80 days.

That’s how long it took for me to receive the letter from my health insurance company notifying me (at long last) that the pre-authorization for my Dexcom supplies came through – and more importantly, was approved.

Those 80 days were fraught with anxious thoughts. On a daily basis, I wondered…

When would I get my next Dexcom order? Answer: Almost three full months after I started my new job and switched health insurance.

Would I even still be able to use Dexcom under my new health plan? Answer: Yes, although I wasn’t sure for a long time seeing as I didn’t find out until recently that I needed a prior authorization in order to get Dexcom coverage.

Why was it taking so long? Answer: It took so long partly because this stuff can be time-consuming. I work full-time, maintain a home, care for my dog, and juggle a jam-packed social calendar…and don’t often have the bandwidth to be waiting on hold with my doctor’s office, my health insurance provider, and my Dexcom supplier. I was counting on all three of the aforementioned parties to do a little more of the heavy lifting for me when I should’ve depended on myself alone to make sure I got my supplies as quickly as possible.

What was I doing wrong? Answer: Honestly, even though I sound like I’m shouldering most of the responsibility in the latter paragraph, I don’t think it’s fair to pin this all on me. Sure, I could’ve and should’ve hustled harder to get my Dexcom supplies, but I put trust in a system that I already knew is fundamentally broken. Health insurance can be ridiculous complicated to understand and contend with. I’d never needed a prior authorization for anything before, so that concept was new to me. Throw a new health plan that I had zero familiarity with into the mix and I was bound to encounter some bumps in the road to get my supplies.

That’s why I almost cried tears of relief and joy when I finally got the letter from my insurance company that informed me my Dexcom supplies were approved. The waiting period was over. 80 days of fretting over whether or not I’d have access to a tool that has revolutionized my diabetes care and management was absolute agony. That period of time also represented the first time I was truly worried over whether or not I could continue with the diabetes regimen that works for me. I was trying to remember the days before my Dexcom, the days that I had finger pricks and finger pricks alone to base my diabetes decisions on.

I could scarcely remember those days. And the fact that they could’ve become my new reality if I didn’t figure out the Dexcom situation frightened me.

I feel very fortunate that I was eventually able to successfully place an order for my Dexcom supplies under my new health plan, but I also feel rage that the system made it so difficult, as well as utter heartbreak for those who don’t have choice when it comes to diabetes supplies or even access to life-altering (and life-saving) medications.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…our healthcare system is broken. Choice and access matter.

They matter most of all when lives depend on it.