s1955 Scares Me

I just looked at the receipts from our prescriptions for last year. We pay a *lot* of money in co-pays. But the amount we don't pay is even more staggering.

Nicole posted eloquently on the issues around s1955 which - on the surface - addresses a pressing need for expanded health care coverage. But the cost, to anyone with a chronic illness, is overwhelming.

I've written letters to both my senators (through their sites) and I want to encourage you to do the same. We fought so hard to require health insurers to cover daily diabetes supplies. I cannot believe that it could all be taken away - or priced out of reach - in one fell misguided swoop.


ETA: Here's the text of the email I sent to family & friends. Feel free to swipe all or part of it.

Hello all,

The Senate will soon consider s1955, a bill which attempts to expand availability of health insurance, particularly though small business employers. This is, of course, a good goal, but the bill has a serious flaw.

s1955 will allow private insurers and state insurance plans in 46 states to circumvent laws which currently require them to cover diabetes supplies, education, and equipment. This means limited or no coverage for blood glucose monitors and testing strips, syringes, insulin, nutritionists, diabetes educators, and insulin pumps. People with other chronic illnesses will be similarly affected.

Not to sound maudlin, but this would be devastating for us personally and for millions of people with diabetes across the country.

Today, we have tools that allow us to live healthy - and long - lives. When I was first diagnosed 20 years ago, I read an outdated textbook that said I had 30 years to live thanks to diabetes. That statistic *used* to be true, but the improved insulins, insulin pumps, and home blood glucose monitoring available today are creating new stats - ones that say John and I can live full and healthy lives with diabetes.

Currently, we pay the highest premium we can to get the best health insurance policy available to us. Under that policy, we pay close to $500/quarter in copays for our diabetes medications and supplies. That's a big number - but only a percentage of the true cost. We are so lucky that we can afford our premiums and copays, but we rely on our insurer to cover the rest.

If you are willing to submit an email to your senators about this using a standard form provided by the ADA, please visit:
https://secure2.convio.net/adap/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=792&AddInterest=2401

If you'd like to read more, or would like info about how to contact your senators directly, a young woman I know from my camp days has posted her take on this at http://ohsocurious.blogspot.com/2006/03/your-chance.html

Thanks for reading & considering. Please feel free to pass this email - and my email address - along to anyone you know who might be interested in this issue.

-Kassie

Follow up post here.