Neulasta and TennCare Medicaid

Good morning.

I'm enjoying these twilight hours, wondering if I'll go see my oncologist today for a shot of Neulasta (a drug that stimulates the growth of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections. It helps the body produce these cells, reducing the risk of infections during chemotherapy treatments.) At first, my insurance wouldn't cover this medication because there was no proof that I would need it. At my oncology visit yesterday, it shows that my white blood cell counts are continuing to drop, so now we have the proof for insurance to approve it. I pondered why insurance wouldn't pre-approve it, and it turns out the sticker price for just one shot of this medication (which I'll need many of) is almost $7,000 wow! So grateful that I have medical insurance... I'd need to be a billionaire otherwise.

P.S. You can apply for TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid program, any time of year. There isn't a specific open enrollment period for TennCare like there is for the Health Insurance Marketplace. You can apply online through TennCare Connect (https://www.tn.gov/.../how-do-i-apply-for-tenncare.html).

Make sure you are taking care of yourself and your body!!

This is your reminder to schedule your annual checkup if you haven't.

Love you all.