(no subject)

[the_rck]

The bread is in. I think the timing will work.

I managed, thanks to velvetwhip, I managed to open the clinic listing. The print on it is tiny, and the program I used wouldn’t let me edit to enlarge it or copy the text to paste into any other program (I couldn’t even highlight things). I suppose I should be glad I could print the damned thing. The program I used to open the file is only a temporary fix because it has a three day free trial and then costs $$ that I’m not willing to pay for something that I’ll use very rarely.

Sadly, of the two clinics actually in Ann Arbor, one doesn’t carry either the shingles vaccine or the pneumonia vaccine. The other carries both but will not bill insurance; it’s cash or credit card only. There’s one clinic in Ypsilanti, and I haven’t tried that one yet because three phone calls in one day is already pushing things. There’s a clinic in Canton that might, kind of, sort of, be on Scott’s way home from work. It is, at least, on Ford Road, and I know he drives on a bit of that on his way. There are three in Plymouth that might not be a huge extra trip from where he works (I haven’t actually checked the maps yet).

Right now, I’m planning to hand Scott the list and let him do the rest of the calling. Tomorrow, I’ll schedule myself for the pneumonia vaccine at UHS and just deal with paying for the cab. $22 is a heck of a lot better than $250.

Scott says that he’d rather get shingles than pay $250 for a vaccination, but I think he’s coming down on the wrong side of things on that one. I don’t think he has any grasp of what shingles is like.

Comments

[maramcreates]

Scott says that he’d rather get shingles than pay $250 for a vaccination, but I think he’s coming down on the wrong side of things on that one. I don’t think he has any grasp of what shingles is like.

Well...and it will likely cost more than $250 in lost income if he does come down with shingles....

I'd look around though, some places may have discounts. And, sometimes, depending on how a doctor's office bills things to insurance, you might get some of that knocked off (if say that part of the $250 is the visit, then coupling it with a covered visit may just put out at the cost of the vaccine itself). Anyway, I recommend getting the vaccine.

[the_rck]

The $250 is what Walgreen's charges to have a pharmacy employee give the shot on a walk-in basis. The chart for the UHS affiliated clinic says $235, but it's only available via a separate, specifically for vaccination appointment.

Basically, he'll have a sleep disorders clinic appointment (not at UHS) this month and a colonoscopy in April (also not at UHS). Barring emergencies, he won't see anyone for anything else until next February when he does his annual.

None of the places we might go do vaccinations in combination with other services. They send people to special clinics that do nothing but vaccinations. I think that it's mainly that the normal medical clinics have no way to store vaccines. They can't do on site blood or urine tests, either. You have to go to a different clinic for that and yet another clinic for x-rays or ultrasounds. They're all in the same building, but they're staffed by completely different people and are really separate things.

The UHS immunization clinic generally needs about three weeks to schedule an appointment for a vaccination.

[maramcreates]

Ah! Yeah, that would make it difficult then.
Sorry :(

[lunabee34]

Scott is 100 percent wrong on that one. I would rather pay $2,000 than get shingles. I will be happy to elaborate on Josh and my mother's experiences with shingles if you think that would help.

[the_rck]

I think that, for Scott, the difficulty is that our budget is still floundering due to adding in car payments and trying to deal with Christmas. $250 is a car payment if I recall correctly. He probably doesn't see where the money could come from, we've pretty much tapped out our savings dealing with urgent, expensive house stuff (roof, sewer line, air conditioner) and the car. Those things together have eaten more than $20000 in the last three years.

But I will bear you in mind as a source of horror stories if I think they will help. Thank you.

[lunabee34]

I didn't mean to imply that it wouldn't expensive or be flippant about that. 200 dollars is a lot of money and nothing to sneeze at. I can totally understand being apprehensive about the cost. But after watching people in my family get it, I'm scared of getting it myself. Josh still has nerve pain from his bout and that was almost twenty years ago that he had it.

[zhelana]

Tell Scott he's crazy. Shingles sucks. Take the vaccine.

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

Sorry that after all that you're still going to have to endure a cab ride after all.


Gabrielle

[luna-shovegood.livejournal.com]

My mum got shingles around the time my brother got chickenpox... definitely worth a vaccination.

Sucks that the insurance company gave you a list with unhelpful items on.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

I agree. $22 is way better than $250!

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Not only does shingles suck donkey balls, it can include massive courses of antivirals, painkillers and of course diagnoses. Not sure where your insurance falls in terms of covering treatment, but he may find it's even more expensive (excluding the misery aspect) to get the illness. :(

[the_rck]

Well, apparently, the CDC has changed the age recommendation from 50 to 60, so some places won't give the shot to anyone younger. Our insurance will cover it at 50, but we have to find a clinic that will do it.

But, yeah, shingles looks terrifying.

[lady-of-mists.livejournal.com]

Shingles is EVIL and it looks awful. Those commercials do not exaggerate what that stuff can look like.

[herself_nyc]

I know a lot about shingles, and can say with confidence that it's worth $250 to significantly lower one's risk of getting it. Having it would cost a hell of lot more money in suffering and lost productivity.