Prescriptions for supplies, and others' experiences.

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NiteMouse

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  1. Diaperfur
  2. Incontinent
Trying to be prepared. I have an upcoming doctor visit.
I attempt to be concise here.

Involved in an auto accident, many broken things. Over a year of suffering. During this time, I have lost my insurance from work (on very extended medical leave). I am experiencing urinary incontinence, with some bowel leakage.

Has anyone received a prescription for IC supplies? Diapers are getting quite expensive. I would be concerned that I have no active insurance, and all my medical bills and out of pocket prescriptions are ending up in my lawyer's inbox, pending a settlement after treatment has concluded.

Was using: total dry x-plus or bambino classico (on the recommendation of a diaper fur friend I know) They were pretty good. And, wow... having had to switch to a drug store branded diaper due to cost concerns. These things are awful, especially over night. Getting a rash up my lower back when I use them. (Back sleeper / urine migrating out) That's when the tapes don't rip off anyway.

Really what I'm looking for.
Has anyone had any similar experiences where they require supplies, but have no active insurances to cover costs. And IF so, are these options cheaper or even attainable in my case?

Option 2?
Value priced, breathable, with over night absorbency, tape up style.

Hoping this was directed in the right place, and any information would be fantastic.
 
Costwise I've actually found the Abena M4 to be the most cost effective for me when I actually look at it. Basically it comes down to them being very absorbent so you're only using maybe 1 m4 for every 2 or 3 of the store brand diaper you would be using, but they aren't 2 times more expensive per unity, so in the long run you're actually going to be spending less.

When I first started going 24/7 I was using Attends Breathable Briefs. I went through probably 6 of them per day or more. I was paying a per unit price of $1.07 for them, so the average daily cost came out to $6.48. I switched to Abena M4 after a bit and the per unit cost I am paying for Abena M4s is $1.27, but I use on average 2 or 3 per day, on very rare occasion 4, so the per day cost is generally $2.55, but can be as high as $5.09, but in either case still cheaper than the average cost of the Attends.

Another major issue was due to low build quality there were often an Attends every once in a while as well that had to get tossed due to a tap tab ripping or it being otherwise unuseable, so that brought the cost even higher, whereas that is a much more rare happening with the Abena M4. So basically with the M4s you get a larger initial cost, but that cost lasts you longer than the same amount of money would with cheaper diapers.
 
Option 1: I don't have much experience here, I'm afraid. I have active insurance through work, although diapers and catheters are explicitly excluded from the plan. I have an FSA set up for diapers; I still pay for them myself, but it's pre-tax, so at least there's some savings. You might look into what medical bills (diapers would be included) you can claim on your income taxes. There's a certain threshold of earnings to bills where it makes sense to start claiming over just taking the standard deduction. I've never met that threshold, but it sounds like you may since you've been out of work for a while. Something to look into. Also, I believe Medicare (not Medicaid) in some states will cover diapers. I'm not sure what the requirements are for signing up; I believe it has something to do with income and disability... Maybe someone can shed some light on that option.

Option 2: you could try Tena Super. They are breathable with excellent Velcro tapes and value priced. They are not as absorbent as Secure X-Plus and they lack standing leak guards, but the 'Super' line is Tena's most absorbent in the USA (assuming you are in the US). Best price I've found is $0.62 per, by the case, size medium:

Tena Super Fitted Briefs Size Medium Case/56 (2/28s) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FBXFLU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_ZV31ub0C7Q71G

Another more expensive option would be Abena Delta Form M3. Breathable, Velcro tapes, standing leak guards, $1.17 per for a case of medium from XPMedical:

http://www.xpmedical.com/deltaform.html

You might also check out the clearance page on XPMedical. The Absorbency Plus Level 4 are plastic backed, but they are a good choice that is amost on par with the Secure X-Plus for absorbency; no standing leak guards or refastenable tapes, but $1.09 per for mediums by the case. They do fit on the smaller end of medium and are made for a tall/thin build. The padding rise is fairly high, definitely higher than the Tena, so this may be good for a back sleeper. The Abena Super on the same page are cloth backed and, while a lower absorbency, may work depending on your needs.

http://www.xpmedical.com/clearance.html

Subjectively, I would rank the above products from greatest to least absorbency:

Secure X-Plus
Absorbency Plus Level 4
Delta-Form M3
Tena Super, Abena Super M2
(a few more levels down)
Store brands
 
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I've finally been diagnosed with overflow incontinence, my doctor is sending me to a urologist tomorrow to make sure everything is physically intact before he writes a rx for diapers. Which is fine for me, but I am not looking forward to a cystoscopy. However that isn't scheduled so I don't know if that will happen. Anyways, I've also been buying my diapers outright and have come to the conclusion that the more absorbant the better it is for cost, for me atleast. I wear mainly the dry 24/7, and although very pricey I only go through 2 maybe 3 per day if you count my night time one that is worn through the morning hours also. I'm a big guy, 300lbs and 6'3" tall. So I don't fit into most large diapers and require extra large, but the absorbancy of those larger diapers with the exception of wellness brief is not there. I can fit into L4's and Drys easily so I stay where I know I will fit. The Tena Supers are a pretty good diaper overall, the padding doesn't rise very high in the back, at least for me, and they don't have standing leak guards, but they absorb very well and can be used to extended periods depending on how much you wet. Here in PA, if I do get a script for diapers I won't be having the luxury of drys or abena's as far as I know, they will most likely be a cheap brand like kendall or medline, but with a stuffer or two they might work. Best of luck!
 
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