Medicare & Medical Info it Retains

[TrvlBug]

I have a strange problem. I got my flu shot last week, the high dose one, and had a bad reaction to it. I always get my yearly flu shot at the pharmacy at my local grocery store because they give a 10% off coupon with the shot.

I went in today to find out details on last year's shot so that I could discuss with my doc wrt to future flu shots. They said the last flu shot was in 2016...NO it wasn't, it was last August, a couple of weeks before we left on an int'l trip. And one the year before that and on and on.

Does anyone know what type of medical info Medicare might retain? Don't want to spend an hour on the phone if the answer is zip. I turned 65 last year but don't recall getting a high dose shot last year. I get a flu shot every year and have never had any kind of reaction to it.

The pharmacist asked me to describe my reaction and said yes, you had a severe reaction to the shot...duh!

 

[Telly]

I'm on Original Medicare + Medigap plan + Part D. Flu shot is via Part B.

I would go to my official Medicare account online and look up the (I forgot the 3-letter acronym, it's equivalent to the EOB of non-Medicare), maybe MSN? Anyway, that's where I would start. Should see it, hopefully the description lists the vaccine name, like for example, Flu-zone Quadvalent, etc. etc.

If you went the Medicare Advantage route, yer on your own. No idea what that branch does.

Edit: About last week's shot - If you got it at a pharmacy, they (the pharmacy) should have given you the papers on what exactly you got this time. There is more than one type of hi-dose, so I think your doc is going to need to know exactly what you got this time that you had a reaction to.

Every time I have gotten a shot(s) at a pharmacy, they gave me a small folder that has the name of the shot, the manufacturer, the dose, etc., along with sheets about the vaccine and possible side effects, etc. No shortage of information.

 

[ivinsfan]

It's my understanding that the high dose is the 3 most likely types of flu in 2020 in higher concentration opposed to a regular shot that has 4 types in a lighter dose.

If you have info about the shot you got last week, try going to the companies sites or the CDC and look for some link about reporting your adverse reaction to it. I see more then a few people getting something like a flu shot and a shingles shot on the same day. I never get more then one jab at a time, if I had a problem I want to be certain I know what caused it.

I'm not certain how knowing your past shot history will help you going forward. You could have gotten a bad batch of vaccine and FWIW, I always wait until about mid end October to get mine because if there is that kind of problem, I figure someone else can let me know.

To answer your actual question, Medicare certainly gets more info then they share in the EOB's but how much they retain for their records I have no idea. They are the go between so I would guess they don't retain the info for very long.

 

[Bamaman]

Our doctor already warned us that there are two strengths of flu vaccines. And he said to make sure at our ages that we get the larger dose. Everyone needs to be aware of that.

 

[braumeister]

It's my understanding that the high dose is the 3 most likely types of flu in 2020 in higher concentration opposed to a regular shot that has 4 types in a lighter dose.

There seem to be a number of variations. The high dose shot I got a couple of weeks ago was for the 4 types.

 

[MRG]

That's medical records not insurance. Your PCP should have been notified by the pharmacy.

 

[ivinsfan]

There seem to be a number of variations. The high dose shot I got a couple of weeks ago was for the 4 types.

That's good to know for the future...of course you are kind of limited as to what your provider offers. Last year my pharmacist explained the 3 strain as the "high-dose" type.

 

[TrvlBug]

I have Medicare + Plan F Medigap. On Medicare early last year. i have this year's flu shot info. I received the high dose, 4 types. The reason for getting last year's info is to possibly ascertain what it was that triggered the reaction. I have never had a reaction to any vaccines other than a sore arm with the shingles shot.

If nothing else, my Medicare info should show exactly where and when I got the shot. If indeed at the pharmacy (I'm 100% positive on the where and month when), they have some explaining to do as to why they have no record of it. Based on the reaction I had, I plan on keeping the detail received from the pharmacy for future years as well as get all my shots from now on at the medical clinic. Screw with 10% off coupons.

 

[ivinsfan]

I have Medicare + Plan F Medigap. On Medicare early last year. i have this year's flu shot info. I received the high dose, 4 types. The reason for getting last year's info is to possibly ascertain what it was that triggered the reaction. I have never had a reaction to any vaccines other than a sore arm with the shingles shot.

If nothing else, my Medicare info should show exactly where and when I got the shot. If indeed at the pharmacy (I'm 100% positive on the where and month when), they have some explaining to do as to why they have no record of it. Based on the reaction I had, I plan on keeping the detail received from the pharmacy for future years as well as get all my shots from now on at the medical clinic. Screw with 10% off coupons.

So you are trying to figure out any difference between last year's shot and this year's shot for possible reaction..well I do know they vaccinate for different strains of flu each year..I still encourage you to report your reaction to either the vaccine company or the CDC.

 

[harllee]

I have a strange problem. I got my flu shot last week, the high dose one, and had a bad reaction to it. I always get my yearly flu shot at the pharmacy at my local grocery store because they give a 10% off coupon with the shot.

I went in today to find out details on last year's shot so that I could discuss with my doc wrt to future flu shots. They said the last flu shot was in 2016...NO it wasn't, it was last August, a couple of weeks before we left on an int'l trip. And one the year before that and on and on.

Does anyone know what type of medical info Medicare might retain? Don't want to spend an hour on the phone if the answer is zip. I turned 65 last year but don't recall getting a high dose shot last year. I get a flu shot every year and have never had any kind of reaction to it.

The pharmacist asked me to describe my reaction and said yes, you had a severe reaction to the shot...duh!

TrvlBug, I have had the same problem. When I turned 65 four years ago I had a bad reaction to the high dose flu shot. I was on Medicare Part D and so I went to my Medicare Part D online account and I found out info about the flu shot I had. I also went to my doctor and he said for me to never take the high dose shot again. Since then I have taken the regular dose shot every year with no problem. My doctor said his office has quit giving the high dose shot because there were too many adverse reactions.

 

[TrvlBug]

I know it's different strains each year. I'm trying to determine mostly if I had the high dose last year. I would have been eligible based on age, but I don't remember getting the high dose. If I got the regular dose last year, a good bet is that I had the reaction because of high dose and will go back to regular dose in future years. If I had the high dose last year, who knows what I reacted to. I'm also extremely intolerant of egg yolk & perhaps that might play into it. At this point I'm doing detective work so that my doc can have as much info as possible.

Good point about reporting the adverse reaction.

 

[harllee]

I know it's different strains each year. I'm trying to determine mostly if I had the high dose last year. I would have been eligible based on age, but I don't remember getting the high dose. If I got the regular dose last year, a good bet is that I had the reaction because of high dose and will go back to regular dose in future years. If I had the high dose last year, who knows what I reacted to.

Good point about reporting the adverse reaction.

If Medicare Part D paid for the your shot last year, look at your Part D online account and it should tell you what you had last year.

 

[littleb]

What were the symptoms of your severe reaction?

 

[harllee]

I want to correct my earlier post--I had said my flu shot info showed up on my Part D online account--that is incorrect. Part D did not pay on my flu shot , it was my regular Medicare that paid. My flu shot type shows up on my Medicare account so TrvlBug you might want to look on your online Medicare account for info on your flu shot.

 

[TrvlBug]

What were the symptoms of your severe reaction?

It started with severe arm pain that radiated up my neck to my ear as well as my collarbone.

 

[blueskyk]

Medicare & Medical Info it Retains

For me, medical record keeping is a big deal because in the current patchwork of EMRs, it’s more difficult than I wish it was to see a comprehensive history electronically. So, several years ago, I started two hard copy MR notebooks, one each for DH and myself. It’s the only place that has the big picture, regardless of provider. Each year I also create a summary page for that year.

It’s been well worth the time to create, update and manage as it gets harder to remember various details and their timing. Also, I find sometimes info doesn’t always make it into the EMR.
YMMV

 

[TrvlBug]

For me, medical record keeping is a big deal because in the current patchwork of EMRs, it’s more difficult than I wish it was to see a comprehensive history electronically. So, several years ago, I started two hard copy MR notebooks, one each for DH and myself. It’s the only place that has the big picture, regardless of provider. Each year I also create a summary page for that year.

It’s been well worth the time to create, update and manage as it gets harder to remember various details and their timing. Also, I find sometimes info doesn’t always make it into the EMR.
YMMV

This is an excellent idea. I have a file of the records for each of us, but it's haphazard and incomplete.

 

[braumeister]

For me, medical record keeping is a big deal because in the current patchwork of EMRs, it’s more difficult than I wish it was to see a comprehensive history electronically.

For many years I have entered all immunizations on my computer's calendar. Just something like "flu shot" as an entry for the day. So I can simply put "flu" in the search box and get a list of all the dates I got that shot.

Similarly, I have maintained a spreadsheet with all my lab report numbers going back many years. Makes it easy to see trends.

 

[badatmath]

Similarly, I have maintained a spreadsheet with all my lab report numbers going back many years. Makes it easy to see trends.

I like this idea!