Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
I live in a state where pot is legal. I smoked some in august and over 30 days later I still tested positive. and was refused treatment for harvoni. it is because the fed. regs. still classify pot as a schedule 1 drug. along with heroine and cocaine. I have NEVER done those drugs, I contracted this disease while working in a drug rehab ward of a hospital back in the 1980's. I have been stage 4 cirrhosis for over 2 years. I don't know if I will make it until march. feel pretty weak and shaky sometimes. some pain in the liver, getting worse. just want to say thanks to all the commenters out there that have kept me thinking positive. it gets more difficult each day. I feel like my life is being held hostage. so don't be fooled by being uninformed. the feds still have control and they don't seem to be in any hurry to help someone who needs it. god bless you all and live your life like you like it really means something.
The rationale is most likely that if a person is a drug user, they have a chance of being reinfected. So why spend the $ to treat?
The underlying cause of this is the cost of the drug. If it were $1 a pill, everyone would be cured by now.
But the laws classifying pot as a schedule 1 drug needs to be changed, as well as the rules for denying treatment to those that test positive for THC.
I feel for you. Good luck.
Heck, alcohol is okay!! same darn thing.
I bet they think you are using and don't want to spend the money on you.
I am so very, very sorry that you are being treated this way.
I will pray for you, I know how hard it is just waiting and waiting for the approval. Everyone else seems to get it but you, well that is what my mind was thinking.
Have some faith in God and those of us that pray will be praying for you. He can work miracles. He did it for me and I know he will for you.
That darn government!! For crissake - if you had heavy duty, really illegal drugs - maybe, but come on - a cure for anyone means another one bites the dust - Hep C I mean.
God Bless and hang in there - I know it is so hard and painful!
Keep faith, the liver is amazing! Keep treating it with kindness & it will see you through. Many have had end stage cirrhosis for 10 years & more & are still kicking. You'll get treatment.
Keep fighting the ins companies and work with your Doc. I was turned down the first time and my Doc said "Oh Hell NO". Got approved the second time. Seems like a lot of people get turned down the first time on expensive TX. It is after all, "all about the money!"
Got you in my prayers man,
Bill
in Calif, that is how it goes.........( i wish i could but it makes me paranoid )
if that is your situation you could show the rx and it should not be a problem.
But my other comment/question is.....who did the drug test ? nobody gave me one , to approve my treatment for HCV.
doc asked what i am on, including OTC and i told him, but he was really just comparing it to what he was looking at on his computer screen.........here it shows all your rx's in a data base.
i forget one to tell him and he said " are you still taking ___?" And i laughed and said oh ,yea..
I see all my result and all the tests the Doc orders and I know what they all are So nope never had a drug test run
Fight as hard as you can ..!!
later, he realized my insurance, which ironically is what you have when you are poor.....Calif. version of medicaid....plus, medicare..........he said yes, they are easier to get it from
and he pointed out to me , the cost.........which i did not have to pay, or i never would have gotten it.
it is something like $80-$90,000 !
i still cannot wrap my head around that, or believe they agreed.
they did call me after i began and askd if i would answer a voluntarily agreed to questionaire, saying it would have no effect on me being qualified for meds , whether i said yes or no, i would still receive.
well me, being how i am and so grateful and blessed to have been given this chance, i said sure.
most of the questions were, do i have a support system in place to assist me if it gets hard on me,had i missed any doses so far,
do i agree to take my doses on time, and never miss any, am i feeling ok, etc.
afterward, my insurance company all of a sudden started sending me things in the mail saying they could not confirm my address and i need to confirm it to continue coverage............and i did.......but they started sending the same thing over and over every week.
i began getting paranoid, thinking hmmmm , they are trying to find a way to get out of paying the next 2 months. but i kept on replying and putting my foot down.
i think in hindsight, it was maybe the specialty pharmacy who always had problems , finding me on delivery day, that could have been at the root of all that.
If you're receiving State-Assisted Medical Insurance (OHP in Oregon), you cannot be treated for HepC, and the State does require anyone on State-Assistance be tested in advance for THC prior to the State footing the bill for these very expensive meds - sucks big time, I agree. But it is what it is, for now. I suppose Colorado, Washington, Alaska and DC all have similar limitations imposed on State-Assisted Medical Insurances.
I am on Medicare thru Social Security Disability, and told my GI doc that I had experimented with some of the medical mj products & found it's the only thing helping my nerve pain, and he did not even test me - he had no problem even if I had wanted to continue to use it during treatment - which I chose not to do after about the 10th day into treatment, cuz I was using an alcohol-based tincture and just did not want to risk it. Also, I cannot smoke it early in the day, as I just end up not being able to get my necessities done at all, so I wait until 4:20 (haha) or so to start that, once my chores & other needs are met for each day.
So, if you're NOT on state-assisted health insurance, I would go see another doctor - if you would like, private message me for more info, as I used to be a Healthcare Paralegal and have learned how to navigate around many issues just like this.
"If you're receiving State-Assisted Medical Insurance (OHP in Oregon), you cannot be treated for HepC,"
THAT SHOULD READ: ... If you're receiving State-Assisted Medical Insurance (OHP in Oregon), you cannot be treated for HepC, ... IF you test positive for THC.
Sorry for getting side-tracked & not finishing that thought prior to the rest of that paragraph.