Diabetes & Pain-In-The-Ass, Administrative Tenacity

Since mid-November, and right up until yesterday afternoon (December 19th,) I’ve spent countless hours on the phone re: health insurance, prescription Rx’s being refilled; squeezing in final, end-of -year Endo and eye doctor’s appointments. 

Not to mention 4 hours and five different weekly phone calls with Edgepark re: my end of year test-strip RX - before I was finally given a ship-date yesterday afternoon - and after being on hold for 22 minutes. 

A three month supply of test strips will be shipped out December 21st. 
Fingers crossed and we shall see.

As of today, December 20th, I’m still waiting for one more DME authorization - it’s a new one, fingers crossed it will approved and billed before the end of the year. 
More to follow. 

These are the things that no one tells you about when it comes to living with diabetes or other chronic illnesses - the time spent on the phone, the hours spent on hold, in order to stay healthy. Thankless and frustrating tasks that we have no choice but to do because our health depends on it.

I try and schedule most of these calls and or tasks around lunch - so it doesn’t cut into my work time too much. I eat my lunch while on hold and my with trusty notebook and pen near by to take notes re: any and all information - including current issue, CS name, refill/ship dates, and the likes there of. 

And I immediately schedule follow up calls in my iPhone calendar as soon as I hang up. 
It's stressful, it's annoying, and like you, I do it because I don't have a choice! 

And lets not forget all the stupid insurance or third party admin mistakes that have nothing to do with us - but impact us directly. 

Like my insurance billing me for a separate visit to UrgentCare 4 days after I received stitches on my foot back in April. 
I was mistakenly billed for a new visit, except i wasn't a new visit -it was follow up visit, which according to UrgentCare, all follow up visits for a specific injury are free of charge up until 10 days out .Since I had 10 freaking stitches on the top of my foot, of course I went back several times to make sure it was healing properly, and to get my stitches out. For some reason it's not computing and even though all the dates line up. 
So incase anyone hasn’t told you as of late - GREAT JOB AND WELL DONE re: all the pain-in-the-ass, administrative tenacity that diabetes requires - not just in December, but 365 days a year! 

BRAVA for multitasking during your endless hours on hold, and fuck yeah, for your tenacity  - diabetes and otherwise, and for never taking NO as your final answer! 

Standing Ovation Clap GIF from Standingovation GIFs

"Hold My Earrings," Because I Won't Stop Fighting AHCA !!!

GAME FUCKING ON.

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“Hold my earrings,” because Congress pissed me off and I won't stop fighting the shitshow that is AHCA!!

I won't stop fighting for people with diabetes or any other pre-existing condition and I won't stop fighting for the people I love and those I've never met who live with pre-existing conditions - GAME FUCKING ON.

Yesterday Republican (and a few Dems who could be bought,) lawmakers celebrated with beer and party in The White House Rose Garden after approving the American HealthCare Act. A bill that most Republicans didn’t bother to read, in order to take health care away from millions of Americans. 

A bill that if approved by the Senate, takes health care away from 24 million Americans and mean the return of Pre-Existing Conditions Clauses; High-risk pools, and lifetime health care caps to every American - and no matter where they get their insurance from. 

Sidebar: To see how your Congress person voted, click HERE. 

A bill that categorizes pregnancy; adoptions in progress, rape, and heavy periods, as pre-existing conditions. 

A bill categorizing almost every disease and chronic condition as a pre-existing condition - except for Erectile Dysfunction and being and asshat.  

GO FIGURE.

Bottom line: #HealthHasNoParty and diseases and chronic conditions don’t care what side of the fence you sit, and that don't give a crap if you're Red or Blue. 

Having a preexisting condition doesn't mean that you’re a bad person - it means you're fucking human-being! 

Pre-existing conditions are not character flaws or lifestyle choices, nor should they bankrupt families and or individuals because they have them. 

God doesn’t punish people by giving us pre-existing conditions, but many of our the majority of Republican lawmakers want to punish their constituents for having having pre-existing conditions - and they celebrated that fact.  

And now 12 Republican Senators (so much for bipartisanship and working together for all Americans,) 12 White republican men, who are filled with contempt and anger, and who don't seem to like women very much, are in charge of fine tuning the American Health Care Act.

Here's who's working on Trumpcare in the Senate. pic.twitter.com/Bqs5BNkAt9

— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) May 5, 2017

Feel safe yet? 

Neither do I. 

I'm angry and I am going to fight like hell - I'm ready to #CleanTheHouse - and I know the majority of you are too. 

We are angry, we are motived and we VOTE. 
And the battle Royale is about to begin

. 

Start by calling your State Senators, and follow up by calling every Senator in the United States and let them no how angry you are. 

Then call your rep in Congress and let them know that angry constituents = angry voters. 

And call all the Congressional reps (and on both sides of the fence,) who did vote NO. 

20 Republican Congressman went against their party and the majority them did for the right reasons - namely their constituents with Pre-existing conditions. 

Checkout and sign up for http://diabetespac.org , if you haven't already.

Also, here's a list of Republican congressional seats up for grabs - find out who their opponents are and donate to them!

We are this battle together - and we will fight to make it right. 

Don't give up and don't give in! 

December Diabetes Reminders

As if people living with diabetes don't have enough to do without scrambling for end of year RX refills, dr's appointments, etc. But we don't have a choice -we must. 
January 1,2017 isn't only New Year's Day - it's the day our yearly insurance deductibles start all over again. If you've met your 2016 deductible or not - get those refills, tests, and end of year appointments done, ASAP!
And yes, it's a pain in the ass - but it's important!
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The following is your December reminder(s) to refill your end-of-year prescriptions; look into getting new eye glasses, get fitted for orthotics, ( Medicare covers both orthotic inserts and one pair of "diabetic shoes, every year,) and most insurances cover orthotics (fully or partially,) if you have diabetes. 

Make sure your up to date on your pump, CGM, and tests strip supplies. 

Schedule and all last minute appointments and Lab RX/test requests for December, before your 2017 deductible kicks in. 

If you've met your deductible for 2016, December is time to order your new pump, if you're due. And once deductibles have been met and according to your plan, your RX medications may be reduced in price or on some plans, free.

If that's the case with your plan/plans, today would be a great day to call your doctors up and get your one-month prescriptions for December changed into three month RXs, fill them ASAP, and save some money in the process. 
Heads-up: It might not go exactly as you planned on all fronts - but it will still save you some money.

December is also a great time to stock up on insulin pump double/triple AAA batteries- most stores have batteries on sale this time of year - thank you Christmas/Hanukkah toys!

And not like we have enough to do, but December is also the time of year for many to research, pick, and choose 2017 healthcare plans. 

Ut's going to be a long and expensive winter, folks -and a little prep goes a long way~