Diabetes & health insurance: What you should know

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and there are a lot of reasons to be aware of this disease. Worldwide, 425 million adults have diabetes – that’s one in 11 people. Another 212 million people remain undiagnosed – or 1 in 2 people.

Health insurance subject to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicare are required to pay for diabetes screenings and other preventive services in full, without cost-sharing. If you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes, the ACA prevents insurance companies from denying you coverage based on having a pre-existing condition.

Washington state law goes further and requires health insurers to cover the following:

• Insulin 
• Syringes 
• Injection aids 
• Blood glucose monitors 
• Test strips for blood glucose monitors 
• Visual reading and urine test strips 
• Insulin pumps and accessories to the pumps 
• Insulin infusion devices 
• Prescriptive oral agents for controlling blood sugar levels 
• Foot care appliances for prevention of complications associated with diabetes 
• Glucagon emergency kits

Find more information about diabetes:

• American Diabetes Association
• Washington state Department of Health 
• Could you spot the warning signs of diabetes in your family? (quiz) 
• Beyond Type 1 

If you believe you’ve been denied coverage for a preventive diabetes screening, diabetes treatment, or diabetic supplies, you can talk to an insurance expert or file a complaint.