Insurance

[Lewy]

Just had a phone call from insurance company to ask a few questions about diabetes. No gripes, was quick and painless and the guy on the other end of the phone was very polite.

However what baffled me was that one of the questions was "How many units of insulin do you take a day?". I told him that it varies from day to day and couldn't give a definite answer. He told me to give him a rough guess which I did. But yet I still don't understand what is achieved by knowing how many units are taken from someone on a daily basis. Can anyone shed some light please?

Thanks in advance,
Lewy 🙂

 

[Robster65]

I'm always being asked this and, like you, have to explain that it varies but they still want a number to write down 🙄

Can' imagine it tells them anything remotely useful but may stem back to the dark ages when we had fixed doses. Even then, it wouldn't really tell them anything about your health or control.

I suppose statisticians need numbers. Even meaningless ones.

Rob

 

[Copepod]

I suspose high daily doses could indicate insulin resistance, which is always present in type 2 diabetes (although insulin is not always needed, of course). But I can't see what use the information could be to an insurance company. A much better question would be "When do you test your blood glucose?" particularly as drivers should always test before driving.

 

[Lewy]

Thanks for your replies guys. Had some similar questions from the DVLA as well on a form to fill in, so I guess it must mean something to someone somwhere 🙂

Also my driving license is only valid for 3 years as opposed to the usual 10 years as a result of having diabetes, is this the same across the board with all diabetics or just insulin dependant, etc?

 

[Robster65]

I think the restriction is just for insulin or other glucose lowering drugs.

3 years is the maximum other than up to age 70. Got through a few renewals over the years.

Rob