Replacement....Medicare

I am on my second pacemaker, have now had it for eight years and battery still checking good. However the factory rep called in my readings and factory computer gives me an 8-15 month
battery life. My Doc says Medicare has a strict time limit and I am nowhere near it. I would like to have it replaced now. I hear from others that if Doc recommends, Medicare will ok. I am wondering if I am getting accurate info and that he does not to bother with it now. I do not want to wait for any safe mode experience.
Any thoughts?

5 Comments

I just talked with my Cardio about this

by janetinak - 2011-03-29 11:03:01

yesterday as I am approaching Elective Replacement (ERT) & am glad to wait. But in our discussion, he mentioned that Mcare will not pay for replacement before that. Mine will be replaced at ERT & before EOL. I have checked this out before our discussion yesterday as there was a rumor that Mcare wanted to wait until EOL. I s/w the Mcare specialist at my cardio's office & she said it will be replaced at ERT & not wait for .EOL & Mcare will pay.

Hope that helps,

Janet

I agree with the others

by walkerd - 2011-03-30 06:03:33

medicare probably will not pay before its time to replace the device. Why do you want to get it changed now if there is 8 to 15 months left on battery life??? Thats almost one thing you can bank on if the government has guidelines set its ussually pretty hard to get around them. Let us know stan2ee why.

dave

Too Soon?

by donr - 2011-03-30 10:03:25

Stan: I looked at your profile & see that you were born in 1925 - that makes you pretty senior to most of us - by more than a few yrs in my case.

Is that why you want an early replacement? Really not necessary - the PM will give you plenty of warning about its impending end of life. Just keep frequent contact w/ your Cardio so they can see when it is getting close.

Don

too soon

by stan2ee - 2011-03-30 10:03:58

Thanks for all of the comments. My reason for being concerned is that I need to be away from my home for about 3-4 months. Far away! so I was hoping I could get an early start on the replacement.

Pacemaker Replacement

by J.B. - 2011-03-30 12:03:43


I'm sure Medicare does have rules that must be followed on getting pacemaker replacements although I don't know what they are. Also there is something called ethics that might figure into the equation. I think it would be unethical for a doctor to replace a pacemaker if it didn't need to be replaced.

I'm not sure why you want your changed out so far in advance, but it is because you think the battery will die and leave you high and dry. As you know your pacemaker will go into a safe mode and while that mode does feel different from what you feel daily, but it is not bad.

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