Shingles , Va ,medicare,champva

[Berta]

This is probably in wrong forum.....

I am pretty sure my neighbor ,40% SC, got a shingles vaccine at the local VA.

Many of us seniors over 60 who have had chicken pox as kids, are being advised to get the one time shingles shot, and even those who never had chicken pox are too, as.they might even forget they had this childhood disease.

When I got my flu shot, the pharmacist advised it and I said I would check with my PCP and saw her yesterday.

According to this :

'Two relatively new immunizations are

covered under CHAMPVA.

Gardasil®

•

, a vaccine for

young

women

which treats genital human

papilloma virus (HPV) and

Zostavax®

•

, a vaccine for

both men

and women over 60

years that may

help prevent shingles”

http://www.va.gov/hac/forbeneficiaries/champva/champva_customer_newsletter/YourHealthV2N2.pdf

The Medicare site says this:

Will Medicare cover the shingles vaccination?

The shingles vaccination will only be covered if you have a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan. The amount of copayment / coinsurance (money you have to pay) for the vaccination varies, depending on your plan. Medicare part B does not cover the shingles vaccine.

My PCP doc said it costs about 300 bucks without insurance.

I will call my pharmacist doc today to see if he meant he can give me the Zostavax, that CHAMPVA covers.

My doc said shingles can become extremely painful and frustrating to deal with,so I guess this shot is a good preventive idea.

Maybe this info will help someone here. Has the VA offered any seniors here the shingles shot as a preventative medication?

[mrs rockman (widow of vet)]

"

“More than 700 patients at the Buffalo Veterans Administration Center may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C because of accidental reuse of insulin pens, according to a hospital statement and published reports.

Authorities told The Buffalo News there is a "very small risk" for the diabetic patients who may have been exposed to the reused insulin pens between Oct. 19, 2010 and November 2012. The VA memo obtained by the News said the problem was discovered by a routine pharmacy inspection last Nov. 1. The News first published the report on its website Friday."

WOW!! I have not heard about this- accidental reuse of insulin pens and it was done for 2 years-Wow again. Hopefully, like they say it was a small risk. Even, at that, any risk is not good. Maybe someone will learn from thiis big Boo Boo!

I usually get my flu shot by the end of October. I also use Walgreens, for they are so much cheaper than my PCP.

[Teac]

We were just at VA hospital for doc appointment and I was surprise to here the whole floor talking about shingle shot. The man who had appointment before hubby was waiting for his shingle shot. Mom had shingles, it is painful. Walgreens offers shingle shot, so I thought it was covered by Medicare, like the flu shot they offer. Hubby had to get blood work and just for info, VA offering HIV testing. I wonder what that is about. Wasn't there some screw up at VA clinic or hospital concerning HIV or needles?

I don't know about a screw-ups at the local va but even so.. VA has offered me the aids test for the last 10 years at 4 different medical centers, I refuse it every time.. I figure if I have aids, I would have know by now.. so to me it would be a wasted test..

I have been using the va a long time and not once have they even mentioned singles let alone offer a shot. I do get the flu shot each year but I ask for it because of my lung condition.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Teac

[vet12]

I got the shingles vaccine a few months back at the VA. No one ever mentioned it but when I requested it, they gave it to me. I saw my doc at the VA a couple days ago and asked about the Pneumonia shot.

He said it had been over 5 years since I had had one so they gave me another one, however warned me to not ever take another one. Supposedly you can have only 2 in your lifetime. He also asked when the last time I had a tetanus shot. I couldn't remember so I got one of those as well.

I guess we have to ask.

vet12