Diabetes in a rough economy

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on July 10, 2008 at 12:51am

So my whole life with diabetes has been about trying to make sure that I have enough supplies to get by... with insurance in the USA, my deductible was SO big that I only bought supplies every other year. And I bought enough in one year to last me for two. (Tricky I know.) My insurance company didn't seem to notice... or at least I always got by.

For me, the biggest concern about gaps in insurance is that diabetes becomes a "pre-existing condition" for your new insurance. I think then the new insurance is not required to fund anything diabetes related for a year.

Manny, will you have diabetes coverage as soon as your new plan starts?? I hope so!!

I am in a transition time now too, though not in the US system, but I am still not sure about how to get my supplies a month or two from now. Soon I will be 100% in the Hungarian national system and I will be able to worry less....

I think the stress of insecurity in the US system can do serious damage to one's blood sugar!

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Permalink Reply by Dee Meloche on July 10, 2008 at 5:50am

My husband,who at one time was unemployed.He doesn't have any prescribed meds so it is just me that requires medical insurance.The test strips are 100$ for 1 box of 100.For a person that takes their blood sugar 5x a day it can get quite expensive.My mom(bless her heart) would give me test strips of theirs, beings that my parents are both Type 2s.It truly is a blessing to have family.Had it not been for family my health would have suffered.

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Permalink Reply by debb on July 10, 2008 at 5:54am

i too am in the transition phase. my husband changed jobs and then messed up his ins. paperwork. so i'm still waiting for those ins cards to come in. fortunately for me, my doctor's office has had everything i need to get by with until they do. there are a few things that i am able to afford so i don't bother the doctor with those, but.....i will be very happy when the ins issue has been resolved. my husband told me he has been assured that there will be no waiting period because i'm diabetic. i can only hope he is correct.

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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on July 10, 2008 at 7:43am

My coverage: I have been lucky in the sense that my parents' insurance with Aetna covered me to the age of 25 and then their COBRA covered me to 28 (thank you, TX law). In my line of work (private voice teacher), I'm a self-employed contractor and can't get insurance. Tried applying privately several times. Letter always came back stating they wouldn't cover a diabetic - even with no prior lapse in coverage. Joined a music teachers association that offered benefits. The insurance guy actually laughed at me (not in a mean-spirited way) and said "not a chance. sorry."

Marrying into insurance: My husband is a contractor, but with benefits through a contract company. We got married at the j.o.p. the week before my 28th birthday (and five months before our planned wedding) just so I could get on his insurance (how romantic! *laughs*). Since then, we've been covered under three different insurance plans, each with new rules and new deductibles. We lapsed for only 30 days and my endo cut her bill almost in half so I could be seen. I am amazed at how much doctors TRY to work with you. My podiatrist yesterday told me that it's best with insurance to expect nothing, because that's what you're going to get.

Strips: I agree with everyone on strips. I'm supposed to test 8-10x a day right now between pump therapy and pre-conception planning. That's 300 strips a month. 6 boxes of 50. My pharmacy doesn't even keep 6 boxes in stock at a time, but with auto-refill, their computer orders it for me. With one insurance plan we were on for about 7 months, I had to pay out-of-pocket for two months while I resolved the issue of BCBS of Michigan considering test strips to be durable medical and not pharmaceutical, so I couldn't get them locally. (BCBSM also didn't cover diabetes education visits but once a year and with certain restrictions.) Now I'm with Anthem BCBS (based in Virginia). Test strips are covered, but only 200 of them a month. I now have to go through pre-authorization where I try to convince Anthem that testing more than 5-6 times a day is actually good for me. The same companies that tell us that the CGMS is no more effective than finger-sticking put limits on HOW OFTEN you can check your BG?! It's a crazy mixed-up world.

Questions: I feel fortunate that my mom worked for United Healthcare for 8 years and my mother-in-law works with insurance at a hospice company. I have lots of people I can ask questions of. I think it's a crime that we aren't taught how this system works. Where was the class in high school that taught you how to review benefits packages, start a retirement fund, and do your taxes? I feel sorry for people who struggle with these complex life issues with no easy answers.

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Permalink Reply by Lee Ann on July 10, 2008 at 8:21am

My hubby and I got married under the same circumstances! I was changing jobs, and going to be between insurance plans. We had recently bought a house so finances made COBRA prohibitive. We had only started making wedding plans, and weren't even officially engaged. While my engagement ring was at the jewelers being set, we went to Vegas and got married. Six months later we had our big reception complete with a fake wedding. He "proposed" once we were back from Vegas. Still kind of bums me out that I didn't get a real proposal, but in the end, going to Vegas just so I wouldn't be without health insurance was even more heart-felt and romantic. Plus, I wasn't all that nervous when we got married in front of our friends and family since we were already married.

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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on July 10, 2008 at 8:28am

That's exactly what calmed my hubby's nerves at the altar. :) We were already married.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on July 10, 2008 at 10:07am

Marriage solved my health insurance problems too :) How romantic!

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Permalink Reply by dino on July 10, 2008 at 10:55am

Hello my name is Dino. I'm single and I enjoy romantic dinners and long walks on the beach. I'm looking for someone that would like to include me on her health insurance policy and would like to get married as early as tomorrow. Please respond and I will make arrangements to meet at the Chapel-O-Love in Las Vegas. Drinks are on me.

...some of my frustrations with health insurance are documented in my blog.
Oh the survival game can be so rough on us.

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Permalink Reply by Katrina on July 10, 2008 at 2:06pm

Wow, I thought I was the only one who "married" for insurance. Well, let me re-phrase - got married EARLIER to get coverage.

I am currently trying to outlast a 90 waiting period for benefits at my current job and am withouth insurance. My doctor gave me about 4 bottles each of Humalog and Lantus (THANK YOU) so I am ok on that. Syringes - I end up resuing sometimes, though they are relatively cheap at Wal-Mart and other pharmacies here in Dallas.

Now strips - oh the racket! Basically, $1.00 per strip ( I have a OneTouch meter). I am supposed to test at least 6 times a day and WANT to - but it's expensive and my doc can't help me on those.

It's kinda depressing - I had to stop using my Animas pump because I can't afford the supplies right now. But, I know my insurance is coming, so I am just trying to stay well until I am allowed to get sick. :)

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Permalink Reply by Sandra burke on August 1, 2009 at 6:19pm

I just read what you wrote in regards to Bc/Bs. I too had Anthem and they gave me a problem of the test strips. The doc wanted me to test and record it six times daily they pitched a fit and said four was enough. Long story short I did get it approved but what a hassel. Only to have been cancelled in June. I have had many back surgeries and joint replacements in knees, shoulder, feet. My premium was $994 a mo. Now since last month at age 61 and disabled due to back problems and bone problems they have cancelled me. I called PPA and hopefully that will help to get my meds as I am on a few of them. One is $669.00 a month. I am just looking to see what kind of help I may be able to get.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on October 18, 2008 at 10:37pm

There is a document (it's a pdf file-- you need Adobe Reader to view it) that lists options for getting reduced-price or free diabetes supplies. You can view it here.

Here is the website where I found it.

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Permalink Reply by Melinda on October 19, 2008 at 8:46am

I really feel for those of you out there without health insurance, but just from my own experience, I am not sure that national health care for the US is the right answer.

My husband is active duty and we are on the military system, which works similar to what I presume a National Health Care system would work. Yes, our coverage is a benefit of his service and is at no cost (definitely not FREE, as we give up a lot for his service), but the care has not even been slightly comparable to what I received in the civilian world. If you are a Type II, they are more used to dealing with that (lots of retirees with Type II) and more likely to have an answer for your issues. Many times, I feel like they just don't know what to do with me, a Type I on a pump. I do not have an endocrinologist (just the "diabetes specialist" at the clinic). He's a smart guy, but not an endocrinologist - and he sends me to a Diabetes Nurse Educator for pump help. The old DNE we had was GREAT, but her husband got transferred, and the new DNE seems to be more on-line with working with Type II's. When I was pregnant, nobody but OB would work with me - not the folks you want helping with your pump calibrations. They put me into DKA in the hospital by not giving me insulin (after taking my pump away) while admitted for pregnancy complications. The list goes on and on. At least with commercial health care, there are more choices. I am grateful for what we have, and I feel like most of the docs do the best they can to help me, but I feel like I am definitely not always getting the best care out there.

If we could find a system that would work and still provide top-quality care, that would really make a difference.

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