September 26, 2005
Insurance/Costs
Question from Tucson, Arizona, USA:
It is my understanding that when on the pump, I have to test my son’s blood sugar more often. We test our son eight times a day. He is very active and needs to test before and after gym class, before snacks and meals, before bed and during the night. Even though his endocrinologist has prescribed 300 strips per month based on my son’s readings, the health insurance company is only approving 150. I am appealing, but want to get as much information and research to back up my request. Can you help me?
Answer:
The amount of testing depends upon the difficulty of control, frequently and severity of hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia unawareness syndrome, etc. You should discuss this with your diabetes team since they can give you proper advice for your child and not generalities. They can also help you with battling stupid insurance company restrictions. It sounds like you are doing a terrific job testing. IF you can rationalize your needs correctly and point to excellent A1c results, no hospital stays, no emergency room visits, etc, this is a good reason for the insurance company to reconsider arbitrary policy determinations.
SB
