Medicare and Pain Program

IMPORTANT NEWS RE:  MEDICARE & APF PAIN PROGRAM......

MEDICARE

If you are on Medicare and have been refused treatment options, glucose or Panhematin©, please contact the APF immediately - 866 APF 3635 or kellyapf@aol.com

The APF will be presenting our case to Medicare in three weeks and need as many patients as possible to strengthen our claims regarding treatment. Some patients have not received treatment for almost two years while others have not received it at all. Yet, in a few states, patients have had no trouble receiving treatment.

PAIN  PROGRAM

The APF has begun instituting a PAIN PROGRAM. Because receiving pain medication has become such a serious issue in a number of states, the APF has been collecting experiences of patients who have faced serious problems with pain and little, if any, pain treatment.

For example, the new Florida law prohibits a physician or practice from dispensing Schedule II or Schedule III controlled substances except in very limited circumstances. Also, it regulates the ownership and operation of pain-management clinics; and requires any physician who prescribes controlled substance medications to a patient for chronic nonmalignant pain to register with the Department of Health by January 1, 2012, and conform to certain standards of practice.

Patients are generally told to make an appointment at a local pain clinic but most often they cannot obtain an appointment for six or more weeks.

This has presented a serious problem to porphyria patients who suffer attacks and or have painful neurapathies, etc.  If you have faced this same situation, please contact the APF.

Remember........Research is the key to your cure!