Call the Medicare folks and explain the medical necessity of taking care of the dental issues and see what they say. It may be as easy as having the doctor write a letter justifying the medical necessity. Do you have a social worker on the care team? Tap into them and ask what assistance they can help you find. Was your mother married to a veteran or retired military? That could open some avenues. Also, some of the Medicare HMO's pick up the drugs. I found one for my mother when she had terminal ovarian cancer and it was free to join and included the same cancer center she was going to anyway. You might even check with the local American Cancer Society chapter for assistance programs.

I am sorry you are having to travel such a rough road. Your mother is so fortunate to have someone by her side through all of this. You are truly special for the role you are in, too!

Ed


SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023