TuDiabetes Live interview with Cynthia Rice update on #MedicareCoverCGM

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Cynthia Rice is Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy for JDRF. She is responsible for JDRF’s advocacy to Congress, the executive branch, regulatory agencies, and health plans to accelerate therapies to cure, treat, and prevent type 1 diabetes.

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with the disease, JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without T1D.

Ms. Rice joined JDRF, then known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, in 2005 and led a cross-departmental staff team that developed the Artificial Pancreas Project. She was promoted to Vice President, Government Relations in 2009 and to her current role in 2013.
The Issue and What’s Being Done

Thousands of people are benefiting daily from tighter glucose control reached with the help of a continuous glucose monitor. The use of CGM technologies is recommended by national diabetes clinical guidelines and covered by nearly all private health plans. To date, Medicare does not cover CGM devices, regardless of the wide coverage by private health plans and the evidence of clinical benefit, leaving seniors with diabetes vulnerable. It’s time for Medicare to cover CGMs.

JDRF has been working closely with other interested stakeholders for more than a year to encourage Medicare to cover CGM devices, and has made Medicare coverage of CGM devices one of their top Advocacy priorities. While JDRF continues to work with Medicare in hopes of resolving this issue quickly, they ask that you join them in building support within Congress for Medicare coverage of CGMs. To learn more, read their coalition fact sheet.

Category: Nonprofits & Activism
Uploaded by: Diabetes Hands Foundation
Hosted: youtube

TuDiabetes Live Interview – #MedicareCoverCGM: panel discussion

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Merle Gleeson, founder of Type 1 Diabetes Lounge

Merle was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1963, when medical conditions were not openly discussed and there was little support for families and children who were struggling with this disease. In 1997 Merle founded Type 1 Diabetes Lounge as a forum for education and support for adults with type 1 diabetes in the Chicago area.

Lynn Wickwire, Consumer advocate at Joslin Diabetes Center

Lynn Wickwired has been involved in health policy work for a decade. He is married with a son, daughter and 2 granddaughters. Lynn has lived with diabetes for 70 years and uses an insulin pump and CGM.

Richard Vaughn

Diagnosed with diabetes in 1945, after 69 years Richard has no severe diabetes-related complications. A former college math teacher, Richard has been married for 50 years, has 2 sons and 2 grandkids, and is a local celebrity on TuDiabetes for his longevity with diabetes and consistent, positive presence in the community. He eagerly helps fellow PWD on several online networks, including a facebook group for Joslin Gold Medalists, in addition to his friends on TuDiabetes.

Dan Fleshler, The Insulin Chronicles

Dan was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1962, and for the next 50+ years he knew more details about the Boston Red Sox than about the inner workings of his body. In 2012 Dan decided to read everything he could about diabetes, hoping to learn about its link to depression, which had plagued him for much of his life. Read his blog to learn what happened next, and his recent article in Diabetes Mine about Medicare and CGM.

Joanne Milo, The Savvy Diabetic

Joanne has had Type 1 diabetes for over 48 years. When she was diagnosed, at the age of 11, the tools available to manage and control diabetes were minimal. Urine testing and animal insulin, no insulin pumps or HbA1c testing, and certainly no CGMS.

In the past 5 years Joanne has been hospitalized several times, and has written a book about surviving the system.

Category: Nonprofits & Activism
Uploaded by: Diabetes Hands Foundation
Hosted: youtube