“I Don’t Like the New Changes at All”

Editor’s Note: We received this e-mail yesterday from a long-time reader. As we read it, we realized that she may be expressing thoughts and feelings shared by many of our readers. That’s why we would like to invite you to respond to what she says, and add your own observations. Please feel free to comment. (To protect this writer’s privacy, we are not publishing her name.)

Nadia Al-Samarrie, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

 

Dear Nadia:

My husband and I have Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and we have Express Scripts that covers our prescriptions.

Recently I got a note in the mail that they would no longer cover any glucometers except OneTouch. I am on the OmniPod insulin pump and I use FreeStyle test strips that go along with my glucometer, which is better known as the Personal Diabetes Manager.

The OmniPod is an insulin carbohydrate ratio insulin pump system. Before that I used AccuChek test strips. [However] Express Scripts will no longer cover any tests strips except OneTouch.

I would love to know what other diabetics think of these changes. I don’t like the new changes at all. I can see the President helping people get insurance that can’t afford it, but for the people who can afford and have insurance, and pay a portion of the insurance out of their own pocket, I don’t think they should be denied the right to use any glucometer they want.

Testing your blood sugar sure helps you stay in control and keeps you out of the hospital. I think it is a shame that with the new insurance changes they will only cover one brand of test strips. I also got a note that they only insulin they will cover now is Humalog insulin. What about all the other people that use Lantus and other long-acting insulin?

I sure thought we were past all these stages in the game with diabetes. I remember years ago when I first started working after college I always had to have the more expensive insurance plan or none of my diabetes supplies would be covered. I remember when some people I worked with had insurance plans where when they took their children to the doctor the office visit was only $5. I could not have that because that insurance wouldn’t cover any of my diabetes supplies because they claimed they were disposable. Many years later all our diabetes supplies were covered.

Now with the new prescription plan changes we are going backwards again instead of forward with the changes being made. Very few of our things are going to be covered now by Express Scripts. I don’t think it is fair for the people that have diabetes. I have had diabetes for over 40 years. I would love for you to do an article in you Diabetes Health magazine and hear from other people what they think about all this.

L.S., Delaware

 

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