My Diabetes: Day 200andsomething
Today, I got in the mail a semipersonalized letter from the Senior Medical Director of my insurance company's "Healthy Outlook Program", inviting me to participate in their "Caring for Diabetes" program. Since they are available 24/7, I decided to give them a jingle. Especially as I wasn't sure how they had found out I have diabetes!
Well, the very patient people on the phone call explained that the insurance company apparently extracts diagnoses from claims forms from doctors' visits, lab forms, and meds. Not hard therefore to figure out that since I'm taking insulin, getting A1c's, and checking my BG, that I might be a candidate for their program. Interestingly, however, the people on the phone at the Healthy Outlook Program had no idea whether I am checking sugars (they asked if I wanted a free meter -- but no free strips), nor whether I'm on insulin or pills or both or neither, so they apparently were willing to believe whatever I might tell them, no matter how outrageous.
Turns out that the RN's answering calls are specialists in (get this!) diabetes, low back pain, and two other disorders... No CDEs, no RDs, no expertise except at reading scripts. And unclear about the "American Diabetic Association", and unwilling or unable to give advice when I specifically offered an example: I had a BG of 146 before driving home from work (I'm usually averaging about 100-105), and he didn't have anything except platitudes to offer. I pointed out he could ask about missed meds, extra stress or calories, malfunctioning meter, etc., but I think this wasn't available in his script.
I did let the cat out of the bag, and told the RN that I was an endocrinologist myself, and invited him to read this blog entry. He was good enough to remain unshaken at this, and I hope he does, and if so, please add any comment you want.
Why am I frustrated and a bit p/o'ed? Because the company nowhere indicated that some of their clients are under the care of endocrinologists with ready access to CDEs, and are offering this competitive service to what endocrinologists do on a daily basis. Maybe their program might help some patients who are under the care of stupid or stubborn physicians (and my profession certainly has its fair share), but for the admittedly small minority of patients who are seeing a diabetes team already, this "service" is self-serving, redundant to what the diabetes teams offer, and smacks of a PR stunt, not a serious effort to help the highly-motivated person with diabetes who routinely reads and participates at this blog.
BTW, I figured out why my BG was high this afternoon: I had a meeting right after eating lunch, and forgot my noontime bolus injection of insulin.
Bill the diabetesdoc
wwq@diabetesmonitor.com
Diabetes.Blog.Com is a blogcompanion to our main website, the Diabetes Monitor, which you can find at http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/
My insurance offers a similar program. They call me every month or two, asking for various information on recent lab tests and doctors' visits. Whenever I report my A1c, they sound like they are going to jump through the roof in excitement (I've always been less than 5.8% on a <6.0% ref as a Type 1), which seems to be part of their script. They are not of any help, except I hope my insurance company thinks they are cutting their own costs by having them call me. They, too, offer platitudes, and insist that I call them if I should ever have questions. (No, I think they should call *me* if they have questions, Hah-Hah!).
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