Want a continuous glucometer? Me, too.

Here is something I’m grateful for: I have never had to test my blood sugar by peeing on a stick. My glucometer and my pump make life with diabetes easier than I probably could even imagine. But there are still times when I wish I could have a better picture of what was happening in my blood sugar on a more regular basis — even though I test my blood sugar upwards of 10 times a day, there are still an awful lot of unknowns. What does my blood sugar look like at 3 a.m.? How quickly does it spike after a meal? That’s why I want a continuous glucose monitor. But guess what? Despite their preventative value, my insurance company doesn’t cover them. So if I want one, I have to fork over $1,000 of my own money just to get the damn thing, and then several hundreds of dollars more every month for the supplies. Thanks, Blue Cross! If, like me, you’re frustrated that your health plan doesn’t cover CGMs, join JDRF’s advocacy campaign by taking the survey on this website. And in the meantime, if you figure out a way to get Blue Cross of California to cover a CGM, do tell.

Catherine Price

Catherine Price (www.catherine-price.com) was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 22 years old. She has written for publications including The Best American Science Catherine Price is a professional journalist who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 22 years old. Her work has been featured in publications including The Best American Science Writing, The New York Times, Popular Science, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post Magazine, Salon, Slate, Men’s Journal, Health Magazine, The Oprah Magazine, and Outside, among others. A graduate of Yale and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism

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Catherine Price

Catherine Price was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 22 years old. She has written for publications including The Best American Science Catherine Price is a professional journalist who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 22 years old. Her work has been featured in publications including The Best American Science Writing, The New York Times, Popular Science, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post Magazine, Salon, Slate, Men’s Journal, Health Magazine, The Oprah Magazine, and Outside, among others. A graduate of Yale and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism