Migraine

Hi everyone,
I am new to the site. I live Michigan and have had migraines for 33 years. I currently have no insurance and need to find some kind of treatment at low cost. I have been taking fioricet for 14 months and need to ween myself from it and manage my migraines at the same time.
Does anyone know of any kind of clinic or doctors that could help. I keep running into road blocks.
Thank you in advance for any advice.
Sheri

Hi Sheri!

Welcome to the forum!

As far as doctors go, if you are self pay, the doctors office may be able to give you a discount, since they will not be getting a negotiated rate from an insurance company. Insurance companies pay anywhere between 5%-60% of a charge (that's medicare rate to a regular insurance). I know our doctors and the hospital my doctors work for offer a 30% discount if you are a self pay patient with no insurance.

For help with medications, check out http://www.pparx.org - it's a great site and will help guide you through which plans you will qualify for when it comes to pharmacy "coverage". Pretty much the same thing, if you are "self pay" at the pharmacy, these cards can give you a discount.

Hope this helps!

Any other questions, feel free to ask. We look forward to getting to know you!

Where do you live in Michigan? If you live in the Metro Detroit area I'm sure there are places that work on a sliding scale or offer some form of assistance...especially if the clinic/hospital is affiliated with a university.

You may also be eligable for a public insurance plan depending on where you live. For instance Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor) offers a health insurance plan for residents that qualify.

Sheri,

Welcome to MyMigraineConnection. We're glad you found us.

Do you take Fioricet every day? If so, you can unwittingly create another problem called Medication Overuse Headache. This happens when we take certain OTC and prescription medications like Fioricet, acetaminophen and NSAID's more than 2-3 days a week.

Fioricet must be gradually tapered to avoid potential seizures and other withdrawal symptoms. Try talking to your PCP about this while you are looking for a Migraine specialist.

We have a list of patient recommended Migraine specialists you can see HERE. As far as "low cost" goes, I'm not sure about health care in MI. Have you looked into your State health care if you qualify?

I wish I could be more helpful. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Hi, Sheri, welcome to the forum.

Have you tried calling your County Health Department to find out about any low-cost clinics in your area? That might not get you to a migraine specialist, but it might at least get you basic health care.

Take care.

Hi Sheri,

I just wanted to add my welcome to the pile. How are you doing?