Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

What Would You Do?

Jrg

Recommended Posts

Jrg Newbie
Jrg
Posted

I have an endoscopy scheduled for this Wednesday but was just told that my insurance won't cover it. It's going to set us back probably more than $700 in the end. I'm so completely nervous that I'll spend the money only to get negative biopsy results, which would just frustrate me even more. I already tested positive on the deamiated (sp) gliadin iGa blood test, negative on the others. So I know there's a chance the biopsy could go either way. My question is, what would you do? Just assume you have celiacs, go gluten free & cancel the test, or fork over the money just to know for sure?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Have your GI contest that by giving the insurance company more info? It might delay it a couple of weeks but that is what most doctors offices do.

Jrg Newbie
Jrg
Posted
  • Author

Have your GI contest that by giving the insurance company more info? It might delay it a couple of weeks but that is what most doctors offices do.

They said it was because I hadn't reached my deductible for this year yet. I thought an endoscopy would fall under a different category but it doesn't so I'm not sure if contesting it will do any good.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

They said it was because I hadn't reached my deductible for this year yet. I thought an endoscopy would fall under a different category but it doesn't so I'm not sure if contesting it will do any good.

That's not the same as your insurance won't pay for it. So an appeal wouldn't make any sense.

Jrg Newbie
Jrg
Posted
  • Author

That's not the same as your insurance won't pay for it. So an appeal wouldn't make any sense.

Well I didn't suggest an appeal. I said that my insurance wasn't going to cover it. I was originally told that it wouldn't be a problem & I would just have to pay a copay, so now that I found out I will have to cover the full amount I'm just wondering what people would do. I'm torn as to whether I should go through w/it or just take my blood results & vitamin/iron deficiencies & just assume to go gluten free to see what happens.

Lock Newbie
Lock
Posted

If it were me, I would go through with the endoscopy IF I trusted the GI doctor to be very thorough and to use the latest techniques to find any villous damage, if the damage exists. If the doctor is not up to speed with diagnosing celiac then a negative result will only confuse you more. But if he is very good, a negative result will assure you that your intestine is healthy. So my answer as to whether you should pay for this and go ahead with the procedure depends on the quality of the doctor.

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I'm self-employed and pay for our health insurance policy.  When you have a policy that has a deductible, you need to set aside money to cover that deductible.  Seven hundred dollars seems like a lot, but in perspective, it's not really.  Not when it involves your health.  

 

In my opinion, this is an "emergency".  The long term side effects of not treating celiac disease are far more costly.  Would you balk if you thought you had cancer?  If you were in a car accident and needed surgery?

 

That said, if you really can't afford the endoscopy, you can always go gluten free based on your blood test.    My hubby did just that.  Docs suggested that he give up gluten and he did.  He strictly adheres to the diet.  I got scoped only because I didn't have a tummy issues and had a hard time believing that both of us have gluten issues.  

 

Hope this helps!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

Well I didn't suggest an appeal. I said that my insurance wasn't going to cover it. I was originally told that it wouldn't be a problem & I would just have to pay a copay, so now that I found out I will have to cover the full amount I'm just wondering what people would do. I'm torn as to whether I should go through w/it or just take my blood results & vitamin/iron deficiencies & just assume to go gluten free to see what happens.

 

 

I suggested it because I couldn't tell why they wouldn't cover it.  Thought it might help.

 

Myself - I would and did pay for my colonoscopy and endo with the deductible.  It cost a lot more than $700 but I had the colonoscopy portion and anesthesia, too.  I thought it was worth it to see the amount of damage and make sure nothing else was wrong.  We put money aside in a health reimbursement account but its too late for you for this year.  If you are young and haven't had anything medical to pay out before, its not something you would want to do.

 

If you decide to pay yourself. I would find out how much deductible you have to meet.  So you know how much your limit will be.  Also, will you have to pay the pathology company for looking at the biopsy?  Pay any additional for sedation?  Does the doctor bill separately from the center where you are getting the procedure done?  Just some additional costs to consider.   

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

It depends on you. Would a positive endoscopy help you stay gluten-free? What if the endoscopy is negative (there are a few around here with positive blood tests and negative scope - it's not uncommon), will that affect your dedication to the gluten-free diet?

 

I personally think a scope can be useful if you continue to have long term problems (which would be useful if you get re-scoped in the future for comparisson) or there is another un-idenified health issue in play that needs to be found.

 

I personally did not do the scope and just went gluten-free based on a couple of blood tests. I figured that if I continued to have problems, I could always get the scope done in the future to look for other problems.

 

You have to do what you feel comfortable with.  :) Aren't I helpful?  LOL ;) Good luck with what ever you decide to do.

Jrg Newbie
Jrg
Posted
  • Author

Thank you everyone. I went ahead with the endoscopy today, so now I'll just wait for my biopsy results

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Flash1970
      - Flash1970 commented on Scott Adams's article in Additional Concerns
      1

      Inmate with Celiac Disease Wins $630,000 After Jail Denies Gluten-Free Food

      He should have gotten millions. How much is your life worth?
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      15

      Insomnia help

      @cristiana, I react the same way. Dairy consumption flushes out my digestive system within an hour, too! As casein is digested, it forms casomorphins that bind to opioid receptors in our bodies. This is similar to digested gluten peptides being able to attach to opioid receptors in our bodies. We have opioid receptors throughout our...
    3. knitty kitty
      0

      About Celiac Remission

    4. TheDHhurts
      - TheDHhurts posted a topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      0

      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

      Hi, I bought Naked Nutrition Creatine. It lists itself as gluten free but is not certified. (It used to be, but they dropped it in the past year or two apparently.) I wrote the company and asked them what testing results they had for creatine and they sent me the attached, which says the test result for gluten is <0.025MCG. I'm used to seeing...
    5. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to hjayne19's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      15

      Insomnia help

      When I was still recovering my gastroenterologist suggested I bought lactofree product as I was very bloated. So I bought some from the supermarket and from memory, I drank a nice big glass of milk - and it went right through me literally within an hour or so, if my memory serves correctly. I came off dairy completely next and it worked like a charm...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,107
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Maggie1349
    Newest Member
    Maggie1349
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Insomnia help

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @cristiana,  I react the same way.  Dairy consumption flushes out my digestive system within an hour, too! As casein is digested, it forms casomorphins that bind to opioid receptors in our bodies.  This is similar to digested gluten peptides being able to attach to opioid receptors in our bodies.   We have opioid receptors throughout our bodies including lots in the digestive tract. Casein raises tTg IgA antibodies just like gluten consumption does, which leads to further intestinal damage and continuing inflammation.  No wonder our bodies react to it by pushing the "emergency evacuation" ejection seat button! The mother of my childhood friend was British and introduced me to drinking tea properly with milk or cream.  I miss it so much.  And chocolate ice cream.  Not worth the after effects, though.  I've found taking Omega Three supplements (flaxseed oil, sunflower seed oil, evening primrose oil) helps shake those dairy cravings.   Green leafy veggies like broccoli, kale, and greens (mustard, turnip, collards) are great sources of calcium.  Avoid spinach as it is high in oxalates that block calcium absorption and may cause kidney stones.  Yes, more leafy greens are needed to reach the same amount of calcium in a glass of milk, but the greens have other benefits, like increased dietary fiber and polyphenols that act as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and promote health.   Exposure to gluten (and casein in those sensitive to it) can cause an increased immune response and inflammation for months afterwards.  The immune cells that make tTg IgA antibodies which are triggered today are going to live for about two years. During that time, inflammation is heightened.  Those immune cells only replicate when triggered.  If those immune cells don't get triggered again for about two years, they die without leaving any descendents programmed to trigger on gluten and casein.  The immune system forgets gluten and casein need to be attacked.  The Celiac genes turn off.  This is remission.   Some people in remission report being able to consume gluten again without consequence.  Another triggering event can turn the Celiac genes on again.   Celiac genes are turned on by a triggering event (physical or emotional stress).  There's some evidence that thiamine insufficiency contributes to the turning on of autoimmune genes.  There is an increased biological need for thiamine when we are physically or emotionally stressed.  Thiamine cannot be stored for more than twenty-one days and may be depleted in as little as three during physical and emotional stresses. Mitochondria without sufficient thiamine become damaged and don't function properly.  This gets relayed to the genes and autoimmune disease genes turn on.  Thiamine and other B vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are needed to replace the dysfunctional mitochondria and repair the damage to the body.  
    • TheDHhurts
      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

      By TheDHhurts · Posted

      Hi, I bought Naked Nutrition Creatine. It lists itself as gluten free but is not certified. (It used to be, but they dropped it in the past year or two apparently.) I wrote the company and asked them what testing results they had for creatine and they sent me the attached, which says the test result for gluten is <0.025MCG. I'm used to seeing test results as ppm, so I'm not sure what <0.025MCG means. Can it be converted to ppm easily? I want to confirm that it is safe to use.
    • cristiana
      Insomnia help

      By cristiana · Posted

      When I was still recovering my gastroenterologist suggested I bought lactofree product as I was very bloated.  So I bought some from the supermarket and from memory, I drank a nice big glass of milk - and it went right through me literally within an hour or so, if my memory serves correctly.  I came off dairy completely next and it worked like a charm, but started to reintroduce quite gradually it as I missed it! To this day, if I overdo dairy products, they work like a mild laxative.  I've never wanted to give up milk completely as I like it so much, and my mum had osteoporosis and it's an easy way of getting calcium.  But it doesn't really 'sit' well with me.   You may need to experiment a bit as when I was healing certain dairy products were worse than others - I could cope with one brand of Greek yoghurt, but I got extremely and painfully bloated with another brand of live British yoghurt.  
    • wellthatsfun
      nothing has changed

      By wellthatsfun · Posted

      i have been strictly gluten free for 7 months. this includes avoiding anything that may contain gluten and making sure surfaces and appliances are clean. i am 18 years old in australia and my tTG-IgA results were 69U/mL, pretty low compared to most people's, for reference. i feel the exact same as before. sure, i was pretty much asymptomatic/silent. the worst i'd get was occasionally bad stools and pitting of the nails/brittle hair since early childhood - and i was diagnosed with low iron and vitamin d which checks out due to easy bruising and such. but those symptoms have remained. maybe i'm jumping the gun, sure. i know it can take years to fully heal. but being over half a year in, i feel that i should be, y'know, healing. i'm nearly at my wits end and wondering if i should have a piece of bread or something to see how i go - to see if i possibly have refractory? my mental health is declining as i feel myself wanting to bang my head against a damn wall out of frustration every day. cravings haven't gotten better. look, i love the stuff i still can have, like salads and such. OH! i haven't lost any weight, which is mind boggling considering i eat very healthily now! i've always been on the chubbier side which is atypical of coeliac. i just don't know what's going on with me. i try to remain hopeful but i'm just so sad all the time. thanks for reading  
    • trents
      Severe severe mouth pain

      By trents · Posted

      @Charlie1946There is a PM (Personal Message) tool built into the forum website that allows you to send a private message to other forum users. Just hover over their name with your mouse cursor and the menu containing that tool will pop up. This is useful if you want to communicate with an individual without everyone else involved in the thread seeing it.  Are you realizing that in my PPI taper down recommendations in an earlier post above, I was responding not to your posts but to @Caligirl57? If you must use a PPI, I certainly would advise taking the lowest dose that is effective for you.  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.