More coronavirus protection for diabetics
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health With officials both Gov. focused Ned Lamont on “flattening and federal the curve,” it’s important to remember why stemming the rate of new infections matters — to make sure that those who are most in need of medical care will still be able to get it. People with diabetes are a large part of this group, and they are in dire need of state action to ensure that they receive the care they need to survive during this unprecedented public health crisis.
Because of the way diabetes compromises the immune and metabolic systems that help protect us against infections, people with diabetes are at an increased risk for serious and potentially deadly complications from COVID-19. Although research on coronavirus outcomes is still preliminary, data published so far paints a dismal picture: The CDC reports that people with diabetes are hospitalized at higher rates and have been admitted to the ICU more frequently than COVID-19 patients tion. Though state public health officials have not yet released this type of information for Connecticut’s patients, data from other parts of the country demonstrates the same pattern — more than 40% of Louisianans who have died of the virus have had diabetes, as have one in three Dallas County patients. Given this serious threat to some of our most vulnerable citizens, Gov. Lamont needs to act now to protect the more than 350,000 Connecticut residents with diabeTo accomplish this, Connecticut can take two immediate steps. First, Connecticut should eliminate insulin co-pays in stateregulated health insurance plans for the duration of the emergency. Limits on how much patients can pay for insulin out of pocket each month are now the law of the land in Colorado, Illinois, New Mexico, Maine, West Virginia, Utah, New York, Virginia and Washington. A similar measure was introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly in February, and for good reason — more than one quarter of Americans with diabetes are already rationing their insulin because they cannot afford it.
The current crisis exacerbates this access problem. With millions of Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the past few weeks alone, Gov. Lamont should go even further and eliminate insulin copays entirely during this time to ensure that nobody out of work will be forced to choose between putting food on the table and getting the medication they need to survive.
Second, Connecticut should make sure that those who lose their jobs during this crisis do not lose access to their health insurance, too. Given the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs, the sudden loss of health insurance would be devastating not just for people with diabetes but for anyone who relies on prescription medication to stay healthy.
There are equally important steps Gov. Lamont could take to ensure continuity of health care, including easing enrollment of newly unemployed residents into Medicaid, extending grace periods for payment of insurance premiums and waiving reporting requirements for continued eligibility in Medicaid.
People with diabetes need our support now more than ever, and maintaining continuity of health insurance coverage for those who will need it most is vital to their financial and physical health.
We urge Gov. Lamont to do everything he can to protect our citizens that are most at risk. Connecticut lives depend on it.