$3/hr more, health insurance deductible drops from $2000 to $500… desk job in my own cubicle! Super exciting! I start the 27th
bad part: 90 day probation, no health insurance for 90 days
for those who have a desk job, what do you leave in your desk when it comes to supplies?
Should I inform my supervisors that Im diabetic, or wait until the 90 day probation is over?
Anyone else have a lapse in health insurance, what did you do?
I have 7 vials of insulin and im thinking if I follow a very tight exercise and low carb diet, I should be ok with insulin.
test strips… well im sure my doc can help, and Ill pay out of pocket, no biggie.
pump supplies… Im thinking Ill have to go back on shots for 90 days…
I work a desk job, and I keep extra syringes and glucose tablets at my desk.
Even when I was using the pump, I kept syringes and extra pump supplies at my desk.
Blood strips as well.
The only person who knows that I’m T1d is my immediate boss. That way, if something happened, she could know what was going on and help. Other than that, office gossip travels fast. Everyone would be all in my business if they knew, and I’m not the kind of person that likes that. I like privacy.
If you don’t mind talking about your T1D… a lot… then don’t worry about others knowing.
Also, it is against the law to fire someone due to medical illness. As long as you’re taking care of your D and it does not inhibit your work or your workday, then they would have no reason to fire you. If you take eccessive days off to take care of D, they might say something.
I, personally, hold off on D appointments and doctors until after my first six months at a new job… I don’t know if that’s responsible or stupid, but my D has NEVER affected my work.
It’s also okay for you to ask for a specific lunch break, if need be. Also to have specific breaks to eat a snack, if need be. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself.
Congratulations on your new job! It sounds exciting!
Oh, and ask your doc if he can give you some extra vials of insulin. They usually have a lot of samples that expire before they give them out. Well, at least mine does. There aren’t many T1s where I am, so the samples that he gets usually get thrown out because no patients use them (except for me!)
Conrats on the new job!
I carry a large purse so all my supplies can be carried in it but in my desk drawer, I always keep an extra meter and test strips. I also keep snacks like PB crakers, rice cakes and glucose tablets. We have a fridge so I keep a small carton of OJ in there.
I don’t know that you need to make a point of saying anything. Just wear your bracelet and someone will eventually ask. I guess it would all depend on how well your diabetes is controlled.
Sorry about the lapse in insurance. It could be tough for a couple months. I would suggest you talk to your Doctor. They may be able to give you samples to get you by.
Congratulations!!! Do you still have your old insurance? Can you slip in a quick order? I have never had a desk job so I can’t help you there. And I will leave the question of telling the supervisor to better minds than mine. Although, if you have a problem and haven’t told them it can be worse. Is it with the same company? You have ADA (Americans with Diabilities Act) protection but they can always come up with other reasons to let you go.
No insurance hurts the pocket book. It is possible, I have done it, but it is scary.
I work a desk job, too. I have not told anyone about my diabetes, yet. I’m always afraid of discrimination because of the general ignorance about diabetes.
I’ve never with held back from employers that I’m a diabetic. Usually in most jobs I’ve taken - you have to have a medical. In the past, when my insurance wasn’t going to kick in - I just made sure I had enough supplies before hand - and held off on any doctors appointments until the probabation period was over and health plan kicked in. Again, though, it’s different for Canadians - as we are covered anyways - but for things like the pump - I would be paying out of pocket (again, have a few spares to see you thru’ 3 months).
More importantly than what to keep in your desk is looking at your new insurance company in detail. Many of them have a clause that says if you were not covered for 2 months and have a pre-existing condition they won’t cover you at all. I thought it was 3 months when I quit my job and was waiting for my wife’s insurance to start (she had a 1 year probation period), but then I read the literature and saw that it was 2 months instead.
In other words your 90 day probation might turn into a permanent loss of insurance. You might want to consider COBRA in the meant time. It’s absurdly expensive, but in the end cheaper than the alternative.
I would also keep quiet about being diabetic until you get the insurance (if you don’t go on COBRA). I don’t know how it works at your company, but when I was teaching at a university the person responsible for mediating between the employees and the insurance company worked for the insurance company, not the university. She just had her desk at the university.
It was the same with my wife’s company. She had already broadcast the fact that I was diabetic so when the time came for us to get insurance the lady kept making excuses about my information and was delaying the process. My wife and daughter were covered immediately, but with me she kept giving excuses why I can’t get covered yet like: I didn’t provide a phone number (which I did), she lost the paper where she wrote my SSN could I give it to her again ?, she misspelled my name on the forms and needed to wait for the forms to be sent to her again and fill them out again, she took sick leave, etc. She was basically waiting for the 2 month period to expire so I wouldn’t be eligible. In the end I had my lawyer send her a letter stating that she would personally be sued for all my medical expenses from now on if she didn’t do her job and get me insured before the 2 months expired. The very next day everything was completed and sent in.
i can’t wait till the day i get insurance! Anything would help!
my medicine is free through the companies, it’s based on my income
i can get free test strips from the local diabetes educator, but mainly i pay out of pocket (80 dollars a month! damn)
i get a discount to see the doc, based on my income and i get a discount at the hospital if i need blood test or what not. (i use the doc and blood test sparingly because i can’t find a good doc and blood test still cost alot after the discount and on top of the money i owe from when i was first diagnosed) (two years of being diabetic and i’m still paying for getting diagnosed)
docs will give out samples, which is always a plus
though i’m sure people don’t think about it… i can afford food which is helpful towards my diabetic eating habits
all in all you could say i can’t afford to be broke while being a diabetic
who has the site that shows your diabetic spending?
Thanks for the heads up. I know this insurance company very well, I was on this insurance under my dad until I graduated from college. Never had a problem
I’m with you on the “afraid of discrimination” thing. My company is pretty good with not discriminating, but that doesn’t mean that other PEOPLE within the company will be so open.
My immediate boss is really good about it.
I function on a NEED TO KNOW basis only. I very rarely share my personal life with my work life. Sometimes it’s lonely, but it’s what works for me. Otherwise I feel invaded.
