In honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month, we sat down with the Coalition for Medicare Choices’ 2 millionth member, Bertha Shinn, to talk about diabetes, the importance of care coordination, and how Medicare Advantage helps her manage this complex condition.
Bertha, 73, hails from Las Vegas, Nevada, and was honored recently by Congressman Joe Heck (R-NV) for her work to help protect her Medicare Advantage benefits. She has been living with type 2 diabetes for 25 years and is a six-year cancer survivor. Watch Bertha’s story below and read more about how Medicare Advantage is helping to manage her diabetes.
Watch Bertha’s Medicare Advantage story to learn more
MACC Task Force: How has your Medicare Advantage plan helped you to manage your diabetes?
Bertha Shinn: I have had diabetes for a long time, and it got really out of control last summer. This made me have to increase the insulin I take. I felt really sick, and the cost of the insulin and supplies was really high. So I decided it was time for me to do something about it.
Earlier that spring, I attended an informational meeting about Medicare Advantage and decided to enroll. So when the cost of my medication and supplies got to be more than I could handle, I reached out to my physician, pharmacist, and Medicare Advantage plan regarding the cost of the insulin and supplies. When I spoke to a representative at my Medicare Advantage plan, not only was he empathetic, but he also helped me find a solution to the problem by suggesting that I enroll in a different plan specifically for diabetics. The new plan changed my out-of-pocket cost for a one-month supply from $1,500 to $2.50, and saves money on my cancer drugs.
My Medicare Advantage plan also makes it affordable for me to belong to the fitness center. So in addition to walking to stay fit, I can take cardiovascular, strengthening, and, my favorites, ballroom and line dancing, classes at the center. I also attend monthly meetings there for diabetics. Having access to the center and focusing on my diet helped me lose weight, decrease my daily insulin intake by more than two-thirds, and decrease my [LDL] cholesterol level from 160 to 125.
I also cannot say enough about the customer service and other staff with my Medicare Advantage plan. They make you feel like you deserve their attention, and they go out of their way to help you. They are just very patient and wonderful.
MACC: Can you please tell us a little bit about the types of providers that you see through your Medicare Advantage plan?
Bertha: I see a number of providers, including a primary care doctor, ophthalmologist, podiatrist, and oncologist. I am also currently looking for a new endocrinologist. What I have found is that it is important to be picky and to find providers that you can have a partnership with. The great thing about Medicare Advantage is that it gives beneficiaries the opportunity to select the very best providers and the flexibility to find the ones that are right for them.
I keep very careful records about what I’m eating, about blood pressure, my blood sugars, everything. When I keep records I can work with my doctors to figure out what’s working and what needs to be changed.
MACC: What advice would you give to other Medicare beneficiaries who have diabetes and might be looking for better care and similar results?
Bertha: First, I would encourage them to take charge of their health by exercising and having a good diet. I walk four to six miles a day and keep a careful diet. Second, it is so important to partner with your providers and health plan. It’s like anything else, you’ve got to do your homework. Third, they should take advantage of the programs and the benefits offered by their Medicare Advantage plans. They really do make a difference.
The Coalition for Medicare Choices’ (CMC) Medicare Advantage Care Coordination (MACC) Task Force recently announced the launch of the Care for Us Project, a campaign to build awareness around best practices related to care coordination and disease management of specific chronic conditions prevalent among Medicare beneficiaries. Through the Care for Us Project, the MACC Task Force provides chronic care resources to beneficiaries, their family members, providers and the broader policy community on an ongoing basis and focuses on particular health conditions, including diabetes. You can follow the release of these new materials here. You can also follow the Task Force via the Coalition for Medicare Choices’ Twitter feed, Facebook page, and blog.