Let’s talk about diabetes: A guide to your Oscar resources & more | hioscar Blog | Oscar
Let’s talk about diabetes: A guide to your Oscar resources & more
We’ve created this guide to help you understand the basics of diabetes.
General Health Oscar Health Insurance
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We’ve created this guide to help you understand the basics of diabetes.
If you were to place ten random Americans in a room, statistically one of them is likely to be a person living with diabetes. More than 30 million adults in the United States (opens in new tab) live with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. And another 84 million have pre-diabetes, a condition that if not treated often leads to type 2 diabetes within five years.
Without proper treatment, diabetes can lead to many serious complications including blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and lower-limb amputation. The good news is that diabetes — both type 1 and type 2 — are well-understood and can be well managed through medication and lifestyle changes. By paying attention to diet and exercise, and controlling blood sugar levels via medication and monitoring, people living with diabetes can enjoy a healthy, full life.
Still, we know that being diagnosed with a chronic condition like diabetes can be overwhelming - even traumatic. New medications, lifestyle changes, blood glucose monitors, and insulin injections - even if you know and understand how important these are to maintaining your health, it’s a lot to keep track of.
But you’re not alone and there are ways to manage diabetes that can fit into your life. We’ll walk you through the basics of diabetes, how you can stay on top of your care routine, and the ways in which Oscar can help.
Managing any chronic condition starts with understanding what it is and how it works. In short, diabetes affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin, the hormone that helps the body process sugar into energy. An inconsistent insulin level can lower overall health and body function, leading to the serious complications associated with unmanaged diabetes.
Related Viewing: If you want to learn more about how diabetes works, watch this informative video (opens in new tab) from Dr. Stephanie Reznick.
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Let’s talk about diabetes: A guide to your Oscar resources & more
There are two types of chronic diabetes - type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is rarer and is believed to be caused by an autoimmune reaction - meaning that the body is mistakenly attacking itself. Only about 5 - 10% of people with diabetes (opens in new tab) have type 1, and it is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes is far more common, accounting for more than 90% of all diabetes cases in the United States. It develops over years and is usually diagnosed in adulthood - and it can be prevented with lifestyle changes like losing weight, making healthy diet choices, and staying active.
While these two types of diabetes work a bit differently, they both affect the body in similar ways. When your body takes in glucose - sugar from the food we eat - it is absorbed by cells in your body and transformed into energy for your body. The glucose gets inside the cell by binding to a receptor - think of it as a door on the outer wall, or membrane, of the cell. This door needs a key to open, and that key is insulin.
For those with type 1 diabetes, the body is just not making enough insulin, so the glucose can not get into enough cells to create the energy that the body needs because there aren’t enough keys to go around. In people with type 2 diabetes, the door has essentially become stuck - it doesn’t open as well or as wide as it used to and an increased amount of insulin is needed to budge it open. This is what we call insulin resistance. And in some cases, the pancreas - the organ that produces insulin - gets burnt out through overproduction, meaning patients need to inject insulin as a medication.
The inability for glucose to be admitted to cells and processed into energy means that more of it stays in your bloodstream, this is called having elevated blood sugar. When this happens, it’s harder for your cells to do the work they need to do. If left untreated, this can lead to potentially severe complications including kidney disease, vision loss, and leg and foot issues that can result in amputation. Every year, there are more than 200,000 non-traumatic lower-limb amputations (opens in new tab) in the United States and 85% of these are in response to diabetic foot ulcers.
How can I manage my diabetes?
Knowing you have - or are at risk for - diabetes is a critical first step in managing the condition. The American Diabetes Association reports that, of the 34 million Americans who had diabetes in 2018, more than 7 million were undiagnosed (opens in new tab). With the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, everyone should understand their risk factors and the lifestyle choices that can stave off diabetes even if they are healthy.
Race and ethnic background: African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and those of Pacific Islander descent are at a higher risk for diabetes than other groups.
Age: The risk for diabetes increases as you grow older.
A history of gestational diabetes: A temporary type of diabetes that occurs in about 10% of pregnant women in America.
If you think you may be at risk for diabetes, it’s helpful to have a team of medical experts who can help you understand your risk factors and, if needed, diagnose you with diabetes or pre-diabetes and create a management plan that works for you:
Your primary care physician can perform tests that monitor your blood glucose and A1c levels, as well as cholesterol and blood pressure. They can also help you determine the most appropriate treatments and management options if you are diagnosed with diabetes.
An endocrinologist can help establish a routine for people with diabetes who are taking insulin and other medication, and will help control blood sugar levels if your primary care physician is unable to manage your diabetes on their own.
Since diabetes can affect vision and eye health, it is important to have an ophthalmologist check your eyes at least once per year.
A podiatrist can treat foot conditions that are caused by damage to blood vessels in your feet - a common health issue experienced by diabetics.
A nutritionist can help guide you towards making lifestyle changes through a healthier diet.
Let’s talk about diabetes: A guide to your Oscar resources & more
By seeing these experts regularly, you can prevent diabetes if you think you are at risk and better manage it if you are already diagnosed. If you do have a diagnosis, they can work with you to help you eat better and stay more active, manage stress, monitor your blood glucose levels, and find the right medications, supplies, and medical equipment to empower you to manage your condition. These include:
Injectable medications, including insulin and newer agents like GLP-1s.
Oral medications like Metformin, the most common drug used to treat diabetes.
Medical equipment like blood glucose meters, test strips, blood glucose pumps, and continuous glucose monitors.
How can Oscar help?
At Oscar, we are set up to be your trusted partner for diabetes management, giving you guidance and access to providers, affordable and convenient prescriptions, and virtual care options that ensure you can get the help you need when you need it.
"It's like y'all care!" ~ Pat S., Texas member enrolled in Oscar's Virtual Primary Care pilot
Guidance finding high-quality care in your area
First, Oscar can help you find an in-network primary care physician and specialists who can ensure you get the diagnosis, care, and support that enables you to manage your diabetes. You are not alone. 1 in 3 Oscar members live with a chronic condition like diabetes. We have a wide range of provider partners with specialties in endocrinology, podiatry, and nutrition who know and understand the challenges faced by those with diabetes.
To find a doctor, you can use the Oscar app or log in to hioscar.com to use our search tool; or you can call or message your Care Team (opens in new tab) - your own team of dedicated care guides - who can help you find and set up an appointment with the doctor you’re looking for.
Affordable prescriptions and easy refills
With Oscar, you also have convenient access to affordable prescriptions and durable medical equipment. We know that lowering the prices of medication lowers the overall cost of health care - especially for those with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Oscar has found ways to reduce the cost of many common prescriptions (opens in new tab) - including many of the most common diabetes medications - to just $3. For diabetes specifically, affordable medications are critical. With the average cost of insulin in 2016 reaching $450 per month, many have unfortunately gone without proper medication, risking illness and death. At Oscar, we have taken steps to keep diabetes medications affordable for our members with options including insulin on our $3 list (opens in new tab).
Partners in your long-term diabetes management
We have also made it easier to get care, when you need it, from the comfort and safety of your own home. With Oscar, you get 24/7 access to Virtual Urgent Care (opens in new tab) who can help with refills, and provide medical guidance for any adverse diabetes-related event or general health concern - all for no extra cost to you.
And in 2021, we’re expanding these services with $0 Virtual Primary Care (opens in new tab), offering unlimited virtual visits with the dedicated Oscar primary care provider of your choice. That means you see the same person every time, building an ongoing relationship with a practitioner who understands you and your needs, supporting you as you manage your diabetes and any other long-term health conditions.
Oscar Virtual Primary Care* is offered as part of Individual and Family plans in many major markets – plans you can sign up for right now during Open Enrollment. While members won’t have access to the service until January 1, we have been piloting it with a small group of members, like Pat:
Pat is an Oscar member with type 2 diabetes who lives in Texas, where we are already piloting Virtual Primary Care. Pat joined Oscar earlier this year and began working with Oscar practitioners to find the right plan and tools to manage his condition. Through Virtual Primary Care, he has been able to adopt new habits and treatments that have already lowered his blood glucose levels. Beyond that, his Virtual Primary Care Provider is helping him work towards goals that will help him stay on top of his diabetes care.
Pat’s virtual provider checks in with him regularly and together they have increased his physical activity and introduced healthy eating habits that have resulted in Pat losing 15 pounds, sleeping better, and feeling more able to keep his type 2 diabetes in check. Pat especially enjoys going on his daily walks at a nearby baseball stadium, typically walking 3 to 5 miles per day.
Oscar Virtual Primary Care is making sure that Pat not only gets the medication and treatment he needs but is supporting him in making changes that will keep him healthier overall. In Pat’s own words, “it’s like y’all care!” And we do!
To learn more about your Oscar benefits and get support managing your diabetes, message your Care Team through your online account (opens in new tab) or the Oscar App or Call us at 1-855-672-2755. We’re here to help!
*Oscar’s Virtual Care offerings vary by market and may not be available in your service area. Oscar’s Virtual Care offerings are not available in US territories or internationally. Prescriptions, visits and services may be limited per provider discretion. Virtual Providers are employed by Oscar Medical Group and are not employed by Oscar Insurance. Virtual Primary Care is not available in CA. If you have an HSA-compatible high-deductible health plan or a Secure plan in any state, you won't be eligible for $0 follow-up services.
This content does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, including diagnosis or treatment. Contact your physician with any questions you may have regarding COVID-19 or your personal health. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 for immediate assistance.
