We do one of those high deductible plans with a Health Savings Account. We pay out of pocket up to the first $4000, but that includes everything, office visits, prescriptions, etc. Then after we hit that amount (and actually I think the individual amount is lower), we pay nothing. Since we set aside $4k in the HSA at the beginning of the year, it makes it really easy for us to budget because we know we won't pay more out of pocket unless we see someone out of network. Just a thought the next time you are in the open enrollment period to take a look at one of these. The amount they take out of your check is also lower each pay period (generally) than other plans.
Did you call BCBS? I would call to see why it went up. Rx's are sometimes not on formulary so they cost more. If this is what your Dr. wants you on, then they can write BCBS and in some cases, they will preapprove it at a lower rate. My husband had to do this with one if his meds.
I cant believe BCBS did that! I had that my whole life untill 25 when i was covered under my mom, and she worked for a hospital.. i loved that insurance.. Im sorry i cant help you cause i take humulog but i am boiling mad right now reading this, i am so sick of being a cash cow its not fair !
Mine copay for humalog already is $45 and has been for years. I have a PPO thru BC/BS as well.
My doctor wanted me to switch to Apidra. I tried his samples and they worked fine but I never ended up filling the prescription because I don't like change and I didn't want to deal with insurance if it wasn't covered. But in the days I did use it, it seemed to work as well as humalog.
I think I'll ask about trying Novolog then. But, first I have to call bc/bs to ask what is "preferred." Wed. is a long day at work for me, so haven't done it yet...
Thanks guys!
I hate how insurance works with T1 stuff. The stuff we NEED is expensive and not covered, but if you need some elective medications, they'll be covered.
They'll probably just give you a cow and call that a generic way to get insulin.
I recently had the same type of issue with my test strips. My insurance renewed and my insurance company changed which list my strips fell under and my copay jumped from $70 to $170 for a 3-month supply. I called and found out the new meter under that category so I got a prescription for that one so I could keep paying the cheaper rate. I was only diagnosed with Type 1 last year, so I'm new to this, but I just hope this isn't going to be a yearly hassle. I'm switching from the Accu-Check Aviva to the Bayer Contour. I haven't used it yet (still finishing up my old supply), so I might like the new one better for all I know, but it's still a hassle to get new prescriptions. It really frustrated the hell out of me when I found that out.
-Jason
[quote user="Travis"]
They'll probably just give you a cow and call that a generic way to get insulin.
[/quote]
LOL!
1st- fast acting insulins do act differently, my body seems to prefer the most expensive of anything- argh.
2nd -I aso have BC/BS PPO- and they seem to give me grief on a lot. $35 is the magic number for me- though I am dreading a call I need to make to get more than 1 vial of insulin at a time. Not to mention the time a "nurse" called me and told me I needed to lose weight to help control my betes (in the normal height/weight), and asked if I tested my blood sugar! After explaining I had t1 and tested 4-10x per day, she had nothing helpful to say.
wow...my copay for insulin has been $45 for the whole 6 years I've been taking it, and I've had 3 different insurances in that time period. Lucky you only paying $10 before!
As for the different insulins, Humalog and Novalog are the two standard fast-acting insulins. When my Dr put me on Novolog he explained that Novolog will keep your post-meal spike lower. Other than that I havn't seen a difference, but it's in my pump and it certainly works.
After my co-pay went up, I asked my endo for a novolog rx (copay $25). I've filled it but haven't started it yet. She said the two should act identically, but from informal comments here, it sounds like they sometimes affect people differently. We'll see how it goes...
I hear you!! It is so expensive being a diabetic!! As if our lives aren't already hard enough, now we have to worry about paying for our supplies to stay alive. I am lucky I have a great job with great insurance and it is even still expensive for me. I am a newlywed and was just diagnosed with T 1 about 6 months ago. My husband and I didn't plan on these expenses but I have learned that my husband is an even better man than I knew. He has supported me throughout this horrible diagnosis...
[quote user="Sarah"]
BC/BS PPO
We buy the most expensive plan his office offers so I don't have to worry about problems like THIS. :P
[/quote]
I used to have BC/BS PPO...and that's exactly why I had it, but my insulin copay used to be $35...you must have been special to get the $10 copay.
Had we not been switched to Aetna, I would have switched to the EPO as my physician and endo are in-network.
That sucks about the jump though...are you on a pump? If so, what do you pay for supplies?
[quote user="Pat"]
I used to have BC/BS PPO...and that's exactly why I had it, but my insulin copay used to be $35...you must have been special to get the $10 copay.
Had we not been switched to Aetna, I would have switched to the EPO as my physician and endo are in-network.
That sucks about the jump though...are you on a pump? If so, what do you pay for supplies?
[/quote]
Nope, I haven't been on a pump since having this insurance, although I had BC/BS from a diff state back when I was on the pump and I think it covered all supplies at 100% if I'm remembering correctly.
Of course, I'm special ... I tried to call BC/BS to remind them of this, but they didn't care and wouldn't budge on this new $45 copay. Apparently they didn't realize that lower payments should apply to me so I can afford my outrageous mortgage for a very small townhouse ... the joys of living in an expensive area, right!
Ah, dx stories!
Well, I was dx’d less than 11 months ago – so it’s all still really fresh for me.
I had been exhibiting the stereotypical symptoms (and been noticing it) for 3 months. I was drinking a gallon or 2 of water out of sheer thirst and using the restroom every twenty minutes. It was to the point I’d get up out of a dead sleep 6-8 times a night to use the bathroom and, of course, drink more water. I had spent the 3 months prior to me noticing the symptoms in a hot climate doing army training with mandatory hydrations daily. So for awhile I brushed off the water addiction as something I had gotten used to all that drinking. Although when my parents would jab at me about my constant thirst of a camel and my knowledge of where the closest restroom was at any given time I would tell them “I think I have diabetes”. I mean, I WAS in college with medical courses- I KNEW the symptoms of diabetes. I believe my parents saw the symptoms but in me being a college student and not always around…they didn’t really see how bad I was or how it was getting to be obnoxious. But like my parents would reassure me, I don’t have diabetes in my family’s history at all. I was a healthy 22 year old that was in college and the National Guard. Other than my intrepid thirst the symptoms had been mild I didn’t have DKA, I didn’t feel sick, or overly exhausted. I was a college student- I pulled all-nights and partied… I was always tired but nothing more than normal.
SO life went on without questioning it. I just liked water. November around Thanksgiving I got a call that the army was deploying me in the Spring to Iraq and so began all the preparations to get me ready to go. December 8th I was going through a medical station- and something I’ve learned through my years in the service- if an army doctor is acting super nice it should be acting as a blaze orange flag to you that something is wrong. After spend 5 hours in the medical station talking to army doctors they finally told me I had hypertension. My blood pressure was 140/100 and was getting to be dangerous for someone of my age and size. They instructed me to see my civilian doctor to get some blood pressure medication prescribed to me. [Note: high blood pressure was just another check in the “Yes, you have diabetes” column.]
So since I was being forced to see a doctor anyways I figured I may as well ask for a blood test to see if I have diabetes or if I’m just exhibiting the signs of a hypochondriac! I scheduled the appointment strategically so I could get back in time for some studying before my finals for fall semester senior year. On December 17th I asked the nurse about getting the test, and to this day, I remember the look she gave me. Like I was being absolutely ridiculous- so of course, I rattled off the laundry list of symptoms I had been noting for a 3 month period. All the while she was reading through my history saying “there’s no way you have diabetes- it’s not even in here”. Needless to say I felt like a little punk asking for special treatment at that appointment but they ran the labs and told me I’d hear about the results by the end of the week. The following day I got a phone call from my mom during my final. I knew something was up since she had known that I was studying for the final for days. I quickly finished the hand-cramping essay about criminal procedure in MN’s prison system and called my mom back. She said the Clinic had called about my tests but wouldn’t reveal the results because I was over 18. So I called the nurse and with much remorse in her voice she told me the news. I had diabetes. I was sick. I needed to come in as soon as possible for treatment.
The following week consisted of me driving home everyday to see a different specialist, dietician, or nurse and then drive back to school to finish off finals. I got the crash-course of how to take care of your diabetes since the following week was Christmas and everyone would be on vacation for the holiday week. At the time I didn’t really grasp how sick I really was. The physicians talked about A1c being 16.9% and my fasting blood sugars being 600. I ended up taking my j-term off so I could get a handle on all of the muck that doctors were throwing at me. I took most of it all in stride and have gotten normal A1c’s of 5.8% in April and 6.0% in September.
As far as the army goes I wasn’t deployed because of the diabetes. But have fought every medical board that has tried to kick me out of the guard because of it too. Just last week I was told I get to be retained to fulfill my contract.
That’s right, world, I have diabetes but there is no way diabetes has me.
I was diagnosed with diabetes only a few years ago, but time goes fast, and I don't really remember that much from before I was diabetic. I was diagnosed on October 10, 2005; my mom sprung a surprise doctor's appointment on me because she knew I'd be mad if I was told before hand :) Ironic that I didn't used to like doctors!
We'd taken a short vacation the weekend (or so) before - my parents told me later it was because they knew something was up with me. It was sort of a "last fling" before diabetes, even though we weren't sure what was up, and that we went to take everyone's mind off it. But: symptoms + car ride... = you know how that goes! Lots of liquids, lots of bathroom stops, lots of arguments, and feeling... ugh.
Anyway, my doctor told me they thought I had diabetes. I cried, of course. It was probably the scariest thing that's ever happened to me before.
I hadn't eaten for hours, but the doctors told me not to eat much, so I had some crackers before I went to the hospital. It was the first time I've seen my Dad cry - something that really tears me up.
They admitted me to the ER upon arrival. The lady at the desk asked if I "felt alright enough to come get my bracelet." Guess I was one of the luckier ones seeing as I felt relatively alright.
Spent the night in the ER until about 1 or 2 am. Tried to stay up to watch TV but fell asleep. My family was with it through the whole thing, and they still are. Hospital food was good, though. Well, except for the oatmeal... :)
has the JDRF been publishing this in all of their newsletters and communications? if not, they should be! what an awesome way to donate to the JDRF!
im going to use that now. i might just type in some random stuff to get more donations! and im going to try and get my friends to use it. it might be hard to get my friend who uses blackle, a power saving search engine(because its black, so it uses less energie). she made some guy in my class leave google to use blackle even!
I don't have one so maybe I am not the best person to answer, but can you wear it on your arm? Lots of people when the exercise and stuff wear Ipods strapped to their arm so it would probably just look like that?
thank you :]