D sucks. It sucks in lots of ways. It sucks when you are trying to play raquetball but your blood sugar won't cooperate. It sucks when it spikes like crazy in the night prompting many sleep-interrupting trips to the bathroom. It sucks when you watch kids and adults alike stare at the CGM on your child's arm.
Diabetes impacts us all in so many ways that it's almost impossible to list them all here. One of the indisputable facts of life with diabetes is that I will always be a slave to group health insurance. Don't get me wrong, I am not necessarily an anti-insurance company type, and the coverage I have now is great. But the simple fact remains that I will never be able to go out on my own and open up my own restaurant, or become an author, or a world traveler. None of those things offer a reasonable chance at group health insurance. In other words, I will always be somebody else's bitch.
I also wonder what will happen one day should I need to re-enter the job market. There may come a day that my 8 year stint in the car wash industry will come to an end. What do I do at interviews? Should I stash my pump? Tuck it away inside my pocket? I have a very strong feeling that even a company that makes its money selling products to diabetics would hesitate before bringing on a type 1 with a type 1 child. I honestly can't say I would really blame them.
Myself and two other guys are making a strong run at purchasing the three car washes that I currently manage for a living. They have the money, and I have the experience. I insisted on a group health plan, and I can only imagine what our rate quotes are going to be when they find out there are two type 1 diabetics in a group of maybe ten people. One thing I do know about insurance companies, they are going to make their money one way or another.
If I seem unusually cynical, there's a really good reason for it. Trust me.
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I feel you pain! You know we are in a somewhat similar situation regarding health insurance for our child. It does suck! And you are right for feeling cynical.
ReplyDeleteNow, get over it and get back to work. :-p HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!
Holly & Morgan
p.s. love the new name for your pump (it was actually our second choice)
I know exactly what you mean about being a slave to a group health insurance plan. My husband wanted to start his own LLC because he has certain IT skills and knows a specific software program, and there is a huge market out there for consultants who have those skills and experience. We almost set up the LLC, but then realized that we couldn't, because we needed group health insurance. Independent insurers that are not affiliated with groups can (and will) deny coverage for preexisting conditions... IT SUCKS!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post-- I don't think people talk enough about the woes of health insurance and how ridiculous it all is.