From what I see, Insurance Companies want us to get implants

[chiali09]

I haven't gotten my final bill yet, but I went online and it currently has about a $250 copay in the system from my implant two weeks ago. I'm sure the anesthesiology will send me another bill for $250 on top of that, which is usually the case. Financially I should have done this two years ago. I was paying $50 for 6 tablets a MONTH, which for me would be gone in one weekend, and $100 for 6 trimex injections a month. I did this combination for about 11 months. That's $1650.

I was getting the 6 pills at $50 a month for about three years before that too, which is another $1800, but that doesn't include the fake generics I had to order from India on the side to give me the quantity I needed to get thru a month. So considering I got great results with pills for two years, I won't count that in my numbers. Woulda done that for life if they worked every time like they did when I started them. So I'll just go with my final year of pills when they didn't work as well if at all and my 11 months with both pills and Edex injections. That comes to about $2700.

Including my 3 flights (consult, and actual surgery flight for me and girlfriend) Hotel and copay(s) for the procedure, had I done this when the pills first started getting inconsistent (beginning of year three on pills only, when I was only having about a 50% success rate on pills aggregate over that perioed), I would be up $2700 right now, and most importantly would not have had all the stress and anxiety of performance that I had to go thru over the last almost two years which was an emotional beat down I could have avoided and will never get back.

Hindsight is 20-20, and I had no way of knowing at year three when pills weren't quite doing it that the inconsistency would never get better despite the changes I was making in every facet of my life to alter it, so it isn't realistic to say I should have done it at that exact moment in time 23 months ago, but I should have stopped after the first month of injections because those were just as inconsistent. But my point is, It blows my mind how insurance rakes you over the coals for pills/injections to treat ED, but for this they roll out the red carpet. If they are so gung-ho to support this therapy, why don't they start advertising during the Superbowl? On second thought, maybe I am wrong. They don't want us to get it because they make more money off of us splurging for pills and mixes.

And yes, I realize my insurance situation is better than others here, so I am not crying about that because I realize it could be a lot worse and others have shelled out a lot more. Just pointing out that I am vey surprised that this went so smoothly coverage-wise with insurance and it all worked out the way it did. For those of you on the fence and worried about this aspect, you may be pleasantly surprised. I know I am.

[dg_moore]

Let me get back on my soap box here - I've said it a dozen times here, but new readers may not have seen the message. If you find you need an implant, get it as soon as possible. In my case, we were asexual for years due to ED before I finally got the implant, which I kept putting off long after I should have gotten it. As a result, by the time I healed from the surgery we found that neither of us any longer had the slightest interest or desire for sex. If I'd gotten the implant when I first needed it we could have enjoyed additional years of intimacy; as it turned out we never used the implant once.

[RelievedofED1]

I haven't gotten my final bill yet, but I went online and it currently has about a $250 copay in the system from my implant two weeks ago. I'm sure the anesthesiology will send me another bill for $250 on top of that, which is usually the case. Financially I should have done this two years ago. I was paying $50 for 6 tablets a MONTH, which for me would be gone in one weekend, and $100 for 6 trimex injections a month. I did this combination for about 11 months. That's $1650.

I was getting the 6 pills at $50 a month for about three years before that too, which is another $1800, but that doesn't include the fake generics I had to order from India on the side to give me the quantity I needed to get thru a month. So considering I got great results with pills for two years, I won't count that in my numbers. Woulda done that for life if they worked every time like they did when I started them. So I'll just go with my final year of pills when they didn't work as well if at all and my 11 months with both pills and Edex injections. That comes to about $2700.

Including my 3 flights (consult, and actual surgery flight for me and girlfriend) Hotel and copay(s) for the procedure, had I done this when the pills first started getting inconsistent (beginning of year three on pills only, when I was only having about a 50% success rate on pills aggregate over that perioed), I would be up $2700 right now, and most importantly would not have had all the stress and anxiety of performance that I had to go thru over the last almost two years which was an emotional beat down I could have avoided and will never get back.

Hindsight is 20-20, and I had no way of knowing at year three when pills weren't quite doing it that the inconsistency would never get better despite the changes I was making in every facet of my life to alter it, so it isn't realistic to say I should have done it at that exact moment in time 23 months ago, but I should have stopped after the first month of injections because those were just as inconsistent. But my point is, It blows my mind how insurance rakes you over the coals for pills/injections to treat ED, but for this they roll out the red carpet. If they are so gung-ho to support this therapy, why don't they start advertising during the Superbowl? On second thought, maybe I am wrong. They don't want us to get it because they make more money off of us splurging for pills and mixes.

And yes, I realize my insurance situation is better than others here, so I am not crying about that because I realize it could be a lot worse and others have shelled out a lot more. Just pointing out that I am vey surprised that this went so smoothly coverage-wise with insurance and it all worked out the way it did. For those of you on the fence and worried about this aspect, you may be pleasantly surprised. I know I am.

Understand all you are saying and glad you are covered. That said just wanted to give some feedback on pills versus surgery. Insurance companies dont make money on anything you get for care or pick up at a pharmacy in fact they have to take the money they get from your insurance premiums and spend it on the pills or surgery because the pharmacy or surgeon and hospital send them bills. What you pay for a deductible etc is usually significantly less that what the insurance company pays your docs and the hospital. Either the pills or surgery are covered because they have some evidence that they are FDA approved and work. The insurance companies usually require you try the pills or less invasive treatment first because their share of the implant bill is somewhere around $16000 or more even if they are contracted with the provider. The insurance companies dont make money off any thing you get that costs money. Some costs them more some costs them less but it all comes out of the premiums you or your employer paid them already so no conspiracy if they cover the treatment.

Again congrats on being covered for the surgery. I wish I had done it earlier but my insurance wouldnt have covered it without trying less serious interventions and god forbid I had a bad outcome at least I would have known I tried less drastic things first. Thankfully all went well and I couldnt be happier. Congrats!

[chiali09]

Thanks bill. I am blessed to be in a situation it is covered for sure, and also glad there didn't appear to be any issues approving it! 12 days post surgery. So far so good. The scab is annoying me but I'll live.

[RelievedofED1]

Funny you should mention the scab I havent commented on that in my previous posts but that was annoying not bad but annoying. I worried a little as it bled a little bit for a while and was tender. Having read about post op infections I wondered at first but after a couple of weeks or so the scabs started to come off and the sensitivity gradually went away. Congrats!!!!!

[saytar]

2 weeks out today.....a little serum spotting days 4-6, minor blood spotting days 7-10. Had other half check incision 2 days ago..................she couldn't find it anymore. I guess I heal quickly...I know when I had a vasectomy years ago I KNEW where the cuts were and after 3-4 months even I couldn't find them.