For Immediate Release
July 14, 2008
Media Contact:
Gina Capone
Diabetic Community Continues Its Fight Against Insurance
Providers for Repeated Denials of Life Saving Device
NEW YORK, NY: July 14, 2008 – On Tuesday, July 1, Diabetes Talkfest (http://www.diabetestalkfest.com) sponsored the first-ever CGMS Denial Day online rally to raise awareness about how insurance companies are repeatedly denying claims for continuous glucose monitors. http://diabetestalkfest.com/blog/?p=189 . In association with Tudiabetes.com.
Due to the overwhelming positive response to this effort Diabetes Talkfest is launching the CGMS Denial Campaign. The first part of the campaign is an online petition (http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/CGMSdenial/) that will be sent to all major health insurance providers. We want to get at least 2000 signatures for the first round of this campaign by November 9, 2008.
“After a recent week-long trial with a CGMS, during which time my blood sugars were significantly better, I was once again denied by my health insurance provider,” said Diabetestalkfest.com founder Gina Capone. “This problem isn’t going away and neither are we. And this petition is going to let health insurance companies know we are going to continue this fight. We have come together as a community and will continue to raise our voices until we are heard.”
The CGMS can be a life saving device for people with diabetes by preventing and reducing complications and alarming users who are no longer sensitive to hypoglycemia of approaching low blood sugars, especially during bed time hours. The device allows people to greatly reduce the number of times they have to check finger sticks, and has the ability to constantly monitor glucose levels by showing trends in blood sugars for people that experience hyperglycemia (high blood sugars). CGMS have been proven to help people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels, and quality of life.
There are currently three Real-Time CGMS manufacturers in the US:
Dexcom, DexCom STS CGM system; Abbott, FreeStyle Navigator®; and Medtronic, Guardian RT CGM system.
For more information please visit: www.diabetestalkfest.com
About Diabetestalkfest.com
Diabetestalkfest.com is the first online diabetes website dedicated to live chats. It was created by Gina Capone and Jon Schlaman, who first met on a diabetes message board in February of 2001.
Over the past six years the site has united thousands of people living with diabetes in its online diabetes chat room and social network DIABETEStalkfest (www.diabetestalkfest.com). The DTF live chats provide members with cutting edge information from leaders in the field of diabetes. Diabetes Talkfest partnered with Tudiabetes.com, a community for people touched by diabetes, in March of 2008.