Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Gerri on July 20, 2012 at 2:34am

Infuriating doesn't begin to describe this situation. Am so sorry. Mind boggling that insurance would rather pay for hospitalization than prevention. Such a pitiful state of affairs that insurance determines our health needs & our health. What a system for disaster.

Perhaps media attention may further the cause. Local TV stations tend to like David & Goliath stories. No doubt many others are experiencing the same doctor/insurance stupidity & would join your efforts for change, if they knew your brother's story. Strength in numbers. Viva la revolucion!

A friend was recently diagnosed T2. She's on basal insulin. Her idiot doctor says she only needs to test once a day, so her strip Rx is 30 a month.

Sending all good thoughts for your brother's complete recovery. Please keep us posted.

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Permalink Reply by Jethro on July 20, 2012 at 11:52am

Yeah, I think it's time to figure out how to contact media. I'll let you know more soon.

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Permalink Reply by Unknown Diabetic on July 20, 2012 at 4:07am

Jethro sorry to hear about your brother. Hope he has a speedy and full recovery.

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Permalink Reply by Marps on July 21, 2012 at 9:36pm

I'm so sorry to hear this. It is so frightening to hear through you. I cannot even imagine what it feels like to live through it as his family and loved ones. My thoughts are with you all.

It's terrifying because that could happen to any one of us. I went 4 months without insurance because no one would cover me once I left my job to be a stay at home mom to my infant daughter. It was definitely a very scary time for me, as I was dwindling my stockpile of supplies that I spent a year stacking up. Luckily, my husband got hired with the job he was contracted through, and we've had health insurance for about a month now.

Whenever I run into an issue with insurance, I don't mess around. I go to the state insurance commissioner, the governor, the senator, the local news station and the newspaper. Especially something like this situation, I really believe if you play it right, you could get really great media coverage. Especially working the government angle, seeing as election time is right around the corner. Hopefully a lawyer's team will find a case for you and help you retaliate. I'm so sick of insurance companies trying to restrict us when our lives depend on these things so much! Insurance companies make me so sick just thinking about them. I truly wish we could just do away with them altogether.

Again, I'm so sorry to hear this. My thoughts and tears are with you.

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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on July 22, 2012 at 6:28pm

I'm horrified. And pissed. Just where do Medicare and insurance companies get off practicing medicine without a license, aided by business and professional associations that claim to care (but SOMETIMES do)?

I've never had an unconscious low, but as time goes by I'm becoming increasingly hypo-unaware, and when I finally do notice it, I'm already so low, I'm stupid. This issue is crucial, and yes, I think we need a class-action suit on it!

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on July 22, 2012 at 6:41pm

I don't think the media are capable of comprehending or marketing this issue correctly, which is why I'm pro-suit on it. The "other side" has doctors lined up on their side, ready and willing to testify that people who want > 4 strips/ day are obsessive and disturbed by their prolonged exposure to diabetes.

Blue Cross has sent me a letter advising me that "Medicare says you only need 4x strips/ day, so that's all you need!" signed by some jackass doctor who's never laid eyes on me or any of my numbers. They are currently providing more strips but they've made it clear that their position is that they don't have to.

To me, this is a ***much*** more important issue for us than artificial pancreases.

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Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on August 7, 2012 at 6:05am

That's just pathetic. If you're on insulin, you need to test at LEAST upon rising, before each meal and before you go to bed. That's 5 to 8 strips right there depending on whether or not you snack. Throw in tests before/during/after strenuous work/exercise and you're already at 10-11 test/day -- not to mention before long commutes, testing when/if you feel hypo -- I ran through four test strips the other night in the middle of my sleep due to over-correcting before I went to bed and having to consume some glucose to prevent dropping too low.

These doctors need to spend a week -- 24/7 -- coping with insulin-dependent diabetes. They have NO idea what we go through. None.

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Permalink Reply by HPNpilot on August 7, 2012 at 6:23am

Agreed. Someone should put *them* on insulin and see what it is like. I had a similar issue last night...CGM alarm went off 3 times, I had to test with strips, drink juice, wait 15 minutes, test again. Then the CGM sensor died at a critical time, even more strips...

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Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on August 7, 2012 at 6:41am

And you have to hack your way through embedded barriers, the nurse wonders why you test so much, your doctor may know and, at least for me, they have all been very supportive of this but then your doc sends it to an insurer which probably starts by *flagging* it with the computer "x=>4 send to examiner" who took a class to learn "people with diabetes are all nuts and think they need to know what their BG is. Go ahead and check, they're probably on psych meds..." and a goal of trimming the sails so they maybe just round down, "hmmm, 30x 12= 360, there are 50 in a box so let's give them 7 boxes of 50 and save 10 strips/ month, 120 strips/ year, if we insure 250K people w/ diabetes, that's 30 million strips/ year we'd save!", backed up by the "head doctor of the pharmeceutical program", who does not actually practice medicine but will sign a letter stating you only need 4x strips/ day.

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Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on August 9, 2012 at 4:09am

Well, if we were not on psych meds BEFORE having to deal with the bean counters and insurance companies, we certainly will need psych meds afterwards.

I'll take a pint of Xanax with a Valium chaser, please, no ice.

Sheesh.

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Permalink Reply by jims on August 9, 2012 at 8:59am

Very good. You have caught and framed the issue right on target.

Having fought this crap many times notwithstanding Doctor's orders and computer generated logs on timely basis in triplicate.

I really think you didn't describe the final tactic - keep rejecting and sending it back and hopefully the dolt will get the message and give up.

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Permalink Reply by meee on July 22, 2012 at 8:19pm

That is horrible, I hope he will be ok and sending you my hope/wishes for his complete recovery.

I agree you should sue not just the company but the doctor separately, they are both liable for any permanent damage your brother may have due to this. Don't give up on a lawsuit whether it's class action or not- class action would be a good idea- you will find a lawyer to take this on and you don't' have to pay a fee until a recovery is made.

4 times a day is no where near enough tests, his doctor should have known this and I'm sure he did. I recently asked to increase my test strips from 10 to 15, I was told at my endos office they didn't think the insurance would pay for more that 10, but I called and they told me there is no limit on the number of tests per day. I hope it stays that way since I test a lot due to lows.

I think all the supplies should be free or very low cost, including insulin. We also need a class action suit against the companies that make the supplies and insulin to force them lower the cost.

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