Peter Flores said:A while back, I dealt with a bladder infection—basically a UTI caused by bacteria. It eventually cleared up, but the last time I had my urine tested, they told me there was something like "salad" in it. Obviously, they didn't mean actual salad, just some components of one. Since then, I haven't bothered with any more tests because everything feels totally fine and back to normal.
I'm curious, though—what does "salad" in your urine actually mean? Does it have anything to do with those bacteria?
I can promise you the lab report didn't literally say "salad." What usually happens is that when they look at the urine sediment, they find calcium oxalate crystals..
Take a look at this article about urine analysis; check out the section on sediment and crystals.
Whoever recommended that medication should have also written you a private prescription. The FDA grants import permission specifically for a patient, provided there isn't some legal reason why that particular drug is restricted from being brought in that way. I’m honestly not sure how you’ll navigate the customs headache if you just try to buy meds from a random website. My gut tells me Vigil won't even pass muster with the Agency!
I'm really glad you finally found a solution that works for you. It’s also great to hear they were actually polite to you—there are still plenty of people out there who act like true professionals, and they deserve all the credit in the world! So, does that mean the student health clinic doesn't really exist anymore?
darktiger56 said:Exactly. She didn't give me an official referral or anything—I'm definitely not an expert on all the medical jargon—she just gave me her professional recommendation to go get my bandages changed at my doctor's office.
So, anyway... 😢 I won't even be home for another ten days or so—unless, of course, I have to cancel all my plans just to get my stitches out. I’m totally fine handling the bandage changes myself; that part is easy. But what about getting the sutures removed? Can I just head to the ER for that? Also, since I don't have a formal referral, can I show up with just this recommendation, or am I going to run into issues?
I'm not quite sure what you mean by the history of the illness. 🙈 Here's a look at one of the papers I have sitting here: I had a little procedure today to get some skin tags removed from the back of my right hand. They used 2% lidocaine for the numbing, then did a full excision, cleaned everything up, and put in some sutures. It was pretty straightforward—just a standard minor surgery. You'll need to keep those stitches in for about three days before they can be removed, but you should plan to leave the sutures in for about 10 to 12 days total. It’s kind of like letting a fresh coat of paint dry completely before you start touching the wall—you want to give it that extra bit of time to settle so everything heals up smoothly.
Thanks so much for getting back to me!
You can always just take matters into your own hands. If the wound heals up cleanly, you're golden. But if you start seeing things get messy or complicated, that’s your signal to head straight to the doctor. You didn't mention whether you had the procedure done at a public hospital or a private clinic. When you need to get stitches removed, the hospital usually just orders that through the surgical outpatient clinic. Maybe you could try reaching out and working things out directly with the doctor who performed the procedure. Your primary care doctor writes a referral for you to head over to the surgical clinic for a follow-up and some processing. I honestly think your best bet is to just give your primary care doctor a call. Reach out to your regular physician at the health center and hash things out with them directly—it’s probably the smartest way to get this sorted. I'm not entirely sure if that alone is enough to force them to admit you at the ER.
Sometimes, it’s just easier to put things off until later.
It’s like that one student I know who’s feeling under the weather. She’s originally from Des Moines, so she could always head to the ER after 8:00 PM if things get bad, but honestly, wouldn't it be way easier for a student to just pick a local doctor right where they're going to school? I can't remember if they still do this, but I recall back in the day, you could actually check the doctor schedules on the university student portal. It made things so much easier to navigate.
The ID card itself isn't really the main thing here.. What actually matters is having a confirmation that clearly lists your ID number along with the specific start and end dates of your policy coverage.. You should definitely stay current on your installments just to avoid any headaches down the road.. If she told you the supplemental coverage is active, then it's active.. But listen, if you stop paying your premiums while still using the benefits, you might run into a situation where Medicare tries to bill you directly for services you thought were covered by your supplement.. A lot of people are scratching their heads lately wondering why Medicare sent them bills for supplemental coverage from all of last year. It’s usually because they didn't formally cancel it in writing, so the system just assumed they wanted to keep the coverage going.. It's a good idea to carefully read through all the terms and conditions over at www.medicare.gov
It’s still a little fuzzy from your post who actually gave you the referral...
If you went to the hospital to have a mole removed, they usually just give you a recommendation for follow-up care—basically instructions on how to handle dressing changes with your primary doctor (it’s not like a standard red insurance referral). They might even be able to schedule the dressing change right there in their own surgical clinic.
On the other hand, if you went through a private clinic, you wouldn't get a standard referral either; you'd just get a recommendation for wound care.
For patients who need a professional to handle daily dressing changes, they can head to the urgent care shifts at any local Health Center over the weekend.
In your situation, since you aren't near your regular doctor, just grab your insurance card and your medical history from today and head to the nearest Health Center. If they won't see you, your last resort is the ER at any hospital, though honestly, I don't think that's really what they're there for when it comes to simple dressing changes. Since you won't be home, you really should have cleared a plan with the doctor who did the procedure—maybe figured out how to manage the dressings yourself or scheduled a time to go back to them specifically for stitch removal. Changing the bandage isn't actually that hard to do on your own. You just need some antiseptic (like Octenisept), sterile gauze, and some Micropore tape (that white medical tape on a roll). Doctors pretty frequently prescribe a specific care routine to follow after minor procedures like this. Take a look at your paperwork and, if you feel like it, type out what it says in the medical history you received today.☕
Protecting against just the four highest-risk groups is still a massive step in the right direction... Once a vaccine hits the market, everyone’s going to treat it like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Give it a few years, and suddenly everyone will be claiming they need protection from "only those specific things." We are never truly satisfied, are we? And don't even get me started on the general anti-vax movement...
Do you think your doctor is going to charge you for a written note? I honestly doubt it.
Here’s the deal: injectable medications aren't usually covered by Medicare through a standard prescription; instead, they’re handled via the hospital’s own medication list. If the hospital is going to cover the cost through Medicare while you're there, you might as well take advantage of it while you're still on-site. There is also a possibility—though it's a bit of a long shot—that you could buy the medication yourself and have Medicare reimburse you, provided there's a valid reason for doing so. Being out of the country could potentially count as a justifiable reason. In my opinion, the smartest move is to wait and see how you react to that first dose. Once you see how it goes, talk to your hospital doctor about self-administering the injections and get their professional advice on what the next steps should be. You could also check in with your primary care physician. In a pinch, they can write you a private prescription so you can pick up the meds while you're traveling abroad.
Let me know how it all works out for you. Good luck!
Your post is a bit all over the place, but I’m giving you a pass because I know how much pain you're in right really hurts..
Just because you don't have supplemental insurance doesn't mean you have to shell out cash for every single injection they give you at the doctor's office. If you go to your primary care physician—your regular family doctor—you just pay your standard $3.25 co-pays, and that's it. Of course, that assumes you actually have basic Medicare coverage. Honestly, even if you don't have those $3.25 on you right now, a doctor isn't going to turn you away when you're in this kind of shape. You can always just come back later.
Nathan Young73 said:I’m about to start a lifelong therapy regimen involving hormone treatments. It's administered via injection every few weeks—usually every two or three. However, I’m planning to work abroad for a year on a ship, and I have no idea how medical access works out there. I really need a "stash" of these hormones so I can manage my own injections during that year. Is there any way to make this happen? Like, can I just get a prescription for a large supply or something?
You didn't give me much to work with here. If you're looking at an injectable medication, you aren't going to walk into a pharmacy and pick it up without a doctor's prescription. Since I don't know which specific medication you're talking about, I'm not sure if it's a standard stock item or something that needs to be ordered through a private specialty prescription from overseas. Also, is this something covered by Medicare where you get the shots at a hospital, or are you buying it yourself and either bringing it to the doctor or administering it yourself? (And if you're heading out to sea, who exactly is going to be giving you those injections?)
Either way, if you need a bulk supply, you’ll need to sit down and hammer out a plan with your primary care physician. They can write a private prescription specifying the exact number of vials you need, which you then take to the pharmacy. The pharmacist will then keep that prescription on file for you. You might also want to ask for a formal letter from your doctor—ideally translated into the local language—to carry with you on the ship, just in case there's ever a medical inspection or check. Hopefully, that sheds a little light on things for you.🙂
I'm assuming you're talking about supplemental coverage through Medicare..
Check out this link here
You just submit the request along with the required paperwork, and the supplemental part is covered by the federal budget.
gentlecrane3 said:I need to get some blood work done (at the KCC) and I'm wondering how much those tests cost at private labs. Also, do any of them take Medicare if I have a referral from my gynecologist? I'm looking specifically in the downtown area or around the Mihaljevac-Miramarska district. Maybe this isn't the best place to ask, but Google isn't giving me anything useful.
If you just type "biochemical laboratory" into Google, a whole bunch of options will pop up. You can pick whichever one looks good to you; most of them post their price lists online.😁
If a pharmacist decides to sell prescription-only meds over the counter, they’re looking at a massive $10,000 $0.00 fine, losing their license entirely, and the pharmacy itself gets slapped with a $100,000 $0.00 penalty. I mean, if someone doesn't care about their professional license, they can go ahead and do whatever they want, I guess. ☕ But sooner or later, when a patient ends up in the ER because of it, they aren't going to blame themselves—they’re going to point the finger straight at the pharmacy for selling them something they shouldn't have.
melloworca6 said:Does that mean if I see an immunologist and they prescribe this specific medication, I won't have to pay for it, or will there still be some out-of-pocket costs?
I'm honestly not even sure if I'll ask about this drug yet. My blood pressure tends to run pretty low, so I'm a bit nervous about taking anything that might drop it further. Still, I want to stay informed so I know what my options look like.
You really have to look at this from two different angles. First, there's the FDA approval process, which basically decides if a drug is allowed on the market at all. Then, there's the whole Medicare formulary.
Medicare maintains a specific list of covered drugs, which is split into two main categories. If a drug is on the primary list, it's usually fully covered. If it's on the supplemental list, you'll likely have to chip in a set copay for it.
Now, if a drug isn't on the Medicare list at all, you're looking at paying the full retail price. Some of those require a prescription, while others don't—it just depends on how the FDA classifies them. You can actually check everything on the official government websites to see where a specific med falls.
As for Pentilin, it isn't covered by Medicare, so you'd be paying the full price, and you'll definitely need a private prescription from your doctor.
Roger Smith64 said:I did a little digging online recently and came across Pentoxifyllinum. I noticed it’s been out there for about a decade now. Stopped by a local pharmacy on my way home from work yesterday to ask about it, and they told me I didn't even need a prescription. So, I just grabbed some and started taking it.
This is actually the first time I've ever decided to self-medicate. Usually, I'm pretty hesitant about taking anything without a doctor's okay, but honestly, I've just lost a bit of faith in certain physicians lately.
Hrvoje, what does it actually mean when you say something isn't on the FDA's approved list?
Actually, that's not right. You don't need a prescription for it! And it's also not true that it's not on the Halmed list!
There is a medication available for patients under the name Pentilin in the database!
You can pick it up with a private doctor's prescription, $14 specifically for a pack of 20 tablets at 400 mg.
Look, if a drug isn't on the Halmed list, it basically means it hasn't been cleared for distribution here in the States, so pharmacies can't legally sell it off the shelf. There are exceptions where you can import something via a private prescription that then needs approval through Halmed. Just keep in mind, getting a drug like that sourced can take about three weeks!
That whole payment thing only applied to circulation meds. None of them were covered by Medicare. When they pulled those drugs from the Medicare list, the reasoning was basically that they weren't showing any standout results. Since everyone and their mother was using them, the costs were just spiraling. Now, some of them have even been taken off the market entirely. Even renewing a registration comes with its own fees and long wait times, so manufacturers often just decide it isn't worth the headache to even start the process.
Casey Rogers47 said:I wasn't sure where to drop this question, so I'll just put it here. How long can you actually stay out on medical leave with this specific diagnosis before they send you to a review board?
According to the Federal Register, there are specific guidelines regarding maximum sick leave durations. For an M54 diagnosis, you're looking at up to 14 days. Basically, the doctor notes on the notice to your employer that the expected leave is 14 days. After that, you head to a commission that evaluates whether there are grounds to extend your leave.
Lisa Nelson70 said:The lady at the pharmacy told me she gives everyone whatever Pfizer makes, provided they make the specific drug being prescribed. And yeah, if they try to give her a different brand, she calls them out and starts yelling. So there you go.
Anyway, I was wondering about the benefit of those dual-branded things... so, I guess there is some point to them after all.
I wouldn't call it a "benefit," but it definitely helps avoid penalties. Think about it—how do you think specialists decide which brand to prescribe? Every medical history record clearly states that a primary care physician can prescribe an equivalent drug from a different manufacturer. Basically, anyone can prescribe whatever they want, as long as the pharmacy dispenses exactly what's written on the script. On top of that, a primary doctor can mark the prescription to say "no substitutions allowed." If that happens and the drug isn't in stock, the patient just has to go back to their doctor. If that special note isn't there, the pharmacist is allowed to swap it for a different brand, provided the price is the same or cheaper—but only if the original drug is currently facing a shortage.☕
Back in the day—I’m talking way back like 1988—we used to have Doxium from Pfizer available here. They didn't renew the registration, and honestly, I highly doubt they ever will. The big question was whether there's a free alternative out there. The answer is no. In this country, "free" basically means anything covered under the standard Medicare formulary. For a drug to be on that list, it generally has to be officially registered, with just a few rare exceptions. Years ago, maybe 15 or 20 years back, you could get circulation meds with just a simple prescription. I don't see that happening again. Nowadays, everything comes with a price tag, assuming the patient actually wants it and can afford it. In this specific situation, the best bet is for the family to chip in and help grandma out, or perhaps try reaching out to the Department of Social Services or the local City Hall to see if there's any one-time financial assistance available.😢
quietbison7 said:...man, I wasn't even gonna weigh in on this, but look—half the people working in private clinics are my actual colleagues. If you think you'll get better service at a private facility, go for it, by all means. Health is the top priority, period. But don't go thinking "private" automatically equals "better." It's a trap. What patients really crave is feeling like a human being instead of just another number or some "bottle" rolling down an assembly line. That’s exactly where private clinics hit the jackpot. Look, the medical knowledge, the expertise, the actual treatment? It's identical whether you're at a public hospital or a private clinic. The only real difference is the attitude. It's the same specialists doing the work. So, the difference is really just in your head, the waiting room lines, the crowds, and how polite they are to you. At the end of the day, that's what patients are actually paying for. Honestly, as long as things stay this way, it works out for everyone. 🙂
So why is it that one doctor treats you like they can't even be bothered to look at you when they're at the local hospital, but suddenly becomes charming and attentive once they move to a private practice? That tells you everything you need to know about their character. I won't argue about their technical skill—expertise is one thing—but I truly believe that regardless of where you work, you should act professionally and be decent to people. We touched on this ten pages ago, and doctors hate hearing it. They seem to think being kind isn't part of the job, only being smart is. Personally, I think the most important thing is that they actually show interest in solving your problem. Once they do that, their expertise really starts to shine.
The nurses are getting the short end of the stick again here.😛 What happens to the lab techs when a nurse—someone who might not even have experience drawing blood—is suddenly stepping in to do their job? Sure, plenty of nurses are pros at phlebotomy, but I’m just not a fan of these types of shifts. Usually, these changes happen so one group can pick up someone else's workload while a third party just sits back and collects the profit. Nurses already have more than enough on their plates without adding blood draws to the mix, especially since everything gets done just fine if you actually organize the workflow properly. I agree that they shouldn't be taking new patients or answering phones during those times. Honestly, it would be much more effective if they just beefed up the staff and improved service quality at the actual labs. I can see how this might be a plus for rural areas where the nearest clinic is a massive drive away, making things a bit more convenient for folks out there.
Doximax and most generics aren't even registered here in the States, which basically means they can't be distributed through the normal channels. A pharmacy might be able to order them if you bring in a private prescription, provided www.fda.gov gives the green light (usually involves an agency seal on the back of the script). Since these drugs aren't officially registered, Medicare won't cover them—it’s pretty much always out-of-pocket for the patient unless there's a rare exception. I saw Doxium 60x500 mg going for about $250-$90, though I'm not sure if you can find a better deal somewhere else.🤷 Your other option, besides going to a pharmacy in person, would be to drive over to Mexico or somewhere similar if the prices are lower and they'll actually honor an American prescription from across the border.🤷