A 100 PERCENT DISABLED VETERAN
BILL HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE
PAYING.
FOR YEARS, THE RETIRED ARMY
VETERAN DEPENDED ON
SOME VERY EXPENSIVE INTRAVENOUS
DRIPS AND THERAPY
TODAY, THE FORMER SPECIAL
FORCES MASTER SERGEANT IS
HOSPICE CARE.
HE CALLED WATE SIX ON YOUR SIDE
CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR DON DARE
AFTER RUNNING INTO A
DEAD END IN HIS FAILURE TO HAVE
DON:
THAT'S RIGHT
MATT ST. MARIE'S DISABILITY
CHECK IS
HIS FAMILY'S ONLY INCOME. HIS
WIFE
LEFT HER JOB TO CARE FOR HIM.
THE BILL FOR MORE THAN
22-HUNDRED
AGO
WHEN MATT ENDED HIS SPECIAL IV
INFUSIONS.
HE'S BEEN FIGHTING WITH THE
COMPANY EVER SINCE.
KAREN ST. MARIE CAREFULLY LAYS
HER HUSBAND DOWN. MATT ST.
MARIE IS ILL SUFFERING FROM A
NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER CALLED
CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY
DEMYELINATING POLYNEUROPATHY, OR
CIDP.
THE RETIRED GREEN BERET
MASTER SERGEANT SERVED IN THE
FIRST GULF WAR. HE WAS ONCE
ACTIVE
PERCENT DISABLED FROM HIS
SERVICE
CONNECTED DISABILITY OF CIDP.
MATT ST. MARIE, IT'S EXTREMELY
PAINFUL. I'M IN
HOSPICE NOW. THE OUTLOOK IS NOT
GOOD. I'M STARTING TO GO
DOWN HILL PRETTY FAST.
BEGINNING FOUR YEARS AGO, HE
IMMUNOGLOBULIN INFUSIONS FROM
DIPLOMAT SPECIALITY INFUSION
GROUP. HE SAYS THE IVIG
GAVE HIM ANTIBODIES TO FIGHT
INFECTIONS.
MATT: IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE. I
DIDN'T PAY ANYTHING FOR IT
BECAUSE MEDICARE COVERED IT.
AND, TRICARE FOR LIFE PAID,
I THOUGHT, THE REST. AND THEN I
GOT A BILL.
SO, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, HE STATED
ARRANGEMENTS OF 25 DOLLARS A
MONTH WITH DIPLOMAT. THEN IN
JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, HE BEGAN
INFUSIONS ENDED, BUT THE BILLS
DIDN'T.
MATT: RECENTLY WE JUST GOT
ANOTHER BILL. IT IS 2-
THOUSAND-270-DOLLARS AND TWO
CENTS. FOR ME TO GET A BILL, I
WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY. I WAS
ALREADY
MAKING PAYMENTS FOR 25 DOLLARS A
DISABLED. SHOULD YOU BE GETTING
A BILL
LIKE THIS? MATT: I SHOULD BE
PAYING NOTHING. FOR
EXAMPLE, ANYTIME I GO INTO THE
HOSPITAL, I'VE HAD SEVERAL
HOSPITALIZATIONS I DON'T PAY A
DIME. I'M THE ONLY
ONE WITH AN INCOME. MY WIFE
RETIRED FROM HER JOB AT THE
AIRBASE. SHE'S TAKING CARE OF ME
RIGHT NOW. I CONTACTED DIPLOMAT
OWE.THEY SAID
MEDICARE HAS PAID EVERYTHING
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO AND TRICARE
HAS PAID EVERYTHING THEY'RE
SUPPOSED TO AND I OWE THEM THAT
MUCH MONEY. I DON'T WANT TO
LEAVE THIS BEHIND FOR MY FAMILY.
KAREN ST. MARIE, MATT'S WIFE:
SUDDENLY OUT OF THE BLUE
THEY WANT THIS MONEY UP FRONT.
SAYING HERE YOU OWE
US THIS MONEY.
MRS. ST. MARIE SAYS THE EXTRA
FINANCIAL BURDEN HAS ADDED
STRESS TO HER HUSBAND'S ALREADY
FRAGILE CONDITION. SHE CONTACTED
THE
INFUSION COMPANY, DIPLOMAT.
TO THESE PEOPLE AT ALL?
KAREN: YES, BUT THEY SAY, YOU
NEED TO PAY THIS NOW.
MORE THAN 2 MONTHS AGO, WE WROTE
TO DIPLOMAT INFUSION
GROUP AND TO TRICARE. DIPLOMAT
PHARMACY SAID WE UNDERSTAND THIS
IS A HEARTBREAKING SITUATION ...
BUT WHAT WE SEE IS A
CO-PAY DEDUCTIBLE THAT HAD NOT
BEEN
MET ... THE BILL IS BASED ON
WHAT WE
RECEIVED FROM MR. ST. MARIE'S
MEDICARE AND TRICARE FOR LIFE
BENEFITS.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A WAIVER
PROGRAM AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO
WORK WITH MR. ST.MARIE AND HIS
FAMILY, WROTE DIPLOMAT IN
OCTOBER. THE MILITARY HEALTH
SYSTEM TELLS 6 ON YOUR SIDE THAT
TRICARE'S HEALTH PLAN PROVIDERS
ARE REVIEWING MASTER SERGEANT
IT WAS ABOUT A WEEK AGO, THAT
KAREN AND MATT SAID THEY
RECEIVED THE THE WAIVER
APPLICATION FROM DIPLOMAT,
FILLED IT
OUT AND AND SENT IT OFF THEY'RE
APPROVED.
DON:
DIPLOMAT TELLS 6 ON YOUR SIDE,
IT
WANTS TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND TO
BE
A POSITIVE PARTNER. THE SUPPORT
IT'S OFFERING TO THE
ST. MARIE FAMILY IS THAT WAIVER.
MATT SAYS HE'S GIVEN A LOT TO
HIS
COUNTRY SERVING FIVE DIFFERENT
TOURS IN REMOTE AREAS OF THE
WORLD.
AS HE SAID TO US, HE'S HOPING
NOW,
HE CAN "CATCH A BREAK." WE'LL
KEEP YOU UP TO DATE. BO.
BO:
THANKS DON.
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER QUESTION
FOR DON -- SEND HIM AN
OR CALL HIS SIX ON YOUR SIDE
HOTLINE
NUMBER AT 865- 633-5974.
SUMMER