Healthmart Pharmacies: Diabetes and Insurance

Neal Catalano, Certified Diabetes Educator with Granger Professional Pharmacy, comes to Studio 5 with additional facts about the disease and what you need to know about insurance plans.
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Granger Professional Pharmacy is located in the Granger Medical Clinic and has been serving West Valley City, since 1998. Granger Professional Pharmacy is a Health Mart pharmacy with special emphasis in the areas of hepatitis C and diabetes. Granger is one of few retail pharmacies that have a Certified Diabetes Educator on staff to meet the special needs of people with diabetes.

With diabetes on the rise in Utah and the United States, many people do not know that many of the supplies needed to manage the disease may be covered by their health insurance.

What products might this include?

This is true. Most people understand that their visits to their physician is covered by their health insurance, but don’t realize that their testing supplies, medications, insulin, and even diabetes education are a covered benefit. I have encountered many people over the years that have struggled to effectively manage their diabetes due to fact that they could not afford their testing supplies or medications needed to control their sugar. Many health plans with cover test strips, lancets, syringes, lancets, medications, and insulin under the prescription benefit of that plan. Some plans even offer coverage for testing supplies under the medical portion of the coverage. This benefit is usually available at specialty suppliers, such as the Diabetes Specialty Center. It is always a great idea to check with your insurance plan to see how your coverage is structured.

What products are available for Senior’s with diabetes?

Medicare Part B covers 80% of the cost of testing supplies after the person has met their yearly deductible. This includes the blood glucose monitor, test strips, and lancets. If the person has Medicare Part D, their syringes, medications, and insulin may even be covered. Medicare replacement plans, sometimes called Medicare Part C, may also cover medications and supplies needed to manage their diabetes. Again, it is best to contact your plan to see what options are available to you.

Are there products available for people that do not have insurance?

Absolutely! At Granger Professional Pharmacy we carry the SunMark product line that offers a cost effective option to many of the expensive name brand products. These products offer the same quality and many of the same bells and whistles as the name brand products at a fraction of the cost.

How can a person get more information about their coverage?

For specific questions regarding your plan, I recommend calling the 800 number located on your insurance card or by contacting your human resource department at your place of employment. For great information on diabetes, fitness, nutrition, and general insurance questions, come visit our Health Mart booth at the Diabetes EXPO. It is at the South Towne Expo Center on Saturday February 2, 2008 for 9am to 4pm. It is the largest event in Utah dedicated to people with diabetes and those looking to lead a healthy lifestyle. Many of the top diabetes educators in the state with be there to answer your questions and vendors with new latest and greatest technology in the world of diabetes will be there to show you new tools to help you manage your diabetes. Entrance is FREE. Call 1-888-Diabetes or visit www.diabetes.org., visit us at Granger Professional Pharmacy for more information.

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