Sorry about not replying sooner. You message was just a few days before I left for vacation. Anyway, I got through the course of Euflexxa injections in the right knee, and I think it's working. I've noticed an improvement in my walking. I'll be getting the injections into the left knee starting on 8/27.

Yes, sometimes these threads bring back memories of what it was like to be young. Can you imagine that it was 41 years ago when I smoked my first cigarette?! Times were certainly different then, too. While I don't miss Jimmy Carter as president, the really bad taste in clothing, and some of the worst of disco (i.e., "Disco Duck", "You Can Ring My Bell", and everything recorded by the Village People), there's a lot that I miss from the seventies.

Mandates are the reason why health insurance is so expensive, a lot more expensive than it should be.

What??????? You mean you are forced to pay for children's vision care even if you don't have any children of your own? How the heck is that fair? And especially since you've never had any type of vision care coverage in the past!

What the heck is wrong with the US insurance market?

My insurance has me paying everything out of pocket until after I reach a $2,100 annual plan deductible. Then there's 50% coinsurance until reaching an out of pocket threshold around $6,500. The prescription plan is 50% coinsurance, but without being subject to the deductible, but the gel injections are an exception. To date I have $409 "credited" towards the deductible.

Btw, last year the deductible was $1,500, but the plan changed upon renewal (that wasn't the only change). I didn't have a choice in the matter. It was either that or choose a different plan. It did make the monthly premiums cheaper.

The high premiums with few real benefits is because of the misnamed "Affordable Care Act." I had decent insurance until 2014, when I lost the plan I had because it wasn't compliant with ACA. Another thing that angers me is that I have to pay for a children's vision care rider for the children I don't have, when I have NEVER had vision care covered by insurance in my ENTIRE life!

I just heard back from my doctor's office. With my insurance, it will cost me $3,845 out of pocket to have the injections in both knees. To go around the insurance, i.e. for me to pay as if I had no insurance, will cost me $930 for both knees. Go figure! For this I pay about $6,250 annually in insurance premiums?

I heard from the doctor's office today. The specialty pharmacy wasn't able to ship it -- some arcane problem with insurance. So the doctor is going to phone the prescription into a "brick-and-mortar" pharmacy locally to see if they can fill it (i.e. if it's covered under my prescription plan).

Btw, belated best wishes on your retirement! I still have over 9 more years to go before I can get my grubby little hands on my pension!

I just got a call yesterday from some specialty pharmacy about it. They're still processing the prescription. Last few days, though, the pain hasn't been too bad.

I saw my orthopedic doctor on May 9, and he agreed to ask my insurer to authorize my receiving lubricant gel injections. I haven't heard more since, but I imagine an answer should be pretty soon.