This year’s World Health Day focus is on global health equity.

Major companies are making strides to support health equity for people of color living with diabetes in the U.S.. These companies investing in partnerships with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and T1DExchange and conducting research to better understand and address these inequities.

For example, Medtronic will be donating $1 million to the ADA’s Technology Access Project (TAP) over the next three years, as well as working with T1D Exchange to support an upcoming quality improvement study. Medtronic will also be supporting research initiatives to improve glycemic control in African American youth with type 1 diabetes who have not previously used technology such as insulin pumps.

Luther fan Kitt V. joins us on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast to discuss the challenges he faces living with type 2 diabetes. Coincidentally, one issue is that his insurance denies coverage for a Bluetooth blood glucose monitoring system. Kitt doesn’t check his blood sugars regularly because he is tired of pricking his fingers. The no-fingerstick way to track glucose levels 24/7, as advertised on TV, seems to be a great solution to his problem. 

Some insurance companies deny coverage for Continuous Glucose Monitors CGM based on the device used to collect data, such as a smartphone app or tablet. If patients use their smartphone at all, even alongside the receiver, Medicare won’t pay.

What can you do?

Ask your doctor to take a look over your records, then resubmit your claim on your behalf. Sometimes devices are not covered because “hypoglycemic unawareness” wasn’t listed.

Find out if your doctor can write you a letter of medical necessity for the supplies or device. This is important to try to get done ASAP as it will help strengthen your argument for coverage.

Diabetes is an expensive chronic disease to manage. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), healthcare costs are 2.3 times greater for people with diabetes. Many Americans living with diabetes struggle to pay for essential medications and supplies, even those who have insurance. 

Other guests on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast include Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Chuck Flowers. 

By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio to record his fifth album Give Me the Reason in 1986, he’d become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties. His four previous albums have been either certified platinum or double-platinum in America.

For Luther Vandross’s fifth album Give Me the Reason, the album comprised nine tracks including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love and Give Me The Reason.

Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.