A couple months ago I did some research on portable oxygen concentrators. We really liked the Inogen One concentrator we used while we were in Japan so I called all the dealers in town to see who carried it and how much it would cost. All three dealers mentioned to me that the Inogen One is an inferior concentrator compared to the EverGo by Respironics. The EverGo has longer battery life and more oxygen per puff. It also stores more oxygen inside than the Inogen One. The EverGo sounded very good so I got a quote and submitted it to Pacific Blue Cross for pre-approval. They eventually, like 2 months later, approved the machine saying they’ll pay the first $4,200 and we pay the rest.
Ugh! The rest turned out to be $1,500 based on one supplier’s quote. Okay, don’t panic, I told myself. I just need to shop around. So I did, and found another local supplier that sold it for $700 less. Now that’s more reasonable, I thought.
Beth and I took a quick trip to the supplier at lunchtime today as I wanted to check the machine out, particularly the noise level, and the Oxygen Therapist wanted to see if the machine was suitable for Beth (if it could maintain her oxygen levels). Well, the OT turned on the machine and my first thought was ‘oh, oh… this machine isn’t much quieter than the honking big one we have at home.’ It was much louder than the Inogen One. The Inogen One, we used everywhere, and all I remember hearing was the puff when she breathed. I don’t remember a fan. If we had the EverGo I’d feel very conscious of the noise we were creating.
Beth also thought the noise was too much. There’s no way we could carry on a conversation with the concentrator going (it was annoying to me for the short time we had it on, imagine how much worse it was for Beth who has super-sensitive hearing). And there’s no way Beth would use it beside her for hours on end.
So, we’re back to square one with the concentrators. We want to go back to the original plan and get the Inogen One. We know it’s quiet. It also has a big handle like a curling rock and can be taken out of its carrying case. The EverGo needs to stay in its case so has all kinds of zippers and closures – which Beth pointed out would be hard for her to manipulate.
I’ve got to put a call in to Pacific Blue Cross to see whether I need to resubmit a quote and go through the approval process all over again. And then I’ve got to shop around for the best price. I want to use your donations as wisely as possible.
Showing posts with label Pacific Blue Cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pacific Blue Cross. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wheels, Wings and My Thanks
First off, I wanted to say thanks to everyone who has visited this blog – whether just to take a ‘look see’ or to make a donation. Thanks for caring about me and Beth. Already I feel less alone and the burden lighter.
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Good news arrived in the mail – Beth’s new power wheelchair has been pre-approved by Pacific Blue Cross. What’s even better news is that Blue Cross says the full amount is eligible ($17,000+). We also have Triumph willing to kick in up to $4,000 for the tilt portion of the chair so we’re more than covered. Whew! Our physiotherapist at Queen Alexandra said she’d put in the claim and I didn’t think she’d have much success because Blue Cross generally only pays for a wheelchair once every 5 years. We bought the manual less than 2 years ago. But Janet, the PT, is very good at what she does. She said because of Beth’s deteriorating condition that Blue Cross would approve it. And she was right! So now we have to have another meeting to reconfirm the wheelchair components and then get it ordered.
And then I have a few weeks to make some space in the study so Beth can maneuver around better with the chair when it arrives. There’s always more to do, sigh… but it’s worth it. When Beth has an aura before her seizure she can tilt the chair back and between the tilt and the wide seat belt she will be safe and secure in the chair during seizures. The chair will also have interchangeable head rests – a small one for going outdoors and a larger one for indoors which cradles her head on the side. The larger one, because of its width, isn’t suitable outdoors as it blocks too much in her field of vision. At some point, I’ll also look into getting a portable ramp so that the chair can go into the van. There’s no chance I’ll be able to lift it! That’s one of the great things about the manual chair is its light weight makes it easy to put in the van without disassembling it.
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In Beth’s blog yesterday, she showed pictures of the shirts Laura made for Beth’s pit crew (me and Cheryl) to wear to the races. Several have asked how to purchase the item and Laura has responded. She’s set up a website, Of Wheels and Wings, where you can email her if you are interested in purchasing a shirt. She needs a minimum order of 20 shirts in order to make it cost effective. These shirts garnered some attention at the race – I know Cheryl had a few people ask about hers. And, being yellow, it was easy for me to spot Cheryl a kilometre away. Laura tells me it’s possible to change the colour to something less bright, but I think you’ll need to give her your suggestions for the colour. Thanks Laura for your creative gift.
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Good news arrived in the mail – Beth’s new power wheelchair has been pre-approved by Pacific Blue Cross. What’s even better news is that Blue Cross says the full amount is eligible ($17,000+). We also have Triumph willing to kick in up to $4,000 for the tilt portion of the chair so we’re more than covered. Whew! Our physiotherapist at Queen Alexandra said she’d put in the claim and I didn’t think she’d have much success because Blue Cross generally only pays for a wheelchair once every 5 years. We bought the manual less than 2 years ago. But Janet, the PT, is very good at what she does. She said because of Beth’s deteriorating condition that Blue Cross would approve it. And she was right! So now we have to have another meeting to reconfirm the wheelchair components and then get it ordered.
And then I have a few weeks to make some space in the study so Beth can maneuver around better with the chair when it arrives. There’s always more to do, sigh… but it’s worth it. When Beth has an aura before her seizure she can tilt the chair back and between the tilt and the wide seat belt she will be safe and secure in the chair during seizures. The chair will also have interchangeable head rests – a small one for going outdoors and a larger one for indoors which cradles her head on the side. The larger one, because of its width, isn’t suitable outdoors as it blocks too much in her field of vision. At some point, I’ll also look into getting a portable ramp so that the chair can go into the van. There’s no chance I’ll be able to lift it! That’s one of the great things about the manual chair is its light weight makes it easy to put in the van without disassembling it.
*
In Beth’s blog yesterday, she showed pictures of the shirts Laura made for Beth’s pit crew (me and Cheryl) to wear to the races. Several have asked how to purchase the item and Laura has responded. She’s set up a website, Of Wheels and Wings, where you can email her if you are interested in purchasing a shirt. She needs a minimum order of 20 shirts in order to make it cost effective. These shirts garnered some attention at the race – I know Cheryl had a few people ask about hers. And, being yellow, it was easy for me to spot Cheryl a kilometre away. Laura tells me it’s possible to change the colour to something less bright, but I think you’ll need to give her your suggestions for the colour. Thanks Laura for your creative gift.
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