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Any Ontario Lyme Patients seeing US LLMDs?

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Posted 4/27/2012 9:04 AM (GMT -5)
Hi there, looking for any Ontario Lyme patients that are seeing US LLMDs... I have just had my first appointment with a LLMD in NY state, and been clinically diagnosed with Lyme, Babesia, and Bartonella.  Looking for some Ontario patients to chat with about drug coverage and submitting claims through insurance.  Looking forward to making some new connections with fellow Ontario Lymies and sharing information on the long journey ahead.

Kristin

Post Edited (Kristo) : 4/27/2012 8:07:51 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/27/2012 10:00 AM (GMT -5)
My 10yo daughter is being treated by a LLMD in Buffalo; we live in Welland.  She has lyme/bartonella.  My husband's benefits will cover the cost of Abx if dispensed in Canada.  CanadaDrugs.com dispenses drugs to Canadians with US prescriptions.  I pay with visa (and collect points) and then submit the receipts to the benefit plan.  Our plan requires us to have the DIN number written on the receipts.  Any benefit plan you have might have different requirements.  We pay out of pocket for everything else.  We will try to submit the cost of the LLMD visits ($240/hr) as out of country medical expenses when we file taxes this year, but I don't know how that will fly.  I don't think we can claim other supplements.
Posted 4/27/2012 10:19 AM (GMT -5)
Hi Rowingmom, and thanks for your speedy reply. We are with Sunlife for our insurance (both my husband and myself). Does your plan specify that you have "to be eligble to have the drug covered, the drug must be prescribed by a doctor, dentist or other qualified health professional if the applicable provincial/territorial legistation permits them to prescribe the drugs."

My worry is that unless we can get our Ontario doctor prescribe the same treatment plan, that our insurance company won't cover the cost of the prescription drugs... one of which is $2,500 per month (Flagyl). :( This treatment if not covered will bankrupt us! :(

Kristin
Posted 4/27/2012 11:19 AM (GMT -5)
Hi Kristin,

I am not in Ontario, I am in AB, but I know that the drug coverage is an issue. Someone recently was telling me about a way people in Ontario got prescriptions so they were covered...I think it might have been Canada drugs. Worst case, there is a pharmacy out in Vancouver that accepts US prescriptions, re-writes them and mails them out to people. I got my prescriptions through them and they were covered.

If you are on facebook, there are a lot of Canadian Lyme groups there, and I am sure you could find people in Ontario. Some of the Lyme groups are closed (so tighter privacy. You can't see anything unless you are in the groups) and some are open- so be careful depending on what your privacy settings are. I don't want anything about Lyme disease popping up on my facebook since I have co-workers etc. there.

Off the top of my head, some of the groups are:

Lyme Crimes (private group. Has mostly Canadians, but not all)
Lyme OHOH CANADA (open)
Canadian Lyme group
Posted 4/27/2012 12:35 PM (GMT -5)
We have Great West Life. Give Sunlife a call and ask if they cover drugs dispensed in Canada even if prescribed by a US doctor. CanadaDrugs dispenses US prescriptions to Canadians as long as it is an official prescription Rxed by a licenced doctor. Our LLMD is a licenced doctor in NY and therefore her prescriptions are acceptied by CanadaDrugs.
Posted 4/27/2012 4:25 PM (GMT -5)
Hi, I'm in Montreal, I saw Dr M in Plattsburgh, NY. She dx back in 2007.

At the time, I was also with Sunlife and my insurance would not cover the visit nor the abx. I had to get my MD in Canada to re-write the rx'es and I got them filled here in Montreal.

I also need to add, this LLMD is big on rx'ing abx. I was on abx for months and just got more and more sick. Please check out natural therapies along with abx. You will not heal on ABX alone, no one ever has, no one ever will.
There is a LLND who treats only Lyme. I did one of his conferences and he's awesome. He in Milton Ontario.
Posted 4/27/2012 6:05 PM (GMT -5)
To add to peacesoul, I actually see an LLND, but she mainly uses antibiotics. While I think antibiotics 100% on their own (no probiotics or anything) can't cure Lyme, there are people who have recovered with pretty much only antibiotics and probiotics. Many people do chose to use only alternative medicine, and I would guess the majority of people and both LLMDs and LLNDs use a combination. With Lyme there are no clear cut and easy answers. I think saying that no one every has or ever will get better on antibiotics alone is no more fair than saying that alternative medicine is a total hoax and can't help anyone. Different strategies work with different people, and whatever decision you DO make and whatever decision you CAN make (since in Canada we only have so many options), I don't want you to feel like it is "wrong" or "hopeless". There are many different roads people take to recover from this illness.

I personally do not believe I will be able to recover form Lyme without antibiotics, but alternative remedies have been vital to healping support my adrenal system and keep me functioning as I go through treatment.

I am probably feeling touchy right now as I had to make a call on the path my treatment would take, and had some pressure from relatives about it, which just made a very difficult decision worse. Research your options, visit both MDs and NDs, and see who resonates the most for YOU.
Posted 4/30/2012 10:51 AM (GMT -5)
Thanks to all of you for your insights and assitance with my questions. I am indeed following both an antibiotic treamtment program in tandem with a multitude of supplements and probiotics. My LLMD (who is the same Dr. M in Plattsburgh that peacesoul was seeing) in NY treats agressively with antibiotics, but seems imense benefits in treating with supplements and other alternative remedies. Just got back from Nature's Emporium with $200 of natural supplements to assist with healing and the nasty side effects of the antibiotics. I started my tratment regime today, and I have to share with you all that although I'm sure there will be some hideous days down the road, I am so motivated to get better that I am actually happy to be starting this journey. I thank you all again for your responses and wish you all the best of luck with your recoveries.
Thanks
Kristin
Posted 8/8/2015 10:51 PM (GMT -5)
How are the Canadians in this group doing? I anticipate I may have similar issues with insurance and with finding a doctor out of province (though I have my eye on an LLND out west, I am worried about their prescriptions being accepted by my insurance company).
Posted 8/8/2015 11:40 PM (GMT -5)
Toronto - I'm not in the group that previously posted...but do you have Blue Cross extended health? (Did I already ask you this before?)

That is what my husband has, and most of our antibiotic prescriptions are 80% covered.
As well, the LLND's appointments are 80% reimbursed - up to $500 per year. I have to submit those receipts to Blue Cross, but the prescriptions, I just pay the 20% at the Pharmacy when I pick up my meds.

There's got to be a way around the out-of-Province issue.

If I am repeating myself - I apologize - there have been a few members from Canada lately that have joined the forum.
Posted 8/9/2015 9:06 AM (GMT -5)
We treated in the US (Buffalo) and nothing was covered. I tried to get a doctor in our area of Niagara to rewrite prescriptions so they could be claimed, but no luck. They all thought I was a loon.

We purchased through CanadaDrugs.com and the prices were not too bad, but we were unable to get reimbursement. At that point though naturopaths in Canada were unable to prescribe abx.

Because we have shifted away from abx, towards herbals now we no longer have those issues to deal with.

K is 100% now and holding. We remain on low doses of Buhner's bartonella protocol (minus l-arginine) with some additions from the babesia protocol.
Posted 8/9/2015 9:19 AM (GMT -5)
I don't have Blue Cross, I'm with another ext health carrier through my work.

I was looking into NDs in BC and Alberta, where they can rx abx. Does anyone know if out of province (but still within Canada) prescriptions can either a) be filled at Ontario pharmacies, or b) be claimed on a drug policy in Ontario after being filled in another province
Posted 8/9/2015 9:35 AM (GMT -5)
PeaceSoul. I tried looking up a LLND in Milton, On., but do not find anything at all. Is this a practicing LLND - taking patients? I only see a LLND in Richmond Hill and one in Uxbridge,ON being advertised. I tried to e-mail you, but it did not go through ( wrong e-mail address?)
Posted 8/9/2015 2:20 PM (GMT -5)
needhelp - if you will email me, I can give you PeaceSoul's contact information. She's actually a practicing Naturopath now!!
Posted 8/9/2015 3:00 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks Trav!! I will do that right now....
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