Hi all, new to this form. My son Rocco (2 year 5 months) was diagnosed with Type 1 last Thursday. He is back to my old Rocco now and it is such a bitter sweet experience. I gain my Rocco back but now he has this to deal with forever, or until that cure comes. At any rate my first question in here is about insurance. I make a good living and can not qualify for any state insurance programs. But I don't make a killing so it is real hard to afford good insurance for a family of 5 on one income. Does anyone have any advice for me about this, companies to call, policy's to look into, anything? Or any sort of memberships that give good discounts, or online services to help with the cost. Our lives like all of yours are in a massive transition learning everything we need to do to make sure Rocco has the best life possible. Just a bit of the story, Rocco when we finally took him to the hospital had a BS of 565 and for obvious reasons was acting totally out of control. Today was our first full day at home and we have been able to keep his BS between 120-180 of which our doc said was fine for now. Luckily we are in Colorado just moved here in August from Florida and we are only about 20 minutes from the Barbara Davis Center. I will be in this forum as much as possible and appreciate any support we receive and will do our best to return the favor. Thanks Aaron Hager.
Welcome to the forums Aaron, I'm sorry to hear of your son's dxd, but glad you found us so quickly. This board is filled with amazing children, parents that "get it", all walks of life, a good place to vent, and most of a all a wealth of information. No question here is EVER stupid, so ask away! Some states help out regarding no insurance, your Endo's office might be able to better help you. Or it looks like you might have found someone to guide you right off the bat with your first poster! Again welcome to the forums!
Hi Aaron!! Welcome! Glad Rocco is safe and back to being his old self! This will be a topsy turvy time, so do come here often and ask your questions, of which I am sure there will be many! Someone great is always around to help out! I can safely say that 4 months can give you a great deal of confidence in what you are doing and in taking care of your child! (That is how long it's been since Ky's dx and I feel so different from those first few weeks!) As far as qualifying for programs, don't rule yourself out completely. We do not qualify for medical assistance in our state (PA), but since Kylie has a chronic disease she DOES qualify - regardless of our income. I know not every state does this, but just wanted to make sure you knew that sometimes there might be a loophole for a chronic disease. (We're a family of 5 also. We were on one income at dx, and I just started back to work with my youngest DD going to school this fall.)
Welcome Aaron, looks as if you've already made a friend that can probably help you. There are some wonderful people here. If you need something, supplies, etc. post it here chances are someone has it and willing to give it!
Hello, A few suggestions: 1. Endocrinologists have lots of products in their office. Do not be afraid to ask them for samples. 2. Never buy a new meter for full price. Walgreens has meters every week on sale for $9.99, and again, endos have them to give. It is the strips that make the companies money. 3. Make sure that your prescriptions are written correctly for the number of test strips you use. If you are having to refill sooner than 30 days (or 90 days) or are even close to being out at the end of that time, ask your endo to write the prescription for more. If your insurance company says you are limited, then ask the endo to override that. With a baby, especially, you will be testing often. 4. If something breaks - the lancing device, the meter, or if you go through a few strips without getting a good read, then call the company. Companies will often send you replacements free of charge. They want you to continue buying their brand of strips. Good luck.
I'm in Colorado and have looked into this -- insurance agents can help. My understanding is that if you have a home-based business with employees and meet certain requirements (e.g. hours worked) you can qualify your business for a group plan, which is much better than trying to buy individual insurance. I don't think you even can, period, buy private individual insurance for someone with type 1 diabetes already diagnosed. There is, however, a program through the state of Colorado where you can buy individual insurance for him. The insurance folks I emailed and talked to (I happened to pick RMHMO since we'd had good service with them in the past) were helpful and up front. Good luck, and I'm glad your kid is feeling better. It is sad to be diagnosed, but good to finally know what is wrong and be able to make it better.
contact the companies of the products he usings.. some (if not all) have programs.. also, if you use freestyle products, they have a program where you pay the first $15, they pay the next $50 and then you cover whats after that.. I totally understand about the making to much to qualify but paying out all those bills leaves you with basically nothing..
Welcome to CWD. I'm sorry to hear about your son's dx. My 3 year old daughter was recently diagnosed and I have found this forum to be a wonderful, wonderful place
You may qualify for state-sponsored insurance for children. The income allowances are somewhat higher. With one income, a large family, and a chronic disease in the mix, you stand a fair chance of qualifying. Look at medical savings accounts that let you pay healthcare expenses with pre-tax dollars. In the worst case, get insurance with the highest deductible you could reasonably afford, and budget the rest. Never pay for a meter. Contact manufacturers about their discount plans. Abbott, for example has a discount card that saves quite a bit off the cost of test strips each month. Our CDE, for example, gets bottles of insulin for teaching that don't get used. Don't be afraid to ask. There are lots of freebies at healthfairs. Good Luck!
I'm so sorry to hear about your son's diagnosis. You will find support here. Ask any questions you may have, because there are no stupid ones.
I know how you feel. Our son was diagnosed on 8/1/08 and he was at a level of 700 when he went in the hospital. We live in Fl. and because he has a chronic disease he and our daughter qualify for a program that deals with chronic illnesses. Our dd isn't diabetic but qualifies because she is his sister. And believe you me every little bit helps.
Hi Aaron. Welcome to the forums! :cwds: Sorry you had reason to join. As someone suggested endo offices will often have samples. I have found that BDC is very generous with samples if they have them. We've gotten several meters from them, so don't forget to ask!
