If the reaction to Home Hemo is "What's that?" ... what does one do?

[skg]

While I'm hoping for a pre-emptive transplant, I figure I should prepare in case it doesn't work out or kidneys give out before transplant occurs. So, I home hemo appeals to me, but it seems to be a rarity in South Dakota and to my insurance company and so on. What have people done/had to do to make that possible when it hasn't been common?

thanks for any advice!

cheers,
skg

[noahvale]

^

[skg]

Thanks. I haven't checked with them yet because my insurance said they only worked with Sanford. The da vita clinic is run by their arch rival Avera.
But the one person I've been able to locate in SD who does home hemo is managed by a Sanford dr. But through the Avera clinic. Not sure how he managed that but maybe an arrangement like that would make my insurance happy.

[jbeany]

My clinic and doc hadn't heard of NxStage when I started, either.  So I started talking to all the other patients, and getting the info to the nurses and the doc.  It took a while for them to be reassured that they would get proper reimbursement, and even longer to get the program started, but I dragged them kicking and screaming into the proper century, and was the first one trained on it at the center.  The nurse and I learned it together. 

Sometimes, the best advocate you can have is in the mirror.  If you want it, push for it!  I've had a transplant, but the NxStage program is still going strong at my former center.

[cattlekid]

It may be that the Avera clinic is what is referred to as an "open referral" clinic that will allow you to be treated through their clinic but managed by your own doctor.  That is how I was able to obtain home hemo through the DaVita clinic closest to my house instead of having to go to a Fresenius clinic further away. 

Worth looking into....

Thanks. I haven't checked with them yet because my insurance said they only worked with Sanford. The da vita clinic is run by their arch rival Avera.
But the one person I've been able to locate in SD who does home hemo is managed by a Sanford dr. But through the Avera clinic. Not sure how he managed that but maybe an arrangement like that would make my insurance happy.

[cattlekid]

Oh, and I wanted to let you know that you are not far away from where my dad grew up....Canistota