5 Things to Know About Your Catheter Needs

Your specific health concerns likely depend on your diagnosis. Urinary catheters are used for many reasons, either temporarily or long-term. You want to trust your catheter supplier regardless of the reason or how long you will need one. Your doctor will prescribe the type of catheter you need, and it can be filled at your favorite medical supply store. Below is some helpful information about your catheter needs for temporary or ongoing use

1. You Should Have the Correct Catheter Supplies

Catheter patients need to have the correct supplies for their specific diagnosis and needs. Temporary catheters are used in hospitals on many inpatients but removed before they go home. If your health requires a urinary catheter most or all of the time, there are three categories your physician will choose from to best serve you.

Indwelling - This type of catheter is also known as a Foley catheter that is inserted into your urethra so that urine can flow into the drainage bag. A Foley is likely the type of catheter you had during a hospital stay. Your indwelling catheter might be a suprapubic catheter, which is inserted into your abdomen, again to allow urine to flow freely into the connected bag. Insurance will cover 1 of these a month. 

Intermittent - This catheter is used periodically throughout the day, when you are needing to void your bladder. This catheter is used once and then is thrown away. There are a few different types of intermittent catheters, to learn more check out our blog Catheter 101. With these, insurance covers up to 200 intermittent catheters a month. 

External catheter or condom catheter - This catheter goes over the penis without having a tube inserted into the urethra. This is used to catch any leakage and does not drain the bladder as the other 2 catheter types discussed previously. The external catheter does need to be changed at least once a day, and you can learn to do it yourself or have a healthcare provider or another trained person help.

2. You Deserve Patient Centered Catheter Care

Caregivers and other providers for catheter patients require specific knowledge about catheter supplies and treatment. Our team provides patient centered catheter care, which means we put your needs first everytime. Our dedicated patient care specialists will work with you to find your perfect fit and can offer some helpful suggestions to make your time using a catheter more comfortable.

3. Catheter Supplies Can Be Delivered Every Month

If your doctor prescribes a catheter for you that is needed every month, we make the reorder process for your catheter supplies very simple so you can continue changing your catheter right on schedule. We will give you a call every month to see if you’re ready for your reorder, check how things are going, and to see if you need any changes. We can work with you to set up automatic reorders and the best way to contact you so that we can get your order out and you never run out of supplies. 

4. All Patients Can Receive Personalized Service

Our team is here to help you understand how your catheter supplies work and answer any questions you have about catheters. We can explain the differences between various catheters and catheter kits, help you explain catheter use to your child or other loved one, go over prices, and help you to navigate the insurance process. We will also handle all of the billing and paperwork needed to get your supplies covered by insurance. 

5. Help Is Available to Understand What Insurance Covers

Part of our patient centered catheter care is helping you to understand what is covered by your insurance. It can be daunting to take this on alone, and we are happy to help with this and all areas of your catheter care.

Contact us at Complete Care Medical 24/7 for more information on how we can help with your catheter needs. The goal of our team is to offer patient centered catheter care and to be here for you in all areas of your health.