Diabetes Blog – Happy-Medium.net

Welcome to Wednesday…

I’m going to throw a few links at you today to help you keep your diabetes mojo going strong. I promise: If you click on any of the links below, your requirements in terms of time and effort will be a scant two or three minutes apiece. Quicker if you read fast. Check them out:

You may remember me writing about a U.S. House of Representatives resolution (HR 3710—Medicare CGM Coverage Act) introduced last year. Well, now a bill to get continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) covered by Medicare is making its way through committee in the United States Senate. This one is Senate Bill 2689—Medicare CGM Access Act of 2014. Introduced by Senate Diabetes Caucus co-chairs Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), this bill aims to do the same thing: Protect the right of citizens on Medicare to keep their CGM. Make sure you get your senator to get behind this legislation, like, NOW. JDRF makes it easy by providing this link:
https://secure3.convio.net/jdrf3/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=412

Just fill out the form, include your own personal sentiments (like, “I’m going to be Medicare eligible in 13 years… Don’t take away my CGM when I need it most!”). Click Send Now and you’ll have committed an act of Diabetes Advocacy before Starbucks can serve up your latte.

Got an extra minute? There’s also a petition to sign:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/776/978/446/

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Also: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed new guidance for Medical Device Data Systems (MDDS). Borrowing from the Strip Safely website:

“These are systems that, in the FDA’s words, facilitate “the electronic transfer or exchange of medical device data from a medical device, without altering the function or parameters of any connected devices.” Translation: technology that lets data show up on a device other than the medical device itself. FDA believes that these types of MDDS introduce little additional risk, and the agency is therefore proposing to lessen the regulatory process for MDDS.”

Face it: We would all like to have access, and provide access for our loved ones, to the data from our devices. This is possible, it’s helpful, it’s an idea whose time has come. Agree? Now’s your opportunity to have your voice heard. How do I know they’ll listen? I was contacted by the FDA about comments I posted earlier last year on glucose meter accuracy and post-market inspection.

You only have until August 25 to submit your thoughts. Get the skinny right here:
http://www.stripsafely.com/sample-page/comment-on-mdds/

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Finally… Just in case you forgot about it, don’t forget about the first Diabetes UnConference, taking place out in Las Vegas next March. Brainchild of Christel Marchand Aprigliano of ThePerfectD, it will be a conference of diabetes peers from all over, setting the agenda together in the first hour, and asking and answering questions throughout the weekend. I already have four ideas, at least one of which may have some merit. If you’d really like to attend a diabetes conference by People With Diabetes, for People With Diabetes, this might be for you. I understand rooms are filling up fast. This is really turning into a thing. Find out more about the Diabetes UnConference and register too by going to:
diabetesunconference.com

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So… what about you? Have you read or written anything lately that is awesome? Oh… I just remembered: Kelley at Below Seven just published this month’s list of Best of the ‘Betes blog posts yesterday. Now… Where was I? Oh yes… If there’s something that moved you recently, please be sure to leave a link to it below. I’d love to read it!