Enhanced Benefit For Members With Diabetes
$0 cost share on insulin and diabetes supplies
Living with a chronic condition like diabetes can be overwhelming. And the high cost of insulin and supplies can make managing the condition challenging. To better support our members with diabetes, CareFirst now includes an enhanced diabetes benefit as part of most medical plans. Members will pay $0 for preferred brand insulin and diabetic supplies, even before theyve met their deductible. This includes members with an HSA-qualified high deductible health plan .1
To find out which insulin and diabetic supplies are covered on your formulary, visit carefirst.com/rx and select your plan year and formulary. Or log in to My Account, select Coverage and Drug and Pharmacy Resources.
If you have questions about this benefit or are looking to save on insulin and diabetic supplies, we encourage you to discuss your options with your doctor.
Can You Guarantee Repatriation In Case Of A Medical Emergency
Emergency repatriations are covered only if a persons health condition requires it, subject to the approval of the medical authorities concerned and are dependent on the medical care available in the province of residence. As for access to health care, the situation could vary from one destination to another.
Diabetes Workbook And Action Plan
Having diabetes can be overwhelming. If you or someone you love is living with diabetes or is at risk for developing diabetes, Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Arizona is here to help. Our can help you understand this complex, chronic medical condition and provides tools and resources to help you manage the disease and stay in charge of your health.
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Good Habits To Follow10
Here are some tips for making healthy eating choices:
Eat regular meals. Eating every 4 to 5 hours can help control blood sugar.
Eat a variety of foods. Choose a variety of foods to eat so that your body gets the nutrition it needs.
Eat less fat. Foods that are baked, broiled, grilled, boiled or steamed are healthier to eat. Eat lean meats and low- or non-fat dairy products .
Eat less sugar. You may find that eating less sugar helps you control your blood glucose level. When you do use sweeteners, choose those with a lower glycemic index like stevia, agave and fructose.
Eat more high-fiber foods like vegetables, dried beans, fruit and whole grain breads and cereals.
Drink water and other drinks that have no added sugar.
Eat fewer foods that have extra sugar, such as cookies, cakes, pastries, candy, brownies and sugared breakfast cereals.
Eat foods that have a lower glycemic index like proteins and vegetables.
Eat less salt. Use herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor to your food.
Cut down on processed foods, such as foods you buy in cans and jars, pickled foods, lunch meats, and snack foods, such as chips.
Drinking alcohol can cause health problems, especially for people with diabetes. Alcohol may cause dangerous reactions with medicines you take. Your blood glucose can go down too low if you drink beer, wine, or liquor on an empty stomach. If you want to include a drink in your food plan once in a while, ask your health care team how to do so safely.
Diabetes Management Coaching Program
Extra support for members with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
The Diabetes Management Coaching program2, offered through our wellness partner, Sharecare, Inc. features one-on-one phone-based coaching sessions with a registered nurse specially trained in diabetes.
The type of support you receive can include:
- Personalized counselingYour coach will answer your questions, discuss your risks and suggest possible lifestyle changes.
- Educational materialsBased on conversations between you and your coach, you may receive additional information to better understand your treatment, medications, health risks and more.
- Support and encouragementYour coach will help you set or adjust your goals, track your progress and encourage you along the way.
- Online toolsYou also have access to well-being tools and services including nutrition and fitness tracking tools.
Get started today! To learn more about the coaching program, or to join, call 877-260-3253 and press option 7.
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> > > Best Diabetes Solution Available
Type 2 diabetes causes the body to become resistant to the hormone insulin. This hormone unlocks cells. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. While both types of the disease can cause problems, you can minimize the impact by following healthy eating and being physically active. The sooner you know more about diabetes, the better prepared you will be to deal with it. Once you know more about the disease, youll be better prepared for treatment.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that causes the body to produce too much insulin. It is also known as type 2 diabetes. If you have type 1, you can control your blood glucose levels by eating a balanced diet. If you have type 2 diabetes, you can even prevent it by adopting healthy lifestyle habits and modifying your diet. Its important to seek information that can help you be your own health advocate. There are many different types of diabetes, so its important to learn as much as you can about the condition.
What’s The Best Way To Buy Diabetic Supplies
Who is this for?
If you have diabetes, this page will explain how to buy supplies through your Medicare plan.
When youre managing diabetes, medical supplies like insulin and blood glucose test strips can be a big part of your life. But they dont have to be a big expense.
Our Medicare Advantage plans cover diabetes monitoring supplies with no copay. Diabetes monitoring supplies include things like blood glucose monitors, blood glucose test strips, lancet devices, and insulin pumps.
Our plans also cover therapeutic shoes and inserts with no copay.
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Diabetes Virtual Care Program
Support for members who need help stabilizing their type 2 diabetes
Provided by Onduo4, a leading diabetes management company, the Diabetes Virtual Care program5 provides personalized support, easy-to-use tools and access to certified diabetes educators through a mobile app.
The program provides you with the care and support you may need in between your doctor visits such as:
- Testing supplies and connected devicesReceive a welcome kit with a connected blood glucose meter and unlimited test strips shipped right to your door. Supply refills are available at no additional cost.
- Personalized one-on-one virtual coaching Get answers to all your diabetes-related questions. You can also chat with your personal care lead to set up a plan to improve your nutrition, start an exercise program, or meet a health goal.
- Virtual doctor visitsSchedule a telehealth visit with an endocrinologist or certified diabetes educator, as needed, to receive personal recommendations and guidance to manage any symptoms. Well take care of coordinating information with your doctor.
Interested? Eligible members will be contacted about joining the program.
1 This benefit is available to CareFirst members with fully insured group or individual plans and select self-insured groups.
2 Not available for Individual and Student Health Plan members.
4 This program is provided by Onduo, LLC an independent company that does not provide Blue Cross Blue Shield products or services.
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If The Government Were To Close The Borders Again Would Ontario Blue Cross Cover The Costs Of Extending The Trip Possible Quarantine Abroad Or Return To Canada
Our responsibility is to advise and support our clients, while respecting the restrictions imposed by the various governments.
Please note that:
- Subsistence allowance does not cover expenses related to preventive or mandatory quarantine before returning to the country, on site or upon arrival at the destination.
- Subsistence allowance expenses may be covered when a traveller must delay their return due to a medical emergency, including a medical emergency related to COVID-19.
- A medical emergency means the person is suffering from serious symptoms that require medical attention and possibly repatriation.
- We do not cover quarantine fees upon return to the country.
We advise all our clients to call us in case of any doubt or if their situation changes. Options to extend insurance coverage may be considered if a person becomes stranded abroad.
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Keeping Track Of Your Diabetes: 9 The Importance Of Staying On Top Of It
One of the most important things you must do when you are diabetic is control your blood glucose .
Keeping your glucose level close to normal helps prevent or delay some diabetes problems, such as eye disease, kidney disease and nerve damage. Keeping track of your glucose level and treating it with diet, exercise and medication as recommended by your doctor can help you keep your levels under control. You can do this by:
- Find out which test strips and diabetes supplies are covered by your insurance company.
- Find out which oral antidiabetic medicines or injectable medications are covered by your insurance company.
- Test your blood sugar at least 2- 4 times each day. Ideally, you should test before eating and before and after any significant physical activity. If you are pregnant or if you experience extremely high or low blood sugar, you should test more often.
- Get an A1C test from your health care provider about every 3 months.
Blue Medicare: Diabetic Supplies And Reporting Units For Services
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina provides coverage under our Medicare Advantage plans for certain diabetic supplies such as lancets and test strips. Coverage is based on medical necessity. According to the Glucose Monitors Local Coverage Determination, the Blue Medicare member must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for coverage of home blood glucose monitors and related accessories and supplies: The member has diabetes The members doctor has concluded that the member has sufficient training using the particular device prescribed as evidenced by providing a prescription for the appropriate supplies and frequency of blood glucose testing. Providers are reminded that the following guidelines apply to the units filed for the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes for test strips and lancets: Glucose test strips one box of 50 equals one unit of service Lancets one box of 100 equals one unit of service Prompt processing of claims is contingent upon proper claim submission. Please ensure your billing staff is accurately reporting the units of service in claim field 24G when filing claims for diabetic supplies. Providers may call Blue MedicareSM Provider Customer Service at 1.888.296.9790, if they have any questions.Continue reading > >
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Prosthetic And Medical Appliances
- Artificial eyes, limbs, crutches, casts, braces, wigs, etc.
Prosthetic and medical appliances benefit details
Charges for the following appliances or supplies when prescribed by a Physician and required for medically necessary purposes on a daily basis: artificial eyes, limbs, crutches, canes, casts, splints, metal braces , aerochambers, nebulizers, trusses, rib belts, sacroiliac corsets, embolic stockings, cervical collars.
Charges for the purchase of wigs when prescribed by a Physician and required as a result of a Medical Condition, up to $250 per Insured per Policy year.
Charges for the purchase of breast prostheses once in any twenty-four month period.
Certain Brands And Types Of Diabetic Supplies Covered At No Cost To You Under The Healthselect Prescription Drug Program
If youre in HealthSelect of Texas® or HealthSelect Out-of-StateSM, you will pay nothing for some diabetic supplies such as lancets, lancing devices and OneTouch Ultra® and OneTouch Verio® diabetic test strips under the HealthSelectSM Prescription Drug Program, administered by OptumRx, when you use an in-network pharmacy and present your prescription drug ID card.
If youre in Consumer Directed HealthSelectSM, lancets, lancing devices, syringes, pen needles and OneTouch Ultra and OneTouch Verio diabetic test strips are available at no cost after you meet your annual deductible.
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Items Covered At An In
828-9834 www.healthselectrx.comYour pharmacy benefit covers the following items with a copay/coinsurance:
- insulin,
- glucagon emergency kits and
- syringes and pen needles.
Coverage of diabetic supplies and equipment under the HealthSelect medical plans administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas remains unchanged, so you can continue to receive covered diabetic supplies and equipment through your medical benefits if you prefer. But, you also have the additional option of receiving certain diabetic supplies and equipment at an in-network pharmacy through your pharmacy benefits.
To learn more about the HealthSelect PDPs diabetic supply coverage, read these Frequently Asked Questions for more details or call OptumRx Customer Care toll-free at 828-9834 . To learn more about your HealthSelect medical benefits, call a BCBSTX Personal Health Assistant toll-free at 252-8039.
Health and other insurance benefits for employees and retirees are subject to change.
What You Need To Know About Diabetes Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Diabetic Supplies
One of the most common signs of diabetes is excessive thirst. You may also feel more hungry and pee more than usual. Its important to check your blood sugar as soon as you start to notice these symptoms. If your blood sugar drops below 70 mg/dL, you should immediately eat 15 grams of carbohydrates. Then, check it again fifteen minutes later. If you cant eat that much carbohydrate at once, you can try oral glucose.
Despite the many complications of type 1 diabetes, you can still find ways to manage it. By reading about diabetes, youll be better prepared to live a healthy and happy life. You can avoid diabetes by making healthy choices. In fact, there are many treatments available for type 1 diabetes. In some cases, a patient may even experience an improvement in their overall health after the transplant. In some cases, you can even reverse your diabetes through a simple procedure.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type. Most people with type 1 diabetes have type 2 diabetes. They both require insulin to regulate their blood sugar. If youre overweight, you may have type 2 diabetes. If youre concerned about diabetes, its important to learn about it. Your doctor can provide you with more information on your condition, including tips on how to cope with it. You should never be afraid to ask questions. Just remember, youll have to answer them. Youre not alone.
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Carefirst Bluecross Blueshield To Cover Insulin Diabetic Supplies At No Cost
Baltimore, Md./Washington, D.C. To advance its mission to provide affordable access to health coverage, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield today announced it will offer insulin and diabetic supplies coverage to members at $0 out-of-pocket, prior to meeting a deductible in 2021.
Beginning January 1, 2021, CareFirst will provide access to preferred brand insulin and diabetic supplies, such as glucometer test strips and insulin syringes, as a covered benefit with no member cost-sharing in plans where CareFirst sets the health benefits and manages the financial risk, referred to as fully-insured plans.
The cost of insulin and other prescription drugs continue to increase, creating affordability challenges for members. Medication is the largest contributor to overall spend at CareFirst, exceeding $2.5 billion annually, and the costs continue to grow at an unsustainable rate. In 2019, members in fully-insured plans paid nearly $6M in out-of-pocket costs for insulin, which averaged to approximately $119 per fill.
The insulin benefit change applies only to members in commercial fully-insured plans. Many large employers set their own health benefits and are referred to as self-insured plans. CareFirst will also provide its self-insured plans with an option to waive the cost of insulin to members. In addition to these upcoming benefit changes, CareFirst members currently have access to care support programs that help members living with diabetes manage their condition.
Physical Activity: 11 Learn How To Stay Healthy
It’s important to be active. Physical activity can help you control your blood glucose and your weight and can also prevent heart and circulation problems.
Walking, working in the yard, and dancing are good ways to start. As you become stronger, you can add a few extra minutes to your physical activity. If you feel pain, slow down or stop and wait until it goes away.
Start by doing what you can do, and then look for ways to do more until you reach 150 minutes a week of activity. For example:
- 30 minutes at one time, five times a week
- 10 minutes at a time, 10 times a week
- 10 minutes at a time, several times a day
Do some physical activity every day. Choose an activity you enjoy. Walk, dance, swim or ride a bike. It’s better to walk 10 or 20 minutes each day than one hour once a week. It’s also okay to be active for 10 minutes at a time, three times a day.
Other tips to stay healthy:
- Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.
- Discontinue all tobacco use . Tobacco use increases the risk of health problems from diabetes. To quit, call: 1-800-QUIT-NOW .
- Ask your doctor or a diabetes educator how to take medications and use supplies to get the best results at the lowest cost.
- Always check your glucose before driving a vehicle, using heavy equipment, or being very physically active or being active for a long time.
- Always carry some type of quick fix food carbohydrate, sugar, food or drink with you, so you’ll be ready at any time to treat a low glucose level.
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Its important to maintain a healthy body weight. You should also make sure that you drink plenty of water, and limit your intake of sugary drinks. In addition, make sure that you get regular exercise. You should also avoid alcoholic beverages. Lastly, you should avoid alcohol. These beverages contain high amounts of sugar. If you dont drink enough, youre not doing anything to prevent diabetes. Besides, drinking alcohol can be harmful to your health.
The most important thing to do is to follow the recommended diet. Eat more healthy foods that have low amounts of fat and high amounts of fiber. The best way to lose weight is to lose 7 percent of your body weight. If youre overweight, you should try to lose 14 pounds to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, you should not attempt to lose weight while pregnant. Talk to your doctor about what kind of weight is safe for you.
Besides high blood glucose, diabetes can also affect the nerves and skin. It may affect your sexual response and your nervous system. It can also affect your fertility. Women with diabetes are more likely to miscarry or have a baby with a birth defect. It can cause a person to have difficulty hearing and sleep. If the condition is left untreated, it can lead to type 1 diabetes and can even lead to amputation.