Comment by Jason M on August 1, 2012 at 10:38am

Hi Sarah,

I'm sorry to hear about what your sister is going through.  Where is she from?  I believe depending on where she lives, the insurance company is not allowed to drop her, (assuming she was under your parents insurance) until she turn 26.

I'll look into it some more and also check out her website. 

Have your sister join this site also!

Jason

Comment by Sarah Deming on August 1, 2012 at 8:34pm

Hi James,

She lives in Maine and was cut off of Mainecare. She was not on my mom's insurance.

Thanks! :)

Comment by Mary R. Kolk on August 3, 2012 at 11:09am

Hi Sarah 

What your sister is going thru right now only points up the need for the recently passed Affordable Healthcare Act.  Which side you are on in the debate about healthcare I guess comes down to whether you believe that every human being has a right to healthcare or whether you believe that healthcare is a privilege that is only earned if you have the right job and education (and even then when you lose that job or during a recession as we are in now, your healthcare can disappear).  I for one believe that healthcare is an innate human right.  In the same way we would not stand by and watch a person die in a burning building without running in and trying to do all we could to save that person, we should do all we can to make sure everyone in this country has health care to save them from situations like your sisters.  Medicare has saved millions of older Americans.

In lieu of your sister being on your parents health care, here are a number of ideas that I have for helping her get the medication and care she needs right now:

1.  Free Clinic - Here is the link to the free clinics in every city in Maine.  http://www.freemedicalsearch.org/sta/maine

2.  Calling her doctor or former doctor and talking privately with her about her situation.  Most doctors are willing to go that extra mile to help a patient.

3.  Go to the nearest hospital Emergency Room and be treated.  Hospital's must treat every patient that comes in the door regardless of their ability to pay.  This would be my last resort but if all else fails this is what she must do.

4.  Regardless of how or where she gets her care, she needs to get started on a program that will help her control her diabetes.  You don't mention whether or not she is type 1 or type 2 but it doesn't matter.  She can be in control of this disease.  She must be in control of this disease.  Even with the best medical care in the country, if a diabetic does not become a proactive partner in his/her own healthcare, then the disease wins.  Medication will only control symptoms and conditions for a period of time.  Then more and more medication is required and while it helps in the short term, in the long term heavy duty medication only exacerbates the underlying causes and effects of diabetes.

We present programs to hundreds and hundreds of people each year on How We Beat Diabetes.  We have seen the turn around in people's lives when they understand the disease and take control.  

Go to our web site: http://www.MaryTheDiabetesLady.com to see how we changed our lives ten years ago.  

Get the book, "Diabetes Solution" by Richard Bernstein, M.D.  You can get it at the local library as well as on Amazon or any book store.  It changed our lives.

I truly hope this helps your sister find the healthcare and information she needs right now.  

Comment by Sarah Deming on August 4, 2012 at 2:33pm

Hi Mary,

Thanks for all of the helpful advice. We will definitely look into these options. Also to clarify, she is a Type 1 Diabetic.

Sarah   :)

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