Insulin Nation

AUGUST 16, 2016

Type 1 diabetes comes with many challenges. One we didn’t expect to navigate was pharmacist error when it comes to insulin storage. Most everyone affected by Type 1 diabetes knows that insulin should remain in the refrigerator until put to use; otherwise, it can lose its potency or not work at all as it spoils. Pharmacists should be trained to know this fact, as well, but we have found that some don’t, or that some don’t use best practices when it comes to insulin storage.

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Docnotes

AUGUST 15, 2016

Two and a half years ago, John posted an entry with this title – and I recall that it was a good summary of the state of the industry. While I didn’t agree with all of his suggestions, I enjoyed the review and it offered a good set of guiding principles. Since I was Acting National Coordinator for about the same duration as Vindell will serve, (Fall of 2013 – after Farzad Mostashari departed, and before Karen DeSalvo arrived) I’ll offer some thoughts from one who has be

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ACA Times

AUGUST 18, 2016

By the time July kicked off, many employers received notices from the Health Insurance Marketplace aka “the Exchange,” provided by the Affordable Care Act where individuals and families can obtain affordable health care. The notices were alarming to most, as any government notice can feel ominous. However, it’s not always a bad sign; in fact most of the time it’s just that: a notice.

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Insulin Nation

AUGUST 15, 2016

A person with diabetes was swept up by police and denied insulin for hours in the aftermath of the shooting of six police officers in Baton Rouge. Through a collision of the most tragic of circumstances, in an environment that’s been characterised by violent deaths of civilians and police officers, Demarcus Alexander and his friend Den’Trell White were apprehended outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana on the very morning that a man gunned down six police officers, killing three.

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Insulin Nation

AUGUST 19, 2016

Last week, I wrote about the curious move by Medtronic to release an unpredictive insulin pump in the shell of a pump that had predictive technology. The 630G pump looks like the 640G, a predictive pump not available in the U.S.; the pump can decipher blood sugar level trends and suspend insulin delivery before a pump user goes too low. However, the 630G has capabilities closer to the 530G, a pump that can only suspend insulin delivery if low blood sugar levels are detected.

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ACA Times

AUGUST 16, 2016

Expatriate health plans (or “Expat Health Plans”) have led to much confusion ever since the ACA came into effect in 2010. Simply put, expats (or anyone living/working abroad) struggled with how they would be adequately covered while not residing in the United States. When the Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act (aka the Expat Act or EHCCA ) was announced in 2014 , the goal was to elaborate on where expats fit into the ACA paradigm for health coverage.

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ACA Times

AUGUST 15, 2016

Penalties are no joking matter when it comes to employers and the Affordable Care Act. A slip up in paperwork, negligence in reporting, or not offering minimum essential coverage to employees are just a few of the potential issues that can surface and result in massive penalties for companies nationwide. And the numbers keep rising. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released more predictions over a ten-year span for employer penalties.

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Insulin Nation

AUGUST 19, 2016

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1974, and heard about the possibility of an artificial pancreas two decades later. Recently, I got to wear one from Bigfoot Biomedical. I heard the term “artificial pancreas” for the first time in 1995 from Dr. Jay Skyler, the noted diabetes researcher who is now a Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

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Insulin Nation

AUGUST 15, 2016

Commentary. Okay, I will be the first to admit that I scan emails way too quickly, but the recent press release I got from Medtronic left me more than a bit frustrated. The email in question announced the U.S. release of the Medtronic 630G pump system. It included a few other numbers, too – namely “640G” and “530G”. I saw the “640G” and got all excited, only to later figure out that the 630G is closer to the 530G than it is to the 640G.

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