Let’s be honest:  Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is hard.    On top of being full-time pancreata (Fun Fact: pancreata is the plural of pancreas) we are also expected to navigate the complexity of insurance and health coverage to pay for the unending supplies, medicine and support to manage the disease.

Luckily for all of us, JDRF has just released the Type 1 Diabetes Insurance Guide to help people with T1D navigate insurance and obstacles that might arise in obtaining coverage for medication or supplies or in getting the care they need.  This is the first guide of its kind for people living with type 1 diabetes and comes with comprehensive insight from experienced families, care providers and insurers and has an easy to navigate webpage.

The Insurance Guide covers 9 Key topics:

1. How to Choose an Insurance Plan
2. Understanding Prior Authorizations
3. Understanding Common Insulin, Insulin Pump, CGM and Test Strip Issues
4. How to Apply for an Exception
5. Understanding Insurance Denials and Appeals
6. Considerations when Changing Treatments
7. Working with Employers
8. Help with Healthcare Costs
9. Common Insurance Terms

The management styles and preferences of people with T1D are as individual as the people themselves and, as a result, insurance companies need to be able to offer comprehensive and flexible type 1 diabetes coverage.    JDRF has been urging insurance companies through the Coverage2Control campaign to provide different options that work for people with type 1 diabetes.   The insurance guide is the newest tool offered to the T1D community to help get the care and choices we deserve.

The guide is available at www.jdrf.org/insurance. To learn more about JDRF’s Advocacy agenda to help the T1D community access the latest care, visit www.jdrf.org/advocacy.