New Job, New Insurance!

Soooo many things are changing in my life right now. I was accepted to nursing school and start this fall. I'm finishing up my prerequisites this summer and I'll be all set to start.

Things at my current job have not been the best, I am a paramedic for a private company that was bought out and they have been changing things left and right making things worse for all employees. THis has substantially impacted my diabetes. The new expectation was for me to work 4-15 hour shifts, sitting in an ambulance the ENTIRE time. Can you imagine sitting in an ambulance in 80 degree weather for 15 hour a day 4 days in a row! Ugh!

So, long story short, I am starting a new job next week. It's a third shift part time spot at a local hospital and drum roll please... Its a step up in pay and more importantly to me INSURANCE!!! I realize I will have my own battles as far as getting coverage from my new insurance company but I am curious if anyone out there has had BCBS PPO- Michigan.

I have been working for over a year to get a CGM and my current insurance Health Plus Michigan will NOT cover it at ALL. So I am curious, any tips from people about switching insurances?

Will I be able to use my current pump or will I have to get a new one? I know for a while certain insurances would only allow certain insulin pumps, is that still the case?

Anyways, I'm looking forward to my new insurance but wondering what the best way to navigate it is and what other peoples experiences with this sort of situation is. And the CGM... lol. I REALLY want a CGM.

Congrats on your new job and insurance! Perhaps you may access insurance coverage info online at the BCBS-Michigan website. I have BCBS-Illinois insurance and it covers CGMs but I realize that insurance coverages differs according to the package that your employer purchases. I hope you can get the CGM, it's been a great help to me.

Separately, is the third shift the overnight shift or the afternoon 3-11 p.m. one? Some people do fine with working the midnight shift but I would have a hard time doing that and going to school. Good luck with all your upcoming changes; they all sound good to me.

Many companies' insurance programs are such that no employee may be excluded for pre-existing conditions. That said, the specific pre-existing conditions may be excluded from coverage for a period of time (usually six months to a year). That means you should be able to get coverage for general doctor visits, well-woman, etc., but you may have to wait a year for pump and CGM coverage.

Note that Federal laws are changing such that the pre-existing wait-period may no longer be valid.

It’s 11pm-7a. But I think ill be okay. It’s only part time and I am somewhat used to sleeping odd times. My previous job was 24hr shifts

BCBS is usually pretty easy to work with. I've had in the past various products of theirs. Usually the way it works with insurance some plans have pre existing conditions clauses, some don't. The key to getting around it is not to have had a break in your current coverage of more than I think its like 30 or 60 days. Your current insurance will issue a statement stating you were insured with them, and when your coverage ended, and you will submit that to the HR peeps when you enroll for your new health insurance.

BCBS I think it was of MA....I've had so many plans with BCBS but they covered my CGM with no issues. Your plan's a PPO, so that means you have both In-network and Out of network options for providers. You pay a higher copay for using out of network providers BUT you can used them. BCBS I believe covers all the big pumps brands like Medtronic, I imagine Omnipod, Animas and prob even the newest Tslim. Most likely you shouldn't have any major problems.