How many of you have insurance geared specifically toward those with diabetes? How does it differ from other insurances, and what are the perks?

Being self employed and having Diabetes makes it hard to get insurance. However, in 1996, there was a bill that passed and included HIPAA.

Basically, HIPAA allowed me to get insuance with Diabetes by answering about 8 questions. I was accepted for a Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO plan. It is costing me less than $200 per month and a $2700 out of pocket expense. I know that sounds expensive, but with Diabetes you can't be without insurance.

There are multiple plans to choose from though. I would suggest anyone that needs insurance should contact a broker. I called Allstate insurance and they were able to refer me to a health insurance broker.

Hope this helps.

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Christopher Berry
Diabetic Discussion

HIPAA health insurance offers a guarantee that your health insurance benefits will be portable - meaning that you will not be forced to discontinue your health benefits because of leaving your job or other unfortunate circumstance (sometimes called "job lock"). Generally speaking if you have had continuous coverage for at least 12 months without a lapse of more than 63 days and you have exhausted any COBRA or group health benefits available to you then you are at that point eligible for a HIPAA guaranteed issue health insurance plan. (If you want more information on a California HIPAA health insurance plan then read the article as it applies to many other states as well). Hope that this helps.

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California Affordable Health Insurance
Texas Affordable Health Insurance
Illinois Affordable Health Insurance

An article on insurance for insulin pumps.. these things are expensive..

Insurance For Insulin Pumps

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Christopher Berry
Diabetic Discussion

The state of Tennesee has seen to it that those with chronic illnesses have no way to get insurance., more over they are not providing insurance for others either. they base tehoir insurance on:
pre existing conditions, weight, age and if you work fulltime or part time. If I were able to get insurance it would be 654 a month with a 2000 deductable. I make 800 a month, would still have to out of pocket my medication, office visits because the insurance only pays 20 dollars for one visit a year!
I am better off performing my own tests and staying on insulin which doesnt cost that much..............

I have also read that there is special insurance, something like calamity insurance, that you can buy to cover you if something really terrible happens to you. For years I have heard that this insurance just isn't worth it. But recently I have found out about many many people in my age group who have been diagnosed with cancer and their bills, even if they have insurance, are breaking them.

I don't know if more people are getting cancer or if more are being diagnosed because diagnosis is getting more sensitive and so it can pick up on tumors earlier, or if it's just that people don't hesitate to tell you that they are sick, but lately I am starting to think that, if you have the extra money, you should go for it and buy it.

But then if you become too sick to keep up the payments, I wonder how long they will keep your insurance going.

But with diabetes, I think that, if you are covered for it in your regular insurance than there's nothing that will be done to you that you need special insurance for. Unless you are planning on trying as many new experimental ways to fight it that aren't covered. But then also, it might not be covered in special insurance either.

All in all, if you can afford insurance you are one of the lucky people. Just don't take it for granted that you are safe. You're not. If you "only" pay a deductable, those bills can really pile up when tests cost $3000.00.