A hot topic in the diabetes world is health care: how expensive it is to have a life, let alone remain upright; how we couldn’t get private insurance before the ACA was signed into law; how we still can’t get coverage now that ACA is law; the fire-laced hoops we jump through just to make sure we have have a semi-normal life without going bankrupt by a disease we didn’t want.

I don’t normally jump into advocacy beyond this blog and sharing the latest news on Facebook or Twitter. There are far more influential people with diabetes out there that people will listen to that there is no sense in me trying to add my thoughts to the mix, I think.

But no! That’s the problem! If there is anything I’m learning about this goofy election cycle circus, it’s that I do have a say and a voice, regardless how pint-sized it may be. So whether I have 100 readers or 100,000, someone might hear me and also want to help raise a voice as an advocate.

Here is the current dilemma. At some point in the future, I will retire and need to rely on Medicare for my health insurance needs. (This is all assuming that nothing changes in regard to health care and insurance in the next 30 years.) Medicare currently has a bidding program to determine which and what brands of durable medical equipment it will cover for seniors enrolled in the system. Durable medical equipment typically includes diabetes supplies like test strips, glucose meters, syringes, insulin pumps, etc. – items that help administer the care of a PWD. (Versus a prescription of insulin, which is required to keep a PWD alive.) Like any government agency I can think of, the competitive bidding program was established to find the required durable medical needs at the cheapest possible price, and then having all Medicare patients use those brands only, unless they wanted to pay out of pocket.

The problem arises when taking the cheap way out actually effects the patient’s livelihood, and sometimes can mean more hospital stays or deaths. Let’s take test strips as an example. A person with diabetes will rely on a test strip and glucose meter to give them an accurate picture of where their blood sugar stands at a given moment. Brand A, while more expensive, may have about a 15 point variance in accuracy. Brand B, a cheaper generic brand, may have a 30 to 45 point variance. Both brands are FDA approved. Let’s say my blood sugar is 70 mg/dl – which brand would I prefer to have test my blood sugar? The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will argue that Brand B is acceptable. Because it’s cheaper! And saves us money! And the FDA says it’s okay!

Meanwhile, I’m wondering if I need glucose tablets or correction insulin.

Anyway, The Journal of the American Diabetes Association says that the bidding program is doing much more harm than good. (Source – Abstract. Source – Full Text [requires log in] / Other Links Here.) And really, hospital stays are typically more expensive than test strips, so I’m not sure what Medicare is actually saving. Based on these findings by ADA, PWDs are calling for a halt on the bidding program since it failed to meet standards in its test areas. In July, the program will roll out to more states and effect more Medicare patients with diabetes.

It’s already hard enough just to get my insulin pump supplies from Medtronic as a 30-something female with private insurance through her employer. Since Medicare’s coverage and ideas can trickle down into the private sector, what’s stopping my private insurance from implementing the same sort of game of health care roulette?

I have a fairly diverse readership since I cover a litany of topics. (I know, all you capsule wardrobe followers are like, what gives, woman?!) But I ask, please, hear my pint-sized voice just this once and help me take action. After all, this was, and is, still technically a blog about my life with diabetes. My very long life with diabetes.

DPAC (Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition) has made it SUPER simple to write to your legislators. Visit this clicky link to fill out one quick form about where you live and it generates letters to  your Senator, Assemblyperson, and local representative and send it all for you! OMG this is so simple. And I hate writing letters like this. The more voices your reps hear, the better.

Oh, maybe I should have posted this sooner, but, DPAC has a nifty infographic you can share/read/whatever. Consider this the reward for reading through this.

DPAC Infographic (PRNewsFoto/Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coal..)