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Thread: CDC Tick News

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  2. #2
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    Ticks are everywhere and Lyme disease is no joke. From experience, not only is it hard to diagnose but symptoms can last for a long time if it is untreated. Once you get it, getting back to full strength takes some time.

    If you do get bitten by a tick, do yourself a favor and get a Lyme disease test to try and screen for Lyme disease. With proper clothing and some tick repellent, most people should be able to avoid getting bitten in the first place.

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    Quote Originally Posted by maindigs View Post
    Ticks are everywhere and Lyme disease is no joke. From experience, not only is it hard to diagnose but symptoms can last for a long time if it is untreated. Once you get it, getting back to full strength takes some time.

    If you do get bitten by a tick, do yourself a favor and get a Lyme disease test to try and screen for Lyme disease. With proper clothing and some tick repellent, most people should be able to avoid getting bitten in the first place.
    This is good advice. The spring after my hike I started having pain in my shoulder. Doctor gave me a cortisone shot and told me I had bursitis. A few weeks later, my hip started hurting. Went back and asked to have a Lyme's test. My doctor (and the entire clinic) had never encountered this disease before and if I had not specifically asked for the test, it would not have been diagnosed until (possibly) too late. And the doctor is someone I respect and trust. Lyme's does not (apparently) show up in routine blood and lab work. As much as hikers and doctors on the AT corridor are aware of Lyme's, it is not a safe assumption to think that doctors. hospitals, clinics, etc. elsewhere know the symptoms and how/when to test for it.

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    nasty, nasty stuff!!!!!! be very careful-I know a guy with Lyme Disease (he got it in northern Wisconsin).
    "I told my Ma's and Pa's I was coming to them mountains and they acted as if they was gutshot. Ma, I sez's, them mountains is the marrow of the world and by God, I was right". Del Gue

  5. #5
    Registered User Last Call's Avatar
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    yup...and now there is a new strain out west, where it makes one allergic to meat.....don't get bit by that tick!
    Let's head for the roundhouse; they can't corner us there!

  6. #6

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    My son has now spent north of $30,000 battling Lyme disease. Obama’s healthcare does not cover Lyme, and refuses to acknowledge that it even exist!


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  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deacon View Post
    My son has now spent north of $30,000 battling Lyme disease. Obama’s healthcare does not cover Lyme, and refuses to acknowledge that it even exist!
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    Just as fact, the ACA provided the "floor" of what insurance policies needed to cover, for example insurers were required to provide an annual physical as a policy inclusion. Insurers decide what to cover beyond the policy requirements of basic care the ACA established. These policies range from minimal to optimal coverage and are priced accordingly.

    Lyme disease has long been acknowledged in the medical community, however insurers are not required to cover all illnesses in policies. In areas of the US that do not have a high incidence rate of Lyme disease for example, testing for Lyme disease may not be common and if the patient requests one, it may be considered a test outside the insurance policy list of benefits, typically determined by the cost of the policy itself. The issue you may be having is with the insurer, not a President.
    Last edited by Traveler; 05-05-2018 at 07:17.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deacon View Post
    My son has now spent north of $30,000 battling Lyme disease. Obama’s healthcare does not cover Lyme, and refuses to acknowledge that it even exist!


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    I don't doubt that he spent $30K, but an insurer, but "refuses to acknowledge that it even exist" needs to be clarified. What may not be recognized is "chronic" Lyme disease - and that's because the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines don't recognize chronic Lyme due to their position that no scientifically accepted case definition exists for chronic Lyme disease. The insurance companies use these guidelines when determining whether to cover a therapy or not. This is not a shortcoming of ACA ("Obamacare") - you'd see it in Medicare, provate plans, and employer-sponsored plans. Never forget for one moment that medical insurance is a zero-sum game and the position of an insurer (whether acting as an actual insurer or as a plan administrator for a self-insured employer plan) is to pay as little as possible. Your son's issue is not with a particular policy but would be the same no matter where or how he obtained his insurance.

    It serves as a great reminder to treat clothing with permethrin and ask your doctor to prescribe 200 mg of doxycycline to keep in your first aid kit. Peer-reviewed studies show that taking this after a bite reduces that expected infection rate by 90%. Also, remember to take tick precautions when outdoors - not just hiking. My doctor told me that the vast majority of Lyme cases he's treating were from people doing yard work or participating in outdoor recreation other than hiking. He said that his patients that are hikers seem to know better. Some of what I read here on WB and see on the trail belies that, though.

  9. #9

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    Whatever the argument, before the ACA, every physical malady was covered.


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  10. #10

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    By my insurance.


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  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deacon View Post
    By my insurance.


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    So you are saying that you were treated for a diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease and that it was all covered under your insurance? By all means, redact your personal information and post the EOBs.

    Out here in the fact-based world, the ACA set minimum standards for insurance policies. The reason so many pre-ACA policies got so expensive or went away all together is that they didn't originally didn't meet the minimum coverage requirements. Most people that had these crappy policies never read what they did - or more importantly, did not - cover. The one sure thing is that insurance may have covered treatment of symptoms associated with "chronic" Lyme, but wouldn't cover a diagnosis of it for reasons given in my prior post.

    Given your stated age of 72, you are presumably on Medicare. The ACA was enacted in 2010 and took full effect in 2015. ACA increased benefits under Medicare by fully covering preventive care and included provisions for closing the prescription drug "doughnut hole". At the time of enactment of ACA in 2010 you would have been just become eligible for medicare, so may have been on a private or employer policy pre-ACA and Medicare post-ACA, so you are comparing two different policies, which is meaningless. If you were on Medicare pre- and post-ACA enactment, you may feel the Medicare coverage got worse, but you would be demonstrably wrong.

  12. #12

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    No, forget Medicare. I’m referring to my insurance during my working years.

    When I started with Ford years ago my insurance paid everything 100%. Then before 2010, the deductible was $600. After that, my insurance paid EVERYTHING.


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    And my entire family was included in the coverage.


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  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deacon View Post
    No, forget Medicare. I’m referring to my insurance during my working years.

    When I started with Ford years ago my insurance paid everything 100%. Then before 2010, the deductible was $600. After that, my insurance paid EVERYTHING.


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    Implementation of (or an increase in) a deductible for a covered procedure and whether or not a procedure is covered (regardless of deductible) are two separate things and shouldn't be conflated. You're also now saying that after 2010 you went from a $600 deductible to a $0 deductible, so passage of the ACA didn't do anything to hurt - and may have improved - your coverage. So other than ideology, what exactly is the basis of your complaint?

    While symptoms may be covered, many insurers don't cover "chronic" Lyme disease because there is no consensus that it even exists or if it does, how to treat it. Here's a good summary: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102277/

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Offshore View Post
    Implementation of (or an increase in) a deductible for a covered procedure and whether or not a procedure is covered (regardless of deductible) are two separate things and shouldn't be conflated. You're also now saying that after 2010 you went from a $600 deductible to a $0 deductible, so passage of the ACA didn't do anything to hurt - and may have improved - your coverage. So other than ideology, what exactly is the basis of your complaint?

    While symptoms may be covered, many insurers don't cover "chronic" Lyme disease because there is no consensus that it even exists or if it does, how to treat it. Here's a good summary: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102277/
    Whoa, I never said that. When I started at Ford in 1988, I had 0 deductible, $30/month Premiums.

    At retirement in 2010, the deduct was $600, $110/month premiums.

    My son with ACA pays $10,000/year in premiums alone, and coverage is iffy.


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    Registered User kestral's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deacon View Post
    Whoa, I never said that. When I started at Ford in 1988, I had 0 deductible, $30/month Premiums.

    At retirement in 2010, the deduct was $600, $110/month premiums.

    My son with ACA pays $10,000/year in premiums alone, and coverage is iffy.


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    I hear your pain and anger. ACA actually did make things better in general, not worse. Health access has been sliding for years, including price escalation and diminishing care. Been on both sides of insurance and medical issues now, it’s scary to be sick today.

    The takeaway from original post that I get is “ most health care professionals, even the very highly respected ones, don’t thnk Lyme disease, so please request a blood test to consider possibility if you feel you are at risk and your symptoms suggest exposure .” The treatment and cure for Lyme is an extended antibiotic treatment, which is much different from usual treatment for chronic joint pain issues -steroids, anti inflammatory meds, opiates. Note I said cure! Lyme disease can be cured, not just treating symptoms, the biggest takeaway.

    I mentioned to my Dr that I walk about 5 miles per day on average, and am exposed to numerous vector hosts, including ticks, mosquitos, and possible bacteria from water sources that I swim in. She looked at me with disbelief, and this bright young professional is a native of a developing country - India!

    The healthiest patient is often often the best informed.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by kestral View Post
    I hear your pain and anger. ACA actually did make things better in general, not worse. Health access has been sliding for years, including price escalation and diminishing care. Been on both sides of insurance and medical issues now, it’s scary to be sick today.

    The takeaway from original post that I get is “ most health care professionals, even the very highly respected ones, don’t thnk Lyme disease, so please request a blood test to consider possibility if you feel you are at risk and your symptoms suggest exposure .” The treatment and cure for Lyme is an extended antibiotic treatment, which is much different from usual treatment for chronic joint pain issues -steroids, anti inflammatory meds, opiates. Note I said cure! Lyme disease can be cured, not just treating symptoms, the biggest takeaway.

    I mentioned to my Dr that I walk about 5 miles per day on average, and am exposed to numerous vector hosts, including ticks, mosquitos, and possible bacteria from water sources that I swim in. She looked at me with disbelief, and this bright young professional is a native of a developing country - India!

    The healthiest patient is often often the best informed.
    The ACA made things better in general?

    The exact plan I had doubled in premiums and doubled in deductibles when the ACA went into effect. That’s a fourfold increase.

    Put anything in the hands of the government and they will mess it up.


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    Last edited by Deacon; 05-05-2018 at 13:52.

  18. #18

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    I’m just relaying my experience and as you can tell, I’m not happy about it.


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  19. #19

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    It's been almost 7 months since I tested positive for Lyme (with a confirmed case of Mono on the side). It wrecked me to a depth that I have never experienced before.

    If I may, I'd like to share a few recommendations to any and all who might be interested.

    1) Don't think it can't happen to you.

    2) Be diligent about tick checks.

    3) Invest in some treated outdoor clothing especially socks and pants (Insect Shield is one company that treats garments prior to the arrival at the retail storefront)

    4) Purchase permethrin spray for at home application of your clothing. (Won't last as long on clothing as those that have been commercially applied but still works). Also purchase and keep handy (in your car, backpack, back door, etc.) as a repellant product for skin application.

    5) If you suddenly have a fever, joint stiffness and/or severe aching muscles get to you doctor ASAP. I waited for close to two weeks after my fever hit. Only after not being able to walk did I make a doctor appt. I wish I went to a doctor sooner.

    6) I didn't have a rash or find a tick so don't dismiss signs or symptoms if you didn't find evidence of a tick bite.

    7) If you are diagnosed with Lyme you will unfortunately (on top of everything else your dealing with) will be told dozens of tick related horror stories by well meaning friends as well as random acquaintances. Lyme can effect you physically, mentally and emotionally. You don't have to battle it alone. Find a support network as you recover.

    8) If doing the things you love require you to be outside don't let fear rob you of that joy. Take precautions, be smart and diligent about checking yourself and live your life to the fullest. Lyme can cause paralysis. But so can fear.

    9) If you have a family member or friend with Lyme, your support and encouragement would be gift to them. Give it to them freely. Lyme as well as the other tick related diseases can look different in each individual. It's scary and a lot is still unknown about them.

    10) If you're reading this and Lyme is a part of your life already... Don't give up.

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Deacon View Post
    I’m just relaying my experience and as you can tell, I’m not happy about it.


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    Your story keeps changing or you are being very unclear and non-specific in your claim. The last hard figures you quote was at retirement in 2010 - before the ACA kicked in. So what insurance doubling are you talking about? Its not Medicare which is what you presumably went on after retirement. I call BS on your claim. Wait until you see what happens to Medicare now that they just discovered (despite the warnings of economists) that this BS tax cut for the 0.1% added $1.1 trillion to the budget deficit. The party in power is coming for your Medicare and Social Security to fix the deficit, so better get your "blame it on ACA" talking points in better order than you do now.

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