I'm really frustrated today. Not because of blood sugars (which have stayed between 110 and 140 all day) or insulin or any of those other details of this disease. I'm frustrated because I can't change doctors without completely stressing out my life.

I received a suggestion from my old pediatric endo about a doctor in town, so I checked the insurance to make sure I'd be covered. And sure enough...he's not on my acceptable provider list. Even if I wanted to pay out of network, I can't. Some rule about providers being within 75 miles of my home and I'm not on a PPO.

  (READ MORE)

I have to say that I was a little stunned last week when I found out that my insurance company had changed its policy regarding continuous glucose monitors. While I don't know exactly what that means yet, it's likely that the change will be in my favor (i.e., no more of this "disposable coverage" BS). At least, I hope.
 

One of the benefits my company offers is the use of a health company that advocates on our behalf for things like figuring out what you may owe after a hospital stay or what gets applied to your deductible. Basically, these people are in the health-care trenches and can help you sort out any issues or problems you're having.
  (READ MORE)

I have been determined to not let this year be another 2008. Filled with negative attitudes and depressing thoughts. I know times will be rough but I chose how I react to those things and so far I have been doing pretty good.

But one thing that is a bummer about any new year is the deductibles I have to pay for my prescriptions.

I have insulin for my pump, glucose testing strips, Lisinopril for high blood pressure, and Zetia for cholesterol. 

  (READ MORE)

Last week, I started a blog entry:

An Internal Battle
 
Why do I want a CGMS? Right now, I'm not so sure. There have been numerous points in the last year where I've said how much better my quality of life would be if I had some more diabetes technology. There have been other points this year when I've said, you know I'm not sure my return on investment here is worth it.

I had intended to work on that entry over the weekend, but couldn’t find the words past this paragraph. One day last week I had really considered calling the medical-supply company I’m working with to get the DexCom to tell them to just forget it. And pretty quickly I decided not to, to allow myself to have access to the best technology to treat my disease. I decided to just let it go and see what happens.

  (READ MORE)

I've always been blessed with fairly amazing insurance. My dad worked for the city of Houston for several decades, so our family has always had the group policy with a large subscriber base and it's stayed the same since I was born.

After he retired, we kept the same insurance as part of his pension plan. Our co-pays rarely change for either doctors or prescriptions. They pay roughly eighty percent of most procedures and devices. And since I was blessed with a stable income family, I'm able to afford the $45 copays and twenty percent of the pump.

But in the last few years and with the new health issues, my health bills seem to be piling up. And with the economy the way it is, I'm starting to stress about how to pay for some of the necessary (and probably not so necessary) items.

  (READ MORE)

Jumping into the world of pumping is no simple task. And I don’t mean that it is hard to get an insulin pump. The hard part is picking through the available pump companies, deciding which one suits your lifestyle, and finding a way to pay for it. If you live in Duckburg and own a bank vault full of coins, you can pay the thousands of dollars for up-front costs and hundreds monthly for a pump. But for the rest of us, health insurance is the only avenue to an insulin pump. (READ MORE)