[Diabetes-talk] Resolution 2010-13 -RegardingInsuranceCoverage of Accessible Equipment for Diabetics
cheryl echevarria
cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
Sun Jul 25 16:42:29 UTC 2010
1. Insurance companies fall under the new Health Care Reform Bill, being
put into place with government as we speak. For the HMOs and Private
insurance companies, it is not against the law to change formularies on
drugs, that is what the insurance companies cover, durable medical supplies
which we are talking is under a rider, and has nothing to do with the
insurance company.
Case in point: I was helping someone who is on an HMO here in NY, not a
member of the NFB, but is blind, her husband works and has HIP, which is not
Emblem, for her diabetic durable medical supplies not her insulin she has to
go through the Medical Supply Companies that HIP has contract with, she
wanted the Prodigy Voice, all of the supply companies had the old Roche
talking meters. So I contacted the supply company she is currently using,
and asked how she was able to get the Prodigy Voice, the people at Better
Living Now who is the Medical Supply Company said, 1. The needed proof of
blindness 2. A Prescription from her doctor stating that she needed a
talking meter, 3. They could get it but had to contact the Maker or Supplier
of the Company to get it. No one said she couldn't get it.
Now the only companies that I have come across in the past that were giving
people a hard time was Medicaid.
If the Insurance Companies are doing this, in each and every state there is
a State Insurance Fund that overseas all insurance companies in the state.
I have a question, we have 2 durable medical supply companies that are on
our list, also I am a medical biller, are there any other people here that
work for either for medical insurance.
Being a member of DAN, I don't not full agree with this resolution and some
of it needs to be discussed should it be brought forth to congress or at
least on a local state level.
If I had known about the resolution that was being put forth which as being
a division, should have been even discussed either by made holding a round
table discussion with all members or conference call, I realize that I was
not at convention these past 2 years, but we have members who have never
been to any of our conventions to know. There seems to be little or no
information given out to members of this division, accept for the talk list.
Case in point, NAGDU had put forth a resolution, which was the last one
approved when I listened to the resolutions, but President Marion Gwizdala,
not only mentioned this on our monthly teleconference call, but also posted
it on our talk list, to give options to add to it or even to let us know
what was going on.
The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!
Cheryl Echevarria
Independent Travel Consultant
C10-10646
http://Echevarriatravel.com
1-866-580-5574
Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 12:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Resolution 2010-13 -RegardingInsuranceCoverage
of Accessible Equipment for Diabetics
> This may be true. However, (1) if it is against the law for insurance
> companies to enter into contracts that restrict their formularies from
> including accessible devices, medical supply companies would have to go
> along whether they liked it or not. The situation is analogous to that in
> which the courts and civil rights statutes have ruled that conditions,
> covenants and restrictions with provisions involving race are deemed
> unenforceable. (2) I suspect that directly requiring medical supply houses
> to carry accessible meters would run afoul of various provisions of the
> U.S.
> and/or state constitutions.
>
> Mike Freeman
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "cheryl echevarria" <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>
> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 4:29 AM
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Resolution 2010-13 -
> RegardingInsuranceCoverage
> of Accessible Equipment for Diabetics
>
>
> > Being a medical insurance specialist, it is not the medical insurance
> > company that has the contract with the manufacturer, it is the Durable
> > Medical Supply Company, that the HMO and Private insurance companies
> > that
> > carry the product may have a contract with a manufacturer.
> >
> > The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!
> >
> > Cheryl Echevarria
> > Independent Travel Consultant
> > C10-10646
> >
> > http://Echevarriatravel.com
> > 1-866-580-5574
> >
> > Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
> > Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel
> > CST-1018299-10
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Vincent Chaney" <vgc732 at optonline.net>
> > To: "Everett Gavel" <everettgavel at att.net>; "Diabetes Talk for the
> > Blind"
> > <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 2:24 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Resolution 2010-13 - Regarding
> > InsuranceCoverage of Accessible Equipment for Diabetics
> >
> >
> >> Everett,
> >>
> >> The Resolution 2010-13 you have presented is the entire document I had
> >> submitted and was approved. The closure of the resolution was intended
> >> to
> >> include the recommendation to our state representatives (state
> >> senators,
> >> congressmen, assemblymen and any other title used within states) that
> >> individual state laws would have to encompass private insurers to
> >> follow
> >> the
> >> guidelines of the formulary list, upon the inclusion of accessible
> >> medical
> >> equipment/devices.
> >> I wanted to start at the top by initially addressing Health and Human
> >> Services to create the model to be followed. Then extend this as a
> >> guideline
> >> with offering our, The NFB, NFB DAN and each of us willing to be
> >> advocates,
> >> involvement and assistance to all US States and private insurance
> >> companies
> >> to amend this inclusion of accessible medical equipment.
> >>
> >> Vinny
> >> Vincent Chaney Jr
> >> NFB Diabetes Action Network (DAN) Board of Directors
> >> NFBNJ Diabetes Division President
> >> NJAGDU (NFBNJ Association of Guide Dog Users) Division President
> >> NFBNJ Technology Division Vice President
> >> NFBNJ Resolutions Committee Member
> >> NFBNJ.ORG Webmaster
> >> Mail: vgc732 at optonline.net
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Everett Gavel" <everettgavel at att.net>
> >> To: <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> Sent: Saturday, July 24, 2010 6:19 PM
> >> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Resolution 2010-13 - Regarding Insurance
> >> Coverage
> >> of Accessible Equipment for Diabetics
> >>
> >>
> >> Hi All,
> >>
> >> Vincent mentioned his resolution recently. It is
> >> coming out soon in the Braille Monitor, yes, but can
> >> also be found on the Resolutions page here:
> >> http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Resolutions.asp?SnID=4
> >>
> >> On that page, just click on the '2010 Resolutions'
> >> link.
> >>
> >> Or, simply read below. ;-)
> >>
> >>
> >> Strive On!
> >> Everett
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Resolution 2010-13
> >> Regarding Insurance Coverage of Accessible Equipment
> >> for Diabetics
> >>
> >> WHEREAS, standard medical treatment for diabetics
> >> calls for the patient to monitor blood glucose levels
> >> so that he or she can make adjustments in the amount of
> >> insulin needed; and
> >>
> >> WHEREAS, certain health insurance plans dictate
> >> what brand of diabetic equipment a member must use to
> >> comply with the treatment regimen, claiming that this
> >> strategy controls costs for both the insurer and the
> >> insured; and
> >>
> >> WHEREAS, most insurance companies contract
> >> strictly with one manufacturer, who typically provides
> >> only inaccessible blood glucose meters and inaccessible
> >> insulin injection devices, presenting a serious
> >> obstacle to complying with the testing regimen for tens
> >> of thousands of blind people with diabetes; and
> >>
> >> WHEREAS, the failure to place accessible blood
> >> glucose meters and accessible insulin injection devices
> >> on the insurers' formulary lists not only is a barrier
> >> to independence for blind diabetics, but also adversely
> >> affects their quality of life because of the added
> >> difficulties they must confront in attempting to manage
> >> and control their diabetes; and
> >>
> >> WHEREAS, the only way blind diabetics can acquire
> >> an accessible blood glucose meter or accessible insulin
> >> injection device is through a long and complicated
> >> process of submitting extensive medical documentation,
> >> and approval is not guaranteed; and
> >>
> >> WHEREAS, blind people have the same right to
> >> health care as their sighted peers; and
> >>
> >> WHEREAS, insurance companies must no longer be
> >> allowed to discriminate against blind people because of
> >> their need for specialized equipment; and
> >>
> >> WHEREAS, the denial of accessible equipment by
> >> insurance companies undermines the emphasis on
> >> preventive care set forth in the 2010 federal
> >> healthcare reform legislation: Now, therefore,
> >>
> >> BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the
> >> Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July,
> >> 2010, in the city of Dallas, Texas, that this
> >> organization strongly urge the secretary of health and
> >> human services to eliminate discrimination against the
> >> blind by requiring that Medicare, Medicaid, and all
> >> other medical insurance programs under the secretary's
> >> jurisdiction cover accessible equipment for diabetics;
> >> and
> >>
> >> BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization
> >> strongly urge state legislatures and regulators to
> >> eliminate discrimination against the blind by requiring
> >> private medical insurance companies to cover accessible
> >> equipment for diabetics.
> >>
> >>
> >> ** This seems slightly stunted at the end there.
> >> Vincent, or Mike, was there more, or is that the true
> >> ending for this resolution? Either way, good work, and
> >> thanks for it! ~Everett.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Diabetes-talk mailing list
> >> Diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org
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> >> Diabetes-talk:
> >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/vgc732%40optonline.net
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >
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