Gina at Diabetes TalkFest has declared July 1st as CGMS Denial Day. Diabetics all over the web are posting their struggles with private insurance coverage for their CGMS.
As posted a few days ago, my coverage has been pending, and pending, and pending, and pending.... (get the picture?)
So I have not ordered any new sensors since my initial order that included 5 sensors.
A CGMS system can show me 1 hour, 3 hour, and 9 hour blood sugar trends, showing me a new result every 5 minutes. It can also beep when I start to get too high or too low, alerting me to correct the problem right away.
My latest A1c (3-6 month average of blood sugar levels... normal is considered between 4-6%) was 6.9% this is fantastic as opposed to my adolescent A1c's of 10 and higher!! When I was pregnant and testing about 10 times a day I had it at a 5.1.... I am POSITIVE I can lower this number and have tighter control with the aid of a CGMS. Having tighter control will keep me from or delay the complications of retinopathy, limb amputations, poor circulations, high blood pressure, stroke, etc.
I am SURE the insurance companies will begin to approve CGMS technology at some point, just as they approved pumps. I am also quite confident that CGMS will be integrated into all insulin pumps within the next several years. But the sooner I get my sugars in the tightest control possible, the longer I can live a healthy productive life with my family.
3 comments:
Here's hoping all our raised voices get those insurance companies on board!
Can I brag to you a little? My A1c yesterday was 5.8 (my kidney function though was not so good)
Check out the cgms reimbursement site at http://cgmscentral.com and let me know what you think. It's being used as a community based approach to sharing successes, tips, factual info, etc... and structured around specific health insurance carriers at the plan level. My company put the site out there and it's 100% user driven, free and you can use it anonymously or as a registered member.
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