it’s been a while

but i've been on hold with insurance the whole time, so...

A brief reminder about how much insurance sucks

My new health insurance plan considers Dexcom sensors "durable medical equipment," which means they are covered at a 50% coinsurance. That means, the weekly sensor I wear costs me $40 out of pocket. That's $160 dollars for a month's supply. If you're keeping track, that's over $1900 a year, which is more than 1 month's … Continue reading A brief reminder about how much insurance sucks →

What an infected pump site looks like

I put in a new Omnipod on Friday. By Saturday, it was hurting pretty bad. This is not uncommon for me; depending on how badly it hurts and how much insulin is left in the pump, I usually "stick it out" because it's a huge waste of insulin to toss pods before they're depleted. By … Continue reading What an infected pump site looks like →

Dear Animas

Dear Animas, Just got your letter; thanks for sending. You don't know this, but I'm actually getting married next week, and the thing about planning a wedding is that it forces you into a thousand-and-one interesting, challenging, and at times excruciating social confrontations. There's the people who don't RSVP to your wedding who you have … Continue reading Dear Animas →

An Act of Violence

Today's house vote on a bill that will dismantle the Affordable Care Act represents a return to a government that turns compromised bodies like my own into commodity goods, of value only in the potential profit they offer to privatized healthcare companies. It is my government telling me that unless I can afford privatized healthcare via … Continue reading An Act of Violence →

The follow up letter I wrote 1 day later to Kevin Sayer, President of Dexcom International

Dear Mr. Sayer, First off, I will acknowledge that two letters in two days is a lot. I appreciate your attention to this letter—and in fact, if you happen to have my first letter in hand, you can go ahead and recycle it. Or I guess, read it for context but focus on this letter … Continue reading The follow up letter I wrote 1 day later to Kevin Sayer, President of Dexcom International →

The letter I wrote this afternoon to Kevin Sayer, president of Dexcom International

Kevin Sayer President, Dexcom International 6340 Sequence Drive San Diego, CA 92121 Dear Mr. Sayer, In February 2014 I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Within 3 months my c-peptide reading was 0; my beta cells were completely wiped out. Even my doctors were disappointed at how quickly it happened—I guess many Type 1s “honeymoon” … Continue reading The letter I wrote this afternoon to Kevin Sayer, president of Dexcom International →

Taking Charge of Your Diabetes – Again

Remember when I complained about the stupid pamphlet my insurance company sent me about diabetes? They sent it again! That's because I've switched insurances, and I guess my new plan has, also, discovered that I have diabetes. I wonder what tipped them off? (I'm gonna guess the insulin prescriptions. Or like, the diagnostic code. Which, in … Continue reading Taking Charge of Your Diabetes – Again →

Insurance

Mark it: September 23, 2015, the first day that my new job's health insurance (theoretically) (officially) kicks in. I still kind of can't believe it. I don't have the card yet, so... But if it's true, if it has kicked in, if I soon get the card and get to be swallowed up in the comforting embrace … Continue reading Insurance →

Taking Charge Of Your Diabetes

The title of this post is the name of pamphlet that I received in the mail from my insurance company this morning. Oh dear. They appear to have figured out I have diabetes. It contained such gems as this one: Well... um. OK. That's **kinda** true, insurance company. I would actually argue that diabetes is … Continue reading Taking Charge Of Your Diabetes →