• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

why the hell do chronic fatigue specialists charge so much?

NK17

Senior Member
Messages
592
I second @Gingergrrl43 completely.

My ME specialist does not charge more than other immunologists.

I say this because I've seen another immunologist at a major hospital where I live and she was not only completely ignorant about ME, but spent less than a quarter of the time Dr. Kogelnik spends with his patients and she was lacking in any human touch!
I left her office feeling several hundreds $ ripped off and depressed (one of the few symptoms I do not suffer from).

When I saw Dr. Chia he accepted my insurance plan and he spent almost 2 hours with me.

I'm also lucky to be personally acquainted with another ME specialist, one that has cosigned the ICC. She is in Italy and from what I remember she can see patients privately for a small charge, or you can go thru the social service by simply being referred by your local GP.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I second @Gingergrrl43 completely.

I'm also lucky to be personally acquainted with another ME specialist, one that has cosigned the ICC. She is in Italy and from what I remember she can see patients privately for a small charge, or you can go thru the social service by simply being referred by your local GP.

@NK17, do you travel to Italy to see her or do phone/Skype consults? How did you find her? Does she do different stuff than your treatment from OMI? Sorry for so many questions!
 

NK17

Senior Member
Messages
592
@NK17, do you travel to Italy to see her or do phone/Skype consults? How did you find her? Does she do different stuff than your treatment from OMI? Sorry for so many questions!
I doubt Dr. Carlo-Stella does phone/skype consults, unfortunately. I'd love to be her patient, but I haven't been able to travel long distance since 2011. That is the year I first contacted her and almost got to be seen by her while in Italy.

She is fluent in english and french and she has come to the IACFS/ME conference last March in SF.

We've a special bond because we went to the same University in Italy, but studied completely different fields (MD and JD).

As far as treatment is concerned we have only discussed Valcyte. I'm hoping to talk/interview her and hopefully post it on PR.