Peg-tube nutrition and Medicare

caregiver wife
caregiver wife Member Posts: 234
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

During recent hospital stay, nutritionist recommended Two-Cal canned nutrition product for my husband.  They referred us to home health care management which husband does not qualify for at this time.

Long story short, after finding out this is an 'institution only' product used by hospital and nursing homes, I contacted manufacturer Abbott for information on how to obtain this product.  They helped me locate Medicare information that nutritional costs are covered under durable equipment coverage (part B) for certain persons dependant on feeding tube as source of nutrition.  Abbott also helped me find local medical distributor that worked with oncologist to get Medicare approval.

Two-Cal HN is a double density product similar to Resource 2.  These products have approximately twice the calorie and vitamin content of an Ensure type product and are designed for long term use.

First monthly shipment arrived - nutrition, split sponges, tape, syringes.  Everything we needed.  Other equipment available for those using gravity feeding.  I absolutely broke down in tears!  Such a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.  I have struggled with nutritional needs and the cost for over FOUR YEARS!  To find out this help was available and he could have been on this product all this time was extremely frustrating.

Posting this just in case there is anyone else out there struggling with this need.

Caregiver Wife

 

 

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    nutrition

    caregiver wife,

    Getting sufficient nutrition is a problem encountered by a number of H&N members both pre  and post treatments.  The subject of high calorie supplement came up recently, but I cannot remember what the product name was.

    You would think that your treatment facilities would have and share knowledge about ALL the available products, but they don’t.  Either they forget or do not know.  More than once I have read on here about people finding out about something for the first time.

    It is always helpful when members share.  With nutrition being so important and often times EXTREMELY difficult to satisfy, your information is timely.

    Matt

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #3
    Thank you!!!

    All information of this type is needed and wanted. 

    p

  • Ladylacy
    Ladylacy Member Posts: 773 Member
    edited November 2016 #4
    Nutrition

    This is something your doctors should have informed you about in the beginning.  I know that as soon as my husband started Radiation and had a feeding tube inserted, we were told that Medicare would provide the nutrition he needed.  The oncologist's office submitted everything that was needed to my husband's medicare advantage supplier and it was shipped monthly.  Then, if I remember correctly, it was every 6 months or yearly, the oncologist's office and/or the head and neck specialist's office resubmitted the order.  After radiation he was never able to swallow again and relied solely on the feeding tube.  And yes we had a co-pay because he was on a medicare advantage program.  But the co-pay was better than paying the full amount.  When he went on hospice, they supplied the nutrition and we had no co-pay.

    This is important information for all, thank you for posting it.

  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,034 Member
    edited November 2016 #5
    A suggestion?

    Maybe someone could add this information to the Superthread under "Insurance Issues" that is already on the list.

    My Best to Everyone Here

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    edited November 2016 #6
    Cheeseburger with fries

     

       cheeseburger with fries please calories about 510.

     

    I will blend anything I feel like eating into my magic bullet on the road or off the road. I use the milk sometime as well but need to cut it as it is too strong to take right out the bottle for me.

     

    All I can say is I love my PEG Tube; it is the only thing that comes between my wife caretaker and me.

     

    Tim

     

  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    edited November 2016 #7
    Gotta jump in on this one.

    I used Two-Cal and Boost Plus in my Peg Tube for 11 months.  Putting down 4 cans a day of Two-Cal (I think), and 2 bottles of Boost Plus.  This was in 2009, and got rid of the tube in 2010.  I went a month of eating solids to make sure before getting it popped.  I found that Two-Cal is very thick and I had to dilute it 50/50 with tepid water.  I find I'm really lucky in that my Parish has a Cancer Services Center that is funded by United Way and a property tax millage.  This Center provided me with all the nutrition and devices that I could possibly use.  Have their own nutritionist on staff, Social workers and a comprehensive Cancer Library.  It's all free to patients and survivors, as long as you are able to give back with Cancer Support meetings and helping those who are going down the "Ole Dark Road".  It was a God send to me.

    Larry

  • MW
    MW Member Posts: 3
    #8
    Thank you caregiver wife, I

    Thank you caregiver wife, I am so glad for your post. I will be getting my feeding tube next week. I first had my cancer NPC back in June 20011,

    it came back to both of my lungs stage 4, can't have any rad only chemo. I was hardly eating and drank one Ensure in the morning. About a month

    ago I suddenly found I was having problem swallowing and was not able to move my tongue around to swallow food and my speech was impaired.

    Long story short I had a x-ray test while eating and drinking and the result showed my food and liquid was going down my air way which will end up in my lungs.

    So now I need a feeding tube. The doctors think is due to rad damage from my first treatment of my cancer. It would be great if medicare will cover my  nutrition

    drink. Thanks so much for this information.

  • caregiver wife
    caregiver wife Member Posts: 234
    edited December 2016 #9
    MW said:

    Thank you caregiver wife, I

    Thank you caregiver wife, I am so glad for your post. I will be getting my feeding tube next week. I first had my cancer NPC back in June 20011,

    it came back to both of my lungs stage 4, can't have any rad only chemo. I was hardly eating and drank one Ensure in the morning. About a month

    ago I suddenly found I was having problem swallowing and was not able to move my tongue around to swallow food and my speech was impaired.

    Long story short I had a x-ray test while eating and drinking and the result showed my food and liquid was going down my air way which will end up in my lungs.

    So now I need a feeding tube. The doctors think is due to rad damage from my first treatment of my cancer. It would be great if medicare will cover my  nutrition

    drink. Thanks so much for this information.

    Guide from Abbott (maker of TwoCal)

    http://static.abbottnutrition.com/cms-prod/abbottnutrition.com/img/9th Edition Reimbursement Manual - Interactive PDF.pdf

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