recently heard from the AACE
For those that don’t know what the AACE is, it is the
American College of Endocrinology.
I recently wront to them and the ADA to say that from
what I am reading that they don’t have a plan in place
for recongnizing the difference in type 1 and type 2
diabetes. Based on this Medicare and some other
Insurance companies will not cover supplies if you do
not meet a certain criteria that millions of Americans
are unable to meet. I suggested that both
organizations take a look at their current policies
and consider drafting one on this issue as it could
possibly help millions of Americans.
As of yet I haven’t heard back from the ADA, but I did
get a response from the AACE. It appears that they
have recently drafted a proposal to raise the limit of
the C-peptide and also eliminate the distincton
between the two types of diabetes. For anyone that is
interested let me know and I will forward the
attachement on to you.
One other thing that this Mr. Millson, the deputy CEO
of AACE, suggested is that my family, friends, and
myself write my congressmen and reps to express my
desire to have this changed. I would ask for your help
in doing so also.
Thanks,
Matt
January 4th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Matt,
Hear hear!
Let us all do this. As a result of the information I received from Minimed I
had thought of the same idea, and was thinking about how best to do this.
Yes, please forward the attachment!
I would be willing to draft a example letter for my congressperson and senators.
David
January 5th, 2007 at 3:20 am
And folks, while we’re at it, let’s also make our views known on stem cell
research, which the Bush administration wants to totally ban.
Patrick
January 28th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Send me the info. I’d like to see what they have in mind. I think
that in some ways, adult-onset type 1 is often mistreated and
misjudged because of the age thing. Of course, there’s still that
problem that any adult with diabetes is considered a type 2 (its on
my insurance records all the time!) But at the same time the
determining medical treatment needs based only on the "type" of
diabetes is dangerous. I know that working with politics is the only
way to get things changed, but be prepared…it can be very, very
slow. Even if Medicare coverage "guidelines" are changed, it still
has to cycle through each of the individual carriers. There can be
significant policy differences from one carrier to another.
Hopefully the reorganization in Baltimore (re-vamping of HCFA) will
eventually eliminate some of this. There’s a lot of "noise" about
Medicare reform right now, but it needs a lot of momentum to
accomplish anything…the wheels turn very slowly, and implementing
changes being "mouthed" by Congress will take a lot of force. So
this is not a short-term battle.
suzanna