Accelerate Access for
People with Diabetes
Take Action Now!
Take action now and advocate to your insurance provider to demand affordable access to the technology that you and your healthcare provider have identified as the next step in managing your diabetes.
1. Click below to download a letter and customize it with your personal experiences.
2. Learn More about the Omnipod 5® Automated Insulin Delivery System to help you when writing the letter.
3. Look up your insurance provider’s contact information and send this as a letter or an email.
4. For greater impact, you can also advocate on social media using our social media templates.
Download the Letter
Omnipod 5® is for patients with type 1 diabetes 6 years and older.
Tips for Advocacy:
- Introduce yourself.
- Include your insurance policy number and group number.
- Describe your diabetes diagnosis and treatment challenges, including any avoidable costly procedures or medical treatments resulting from lack of access.
- Share details about why your current treatment is no longer optimal and how the new treatment will improve your health and lifestyle.
- Be specific about the product by including its National Drug Code (NDC)* in your description.
- Share details of your medical history to show you are a good candidate for this product.
- Be firm that you are requesting this new product because it is medically necessary and not due to personal preference.
- Share emotion, but don’t be angry.
- Keep your message concise, but firm.
- Review for grammatical and spelling errors.
- Conclude with action requested and timeframe for response.
- Don’t get discouraged if you do not hear back right away.
- Find multiple people at the organization to send your letter to.
- Follow up after two weeks.
- Be persistent without being pushy.
- Be proud of taking action.
*The National Drug Code Directory lists all over the counter and prescription products in the United States, including diabetes treatment technologies like Omnipod. The NDC number is a unique number that helps identify products in the United States, containing information about the manufacturer, the product, and the packaging. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) publishes a regularly updated list of all NDC numbers.
Sharing their story
Cherise Shockley
Cherise was diagnosed with latent auto-immune diabetes in adults in 2004. Her advice is that you cannot always rely on your treating doctor to advocate on your behalf when living with diabetes. Your employer and current health literacy training can help you advocate on your own behalf. She encourages not only those living with Type 1 diabetes, but those with Type 2 as well, to ask for what they need and to share their story online through social media. People with diabetes are a community, and Cherise encourages you to speak up so that people around you can see what diabetes really looks like in the world.
ACT
Share on Social
You’re only a few clicks away from showing your support on social media with our custom banners, images, and dedicated hashtags.
Share on Social
Kate Hall
Long-jump Olympic Hopeful
“When you encounter a barrier to accessing the best diabetes technology, use it as an excuse to hone your advocacy skills. As a serious athlete, I have learned that determination and effort lead to success. Advocacy for Access will help you build your knowledge and give you the tools you need to take action and get the technology you need to better manage your diabetes.”
Evan Deane
“As both a Type 1 diabetic and college student studying nursing for the past several years, I’ve lived at this intersectionality of patient and healthcare professional. My time as a student has been some of the most demanding and has made managing my diabetes an even greater priority.”
Sara Blackington
"Living with Type 1 diabetes is a huge challenge, requiring immense focus, strength and hard work, day in and day out. The times I had stubborn high blood sugar or a crazy low, I could trace it all back to not speaking up for my best interests and needs. The best advice I can give is to be your own advocate, to voice your needs, and defend what you need to be healthy and successful."
Todd Boudreaux
Editorial Manager, Beyond Type 1
"For people living with diabetes, access to the treatment options of your choice at a reasonable cost is non-negotiable. If you can’t get the technology or medication you need, make noise, seek help from resources like Beyond Type 1, and don’t ever give up."
Stephen Shaul
“I have been living with T1D for 28 years. I love the idea that one person’s story can help so many others and make a difference. Together our collective voices of those living with or impacted by diabetes cannot be ignored. That’s what today’s advocacy is all about.”
Helpful Resources
Arm yourself with resources and tips to enhance your knowledge of how to advocate.
