A friend of mine has a 21 year old daughter with type 1 diabetes who has finished trade school. Now her parents cannot carry her on their insurance any more, she doesn’t know what to do or where to go to get her medicine, and she has been off of her insulin for about a week. She’s too old to stay on her parents’ insurance, and she hasn’t found a job yet, but she really needs her medicine. What can she do? Where can she go now? Can you give me some suggestions?

It’s very likely this young person is eligible to convert her coverage under her parents’ plan to an individual policy covering just her. Your friends should contact the insurer to see if this option is available.

The other option is coverage as a HIPAA eligible person. There is a website that offers great information about health insurance options in Georgia.

DSH

[Editor’s comment: See Financial Aid at The Diabetes Monitor.

SS]

[Editor’s comment: It is extremely dangerous, and indeed life-threatening, for someone with type 1 diabetes to discontinue insulin. Please encourage her to go to her previous doctor, or somewhere, to get samples, immediately.

WWQ]