Planning for travel with low batter

I was told that I would need new battery within next few months. My doctor said insurance company would not pay for change of pacemaker until it goes into power save mode. I gather from this great website that I will know when this happens. Is it true that you have to go into this mode and not feel well before insurance pays? Second question, I have trips planned - golfing and hiking. How do I make decisions about whether to go in March? thanks in advance for ideas.

4 Comments

Hmmm

by Janet - 2008-01-31 02:01:59

I just posted a response which seems to have been lost.

Anyway I was expressing my surprise that you have to wait as I would have thought the whole point about checkups was to second guess this event and act before it happened.

I wondered given your reference to insurance whether it was a states thing. Does any UK person have experience about what happens here?





You'll know....

by heckboy - 2008-01-31 10:01:46

... when you try to exert yourself and your PM will not keep up. I knew that my battery as running low, but it wasn't until i hit the gym and tried to run my warm-up on the tread mill that I realized it was in power save mode. This mode will keep the PM running for about 2 months, but only at a certain level. In my case, after about a minute, I had nothing. A quick check of my pulse and I knew what had happened. I don't think anyone can foretell exactly when it will hit that point... only that it's coming. Then you'll have about 8 weeks.

Checks

by heckboy - 2008-02-02 11:02:22

They do check the rate that you're using the battery at check-ups, but it's not exact. That's why as a certain point, they do monthlies instead of every other month. If I didn't go to the gym and discover on my own that my PM had gone into its power saving mode, they would have discovered it a week later at my check-up.

I'm not sure what my insurance states in regard to when I am allowed a PM replacement... but will check it out as it begs other questions like...

Two years ago, I had the choice of another surgery to fix a faulty lead or simply have them turn up the juice and drain my battery faster than usual. I opted for the latter, but in retrospect, I wonder if the insurance would have paid the former or declared it elective? Hmmmmm...?

I meant every SIX months.

by heckboy - 2008-02-02 11:02:27

Duh.

You know you're wired when...

You have an excuse for being a couch potato.

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