of viscous medication means fewer problems with site absorption, site pain and tubing occlusion. Crono S-PID 50 has a liquid crystal display (LCD) which shows relevant information to patient and physician with respect to settings, delivery time and diagnostics."

Isn't it sad that children on the the government's health plan, Medicaid, cannot have one of these? Soon, we will all be forced into using the crappiest products around- our "government approved" insurance will ensure that everyone has equal access to the worst products at an increased cost.