Category: Diabetes

Lack of innovation is leading to disparities in diabetes care

Having spent over 30 years of my career in diabetes, first as a practicing diabetologist and later as a diabetes researcher, I’ve met many people with diabetes. And while diabetes care has evolved significantly over my career, I’m amazed to…

Don’t blame Big Pharma for insulin’s problems

For diabetics, insulin matters as much as H2O. Unfortunately, insulin’s a hell of a lot more expensive than bottled water. High insulin prices force approximately nine million Americans to balance their wallet and well-being. The American Action …

Watch: The Politics of Health Care in California

KHN senior correspondent Angela Hart discussed the most pressing health care issues in California with the nonpartisan group Democracy Winters in mid-November, touching on a variety of issues, from the state’s effort to transform its Medicaid program to its plan to produce generic insulin.

Medicare Plan Finder Likely Won’t Note New $35 Cap on Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs

In August, Congress approved a $35 cap on what seniors will pay for insulin, but that change came too late to add to the online tool that helps Medicare beneficiaries compare dozens of drug and medical plans. Federal officials say beneficiaries who use insulin will have the opportunity to switch plans after open enrollment ends Dec. 7.

How people of faith can respond to our broken health system

An excerpt from Care: How People of Faith Can Respond to Our Broken Health System. “Why do you have to be such an asshole?” Roger was visibly angry with me and ready to get up to leave. Forty-five years old, he worked long hours repairing c…

We need to stop treating diabetes (without a prevention plan)

The recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics on declining U.S. life expectancy painted a bleak picture, fueled in large part by the impact of Covid-19, but not exclusively. Many of the contributing factors are deeply systemic – pove…

A personal mission to get obese patients on GLP-1 agonists

Admittedly, this comes to you from a place of concussion-inducing-head-banging-against-brick-walls-level frustration. For the past year, I have made it a personal mission to get people suffering from obesity on GLP-1 agonists. These drugs are all in th…

Weight Loss Gadgets: They Provide Data to Help Consumers Achieve Diet Goals, but It Still Won’t Be Easy

You may have seen the ads that promise weight loss and better health — phone apps, rings, and other devices — by giving you data on how your body reacts to food, exercise, and sleep. Is this information enough to help consumers achieve their goals?

‘An Arm and a Leg’: Checking Up on California’s DIY Insulin Project

Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen. Click here for a transcript of the episode. This year, the state of California put up $100 million to begin manufacturing its own insulin and sell it cheaply. How’s it going to work? (Is it going to work?) The price of insulin could be the starkest example […]

BMI: The Mismeasure of Weight and the Mistreatment of Obesity

The human body mass index — a simple mathematical equation — is tied to a measure of obesity invented almost 200 years ago. On the downside, it can stand between patients and treatment for weight issues. It particularly mismeasures Black women and Asians.