Please be aware, Oklahoma Medicaid will soon be changing their restrictions on urological supplies.
Currently recipients are able to receive up to 150 closed system catheter kits or hydrophilic catheters and kits per month. Soon, all who receive these products will be limited to 60 closed system catheters kits or hydrophilic catheters with kits per month.
United Spinal Association is alerting all Oklahoma Medicaid recipients that they have until January 12 to voice their concerns about this change.
Submit your feedback to Oklahoma Health Care Authority or call Oklahoma Medicaid at 405-522-7300 . Let them know that limiting access to urological supplies will negatively impact your quality of life.
Below are a number of ways these benefit changes may affect you. Please consider mentioning them when submitting or calling in your concerns:
- Many individuals will be forced to use less sterile products, resulting in a greater number of infections.
- Increased infections will lead to more hospital stays, ER visits, or even more costly complications.
- Young people that need to catheterize generally have other health factors and are high risk for increased infections that could create complications or could be fatal.
- Many individuals with Medicaid as a secondary insurance will face out of pocket costs.
- Current restrictions on other supplies will mean that individuals who can no longer receive catheter kits will also be unable to receive other items that will make the transition easier.
For more information on the Oklahoma Medicaid benefit changes, click here.
I am a 18+ year survivor of T12/L1 incomplete SCI. I was taught to cold sterilize caths using benadine or triadine. This was after the “shock” of the urologist nurses finding once used caths in the trash. The recommended way of sterilization was an autoclave but that’s not possible on the personal / client level hence the cold method.
I carry a daily supply in hand wash solution and use KY as the lubricant using a “fresh” cath each time. The “used” cath soaks in the soap solution before its “bath” in the triadine solution. And the cycle is repeated. The cath is discarded when, in the case of the new plastic caths, the cath gets too stiff. The number of caths I use per year is 50-100!
The number of UTI’s over the last 18 years is less than 5. In talking with the same urologist, I just state that I’m just doing what I was advised and….
drinking a lot of orange juice. His reply was, “No wonder. Your system is acidic and UTI’s (and kidney stones) will be at the minimum, if any.”
In my opinion once use caths are a waste both materials and money.
~db
David I am glad that you have had limited UTI’s over the past couple of decades and I wish I had had the same experience. However, since my injury over 17 years ago UTI’s have taken their toll. It took many visits to very competent and kind doctors before finally a good friend finally informed me that the FDA requires catheter manufacturers to print on each catheter that they are only approved for 1X use. I was shocked and relieved. Shocked because others had promoted reusing catheters and relieved that I might have found an answer to a problem that had plagued my health and existence for years.
After switching to 1X use catheters I have had only 1 UTI in the past 15+ years and my quality of life has improved greatly. I no longer have to work to pee, I can pee, almost as effortly as the next guy, since I don’t have to go through the laboring process of washing and sterilizing each time. I am a strong supporter of single use sterile catheters and can say without a doubt it has changed my life for the better. You don’t have to pay or work for water and you shouldn’t have to pay or work to get rid of it. Please don’t allow others that don’t have the experience take away that right from me and thousands of others.
I would like to mention that there is no recommended/approved way to wash or sterilize catheters. Catheters are considered a category II device by the FDA and are only approved for single use due to the significant risk of infection. For there to be an approved method to wash and reuse catheters, there would have to be studies performed on the method and it would have to prove the method restored the device to its original state. Additionally the study would have to conclude how many times the wash and reuse method could be performed before the device had to be discarded. Then this method would have to be submitted to the FDA for approval. To date, there has never been a method proven to meet these standards.
I would have to say money and materials are not wasted on one time use caths. I know many people who have to help or cath other people. I don’t think any of them would like to use one catheter per month, week or every other day. Quality of life is more important then spending all day drinking orange or cranberry juice and being concerned if your catheter is clean.
I have used caths for 5 years every 4 hours every day and the process of using a new one takes long enough. I could not imagine spending time soaking or bathing my caths!?! Plus with the acid in juice, my stomach can’t handle that without acid reflux everyday.
Just one less thing to worry about for me and im sure a few other thousand people.
I think it is rediculous that this is even up for question. I understand they are trying to save money because that is how the government works. Although in the long run having to reuse catheters as we have seen in the past will lead to more heath problems. Maybe they could just limit the type of catheters that are being used. Many people use the ones that have the bags attached to them with the lube and everything already all in one and that probably cost more to make. I think some peOple can use the straight ones more often then they do to be more cost effective maybe. There has to be a way to keep things cost effective for the government ant still have sterile one time use catheters for the users. Otherwise the state will be paying in other ways such as ER trips for severe UTI’s or many other unsterile issues could occur
The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) values and utilizes consumer input. We welcome and appreciate questions and concerns. This engagement from external stakeholders is crucial to the process and is taken very seriously.
To clarify on this particular proposed rule change, OHCA is proposing to adjust its total catheter limits. OHCA will pay for 200 total catheters, of which 60 may be the closed system catheter kits. Consumer health and safety is the top priority of the SoonerCare program when formulating its policies and that is why input is essential.
We welcome your comments and questions at our website and/or public hearing on February 22 at 1 p.m. at the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (2401 NW 23rd St. Ste. 1-A, Oklahoma City, OK).
They think it cost too much $$, just wait, they will soon see what expenses they will be paying for in the coming months/ years. I can’t imagine medical/Medicare to not think of cost cutting in other less offensive means.