Distilled water covered by Insurance?

[Cardsfan]

Just wondering- if everything else to keep the machine running is covered by insurance, why isn't the distilled water covered? I know it's cheap, but still, it adds up over the years. Especially on low income users. I figure about $25-30 a year I use.

[LSAT]

At most grocery stores and pharmacies distilled water is less than $1...I am paying .85 gal at my food store. A gal lasts me about a month. If food stores and pharmacies had to accept insurance the price per gal would more than double.

[Goofproof]

Just wondering- if everything else to keep the machine running is covered by insurance, why isn't the distilled water covered? I know it's cheap, but still, it adds up over the years. Especially on low income users. I figure about $25-30 a year I use.

Just send them bill for $ .80 cents a month, minus any spillage, send them the old jug, so they can recycle it and leave a few drops in it so they can test you aren't cheating them with refilled tap water. Jim

[OkyDoky]

Just spend a few days in the hospital and they will provide the distilled water and bill the insurance. But I'm sure it was billed for more than $1.

[palerider]

Just wondering- if everything else to keep the machine running is covered by insurance, why isn't the distilled water covered? I know it's cheap, but still, it adds up over the years. Especially on low income users. I figure about $25-30 a year I use.

Because it's not necessary. Other countries that have less available distilled water, the manuals just say "use water".

If it's not medically necessary, insurance isn't going to bother.

[D.H.]

Yes, it's not absolutely necessary. If you use any other water, you'll have to clean the tank much more frequently and replace it more often.

If you live in the U.S. or Canada, you should use distilled water, it's quite inexpensive. Elsewhere depends on local availability and price.

[chunkyfrog]

Insurance also does not cover electricity.
The machine kind of won't run without it.
Insurance does what they are CONTRACTED to do--nothing else.

[Pugsy]

Insurance doesn't always want to pay for something even if it is medically necessary. I still want my insurance to buy me a hot tub for my arthritis.

And distilled water isn't medically necessary for the machine to work. It works just fine without water or with tap water.
It's to help with the cleaning of the water chamber...which insurance is more than happy to pay for a brand new one every 6 months anyway. Short sighted of them...probably but not the first time and won't be the last.
Given the mark up that DMEs get on this stuff sometimes...it's probably cheaper to pay for a new water chamber every 6 months than what they would have to approve for the water if DMEs were to dispense them.
I can just see what my DME would charge for a gallon of water and I would have to drive 22 miles one way to get pick it up. Want to bet that my copay would be more than the 88 cents I pay at Walmart.

It's that way with the filters. Medicare approved almost $8 (of the $32 billed pie in the sky amount) for the last filter that I got through my DME and that was some years ago.
That's what they approved...so I get billed 20% which is 1.60 and it was a cheap no name filter than I can get anywhere on the internet for about 50 cents and they mail it to me for that so I don't have to drive anywhere to pick it up.

Not to mention the one little tidbit about insurance companies and how they work...and their goal is make money.
The more insurance companies pay out in claims...the greater the chances are that we get premium increases. We would be probably paying for that stuff one way or the other. Either up front at Walmart or maybe with increases in premiums if insurance would pay for it.

[Goofproof]

Yes, it's not absolutely necessary. If you use any other water, you'll have to clean the tank much more frequently and replace it more often.

If you live in the U.S. or Canada, you should use distilled water, it's quite inexpensive. Elsewhere depends on local availability and price.

Then you bill them for Dawn, but don't bill them for your Ducks, they won't pay to wash them. Jim

[MimiLou]

Your post made me smile because I had the same thought last night while I was hoisting my gallon to fill my tank!!!!
I really enjoyed reading all of the responses!

[Sheriff Buford]

Insurance doesn't always want to pay for something even if it is medically necessary. I still want my insurance to buy me a hot tub for my arthritis.

You know.... you can get your doc to write a prescription for a hot tub, and maybe write it off on your taxes...

Sheriff

[Cardsfan]

All makes sense. Wish I could buy all my equipment and supplies at Walmart like we do the water. Just wonder how cheap a machine would be. I’d like a clearance sale auto at a rollback price

[SewTired]

It is covered by Medicaid, but not Medicare. Medicare doesn't cover OTC stuff that isn't specific for an illness (people buy distilled for lots of reasons).

Medicaid will cover it only if you are homebound. So, if my brother ended up on Medicaid, his distilled would be covered since he is homebound, while if I ended up on Medicaid, it would not be because my disability doesn't limit my ability to get out of the house (well, it does, but not sufficiently to be considered homebound).

[Goofproof]

Insurance doesn't always want to pay for something even if it is medically necessary. I still want my insurance to buy me a hot tub for my arthritis.

You know.... you can get your doc to write a prescription for a hot tub, and maybe write it off on your taxes...

Sheriff

But you may have to pay for the distilled water to fill it on your own. Jim

[Pugsy]

You know.... you can get your doc to write a prescription for a hot tub, and maybe write it off on your taxes...

Might be of some limited benefit if we itemized but we don't. We just do the standard deduction and are done with.
Not enough itemized to add up to be worth it.
But I did think of it at one time.
Not to mention the cash outlay needed initially to purchase it which I don't really have to spare right now.
I do keep my eye out for a good used one though. I did that some 25 years ago and loved it until sold the house and we moved and I sure couldn't take it with me.

Winter is especially hard on the old body and I so loved sitting in the hot tub having a hot toddy and watching the snow fall all around me. Those were the days. Maybe one day I can have them again but for right now pretty much any extra dollars I seem to find ends up going for something for my mom. That's okay, she needs it worse than I need a hot tub.