Using Method II for buying the PD product

[ardyce]

Just wondering if anyone does the Method II version of getting their product from Baxter?  Baxter has all the prices and weights of each product on their web site, but I can not find how much shipping is.  I figured up what I use a month which amounts to $79.19 per treatment (30 per month) for a month for the PD liquid and all the tubing, cassettes and caps.  It is about 800 to 900 lb that is delivered each month.

Since the dialysis clinics buy in bulk they got a better deal.  I am just curious what Baxter would charge an individual if they would use Method II by ordering directly from the Baxter company and not going through a dialysis clinic.

[Jie]

I thought about method II when I saw my huge bills from method I. We can make the switch once year. The shipping cost should not be too much, if trucking is available. My supplies are trucked from about 650 miles away with a few hours of ferry, and it costs about US$150 a month.  I saw this cost because at the beginning, the trucking co. showed me the bill.  If using method II, I probably can do it about $300/day. Right now, my clinic charges my insurance about $1050/day.

[ardyce]

Jie,

Thanks for the reply, I thought no one was going to reply.  From your avatar you must live on a island since your product comes by ferry.  You must have some great whale watching!  That is a awful price for your treatment.  I am paying $620/day and it just makes me sick to know what I am paying and the dialysis clinic think they actually earn that.

Can you see Russia from your house?  LOL

[Jie]

Three sides of my city are ocean and another side is Canada. So, I cannot see Russia but can see some mountains of Canada if we hike far enough. Only Sarah can see Russia from our state. We are not an island, but there is no road connected here with outside world. There are too strong green forces here to build a road to link the outside world.

If you use method II, it is a little more work for paperwork to track the insurance payments. Everytime you called the clinic, they will charge you. However, I hardly need to call them at all. Only time to call them is to get my lab results. Method II will save my insurance money, not my own money. My insurances used to pay 100% of US$1050/day to the clinic. Now, they pay the clinic only $875/day, and the rest is called discount.