We are lucky here in England as we get all ostomy supplies free on the National Health Service, nothing to pay at all. I get my bags once a month (60), wipes, and disposable bags for my bags, deodorant spray, etc.
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erika
May 13, 2008 5:16 am
tarababy
May 13, 2008 11:07 pm
Hey Erika...here in Australia we don't pay for supplies either...all we pay for is postage. And we get a lovely magazine every 3 months. Well, in Queensland anyway, but I'm pretty sure it goes all the way through. Governments should do it everywhere.
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When I found this web site, I didn't think its name had anything to do with actually meeting an ostomate but I later learned there were some folks who did meet and develop relationships. How good is that? That wasn't my intention. I definitely didn't want anyone to meet me. I felt broken and wasn't prepared to express those feelings. I thought it was a place where ostomates wrote about themselves, posed questions, shared thoughts, told jokes and, sometimes, just vented. I thought of it as a community of folks with similar interests and various degrees of experience. Mostly I found some of the most caring, selfless, wise and understanding people I ever imagined. I was so impressed with some of the writings; not because of their literary value but the way in which they addressed such a very complex environment. I read hundreds of exchanges and admired the way folks cared for each other. I became hopeful with my own situation and looked forward to the next day's offerings. Certainly some contributors stood out with their experience or particular skills in addressing some things but it seemed like a total effort with synergistic results. I felt blessed to have found this site. I still do.
Mike
Past Member
May 22, 2008 10:35 pm
Here in the U.S., we don't have a national health program, so we have to rely on private health insurance or pay cash (like I do) for our supplies
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. Too bad for us, as you all know, supplies are very costly.
We do have Medicaid, but not everyone is eligible (only low income or disabled qualify), and I'm not sure they would even pay for ostomy supplies. This is an ongoing issue in the U.S., and I don't see any resolution in the near future. It's a sad dilemma as many people are left without adequate medical care or supplies because they may not qualify for Medicaid but also don't have health insurance because their employer doesn't offer it or the premiums are too expensive. Maybe one day this country will wake up and things will change.
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Learn more about ostomy accessories, and when to use them.