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Showing posts from June, 2017

Behind the 'Value-Based' Buzzwords on Insulin Pump Insurance Deals

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 Everyone's talking about "value-based" pricing in healthcare these days. In our own Diabetes Community, the volume's increased on this issue as the two largest insulin pump companies have entered into agreements with insurance giant Aetna for so-called "value-based" pricing, aka reliant on outcomes such as A1C measures. Recently, Medtronic announced a new partnership with Aetna that is now in effect. And on April 1, 2017, Aetna entered into a similar agreement with JnJ/Animas for the OneTouch Vibe and Ping insulin pumps, tying payments to A1C outcomes for now. It's a first-of-its-kind agreement for both diabetes device companies, and both are pretty adamant stating that the deals are aimed at "improving outcomes and reducing healthcare costs." But just where are we, the people living with diabetes, in all of this? Inside These Value-Based Deals We reached out to Aetna, Medtronic and Animas to get answers to some of our m

NEWSFLASH: Diabetes Hands Foundation Shutdown, Beyond Type 1 Takes Over Programs

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The Diabetes Hands Foundation is no more, but some of its core programs will stay alive under the umbrella of a young, powerhouse diabetes advocacy organization. In a startling development to many that's certain to shake up the Diabetes Community, the beloved Berkeley, CA-based non-profit that's been around since 2008 and maintained the popular TuDiabetes and EsTuDiabetes online communities is dissolving after nearly a decade. But the DHF's core online platforms -- with millions of users across the globe -- will transfer over to Beyond Type 1 , another Northern CA-based org that's just two years old but has been making waves with bold awareness efforts backed by badass celebrity connections. Official news broke Thursday, coincidentally the day before the big annual American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions conference was set to start. The reasons are largely financial struggles within DHF, we’re told. There have been rumblings about sponsorship and funding