Geez!
5:33 PM Edit This 12 Comments »
A couple of days ago I got price quotes from a local travel clinic. There are a zillion vaccines that we need prior to traveling to ETH. I had no idea it was going to cost several hundred dollars per person in vaccines alone... This much was not already factored into the budget...
Anyone have ideas on how to get cheap travel vaccines? (No, insurance won't cover it...)
Anyone have ideas on how to get cheap travel vaccines? (No, insurance won't cover it...)
12 comments:
did you ask at the student clinic at Rutgers? (I'm assuming there is one)
I have a free Hep B series at school. You guys want it?
Have you checked your public health dept? Probably have. I think the idea about Rutgers clinic is a good one. Also I wondered if any one at work would be able to connect you with a clinic. We are going to check around here to see if we can find something for you at the med center.
Hugs to you!! mom
What about this place? As an employee of UMDNJ, I'm surprised there aren't discounts for you. I second checking out the Rutgers clinic. Indiana had a great clinic with cheaper prescriptions and vaccines. Even getting an eye exam through their School of Optometry was cheap since it was a learning experience for the students. This place below sounds like it's a med school, so maybe it's a little cheaper since it's a learning environment for students (and it includes yellow fever vaccination, which you need for Ethiopia).
--Jenn
Alcid, David V., MD
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Clinical Academic Bldg.
125 Paterson Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Telephone: (732) 235-7060
Diagnosis and treatment of tropical and parasitic diseases. Pre-travel counseling and immunization, YF, plague, JE. Parasitology laboratory on-site.
I want to also mention that the typhoid vaccine for us was a pill, which our Rx plan did cover (and it didn't cover any of the shots). It also covered the Cipro and the Malarone that we took with us (all pills). I know when I asked in advance, they said no travel stuff was covered, but at least a few things ended up getting covered, with us just paying the copay.
thanks for all the info, guys. we actually have already talked about checking at RU (our school) and UBHC (my work). It might be that we still have to pay for Yellow Fever and less common vaccinations, but maybe we can get the Heps covered? Jenn--the guy that you listed is one of the guys I already called... it is a 'travel clinic' that charges full price. mom--I actually haven't checked the public health dept. here. that might be a good idea. holly--i had no idea that the typhoid vaccine was pill form... that could be nice b/c we have a pretty great prescription plan.
So this raises another question. Does health insurance cover childhood vaccines like MMR and chicken pox or do parents have to pay out of pocket for that? And what about the boosters for school and college? I admit I've never had to think about this, but it seems like health plans should cover vaccines for children. Will you have to get your baby vaccinated once in the states or does that happen in Ethiopia (I'm guessing no)?
Don't forget the Cipro. You'll be so thankful when you need it and have it.
--Jenn
Vaccinations for kids are covered by insurance - at least, all the ones that you are supposed to get. I suppose if you needed something special like Yellow Fever vacc for them, for travel, that might be a diff story. And you sign a waiver (I think it's a part of the referral packet) that says it's ok that you don't get your kid vaccinated in Ethiopia, but you will do it as soon as you get back. It's something for the embassy, I think, although I think we ended up never giving it to anyone. But WHFC wants you to fill something out after you are back for a while that shows that the kid has been vaccinated and what the results of the various tests have been since they came back. Short and sweet, but you do def have to make sure you are getting the kid vaccinated once you get back. The way it worked with Maren is we had to go in every month to get her caught up, since she missed the first year's worth. By the 15 month appt, she was caught up.
I wish I had a good suggestion for how to get discounted vaccines but, unfortunately, I don't :( However (and this is the financial advisor coming out in me) what about starting some type of "vaccine fund" that friends/family/blog readers can contribute to? People may only be able to contribute a few dollars, but every little bit helps :)
Just checked in on you. Been really busy working plus teaching two classes this semester. I haven't tried this, but someone who adopted told me to say "I'll be bringing a child into my family who will have been exposed to (insert all possible exposures"). Then see if your insurance will pay. The words "travel vaccinations" are evidently the surest way to getting coverage denied, according to those who have done this before us.
who are you last anonymous poster? :)
Hey Kathryn,
Sorry, it's me, Karen Lykins from Cookeville. I didn't mean to leave my name off.
My husband has had his shots. I'm not sure how he coded them, but insurance paid for them. I haven't had mine yet. I'll probably go to the health dept.
Karen
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