Jun 27, 2024
Struggling to cope with diabetes?
With free help from dietitians, fitness reimbursement, glucose monitors and more, health plan helps members find treatment options
Like many Americans, Susan had struggled for years to control her diabetes.
Diet fads were no help. She felt worried and stuck.
That changed when Susan started getting personalized help from a nurse and a dietitian at her health plan.
“They really opened my eyes to different options for managing my diabetes and helped me find a diet that is sustainable for me,” Susan said of Becky Barlow and Nancy Dowling, who work at not-for-profit Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as part of an innovative diabetes management program offered at no cost to members.
Even though diabetes affects 1 in 10 Americans, with type 2 affecting the majority of individuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it, particularly when it comes to diet, Dowling said. That’s why Blue Cross offers a variety of options.
The health plan’s program offers tailored support for Blue Cross members with diabetes, including:
The plan also offers diabetes support for its Medicare members.
“There’s more than one way to manage your blood sugar,” said Dowling, who is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.
There are lots of options for effective nutrition. Some people have success with low-carb diets, but intermittent fasting, plant-based eating and the Mediterranean diet also have been shown to be effective
Nancy Dowling
Before talking with Barlow and Dowling, Susan had tried a program focused on a low-carbohydrate diet. She said she “lost a boatload of weight and her A1C and glucose numbers went down,” but her cholesterol went up, impacting her heart health.
After speaking with Dowling, Susan decided to try plant-based eating one to two days per week and has begun incorporating tofu and beans into her weeknight dinners and having unsweetened almond milk and frozen berries in the evening to satisfy her sweet tooth.
“I thought, ‘I can work with this diet,’” she said.
At Dowling’s suggestion, Susan also got a continuous glucose monitor through Blue Cross so she can see the impact certain foods have on her blood sugar throughout the day.
And she increased her exercise by taking daily walks with her coworker and nightly walks with her dog.
“Nancy told me that exercise is like diabetes medication because it eats up sugar in the blood, so whenever I see my blood sugar numbers creeping up, I take the stairs at work,” Susan said.
Susan speaks with Dowling weekly and chats with Barlow on the Blue Cross app a few times a week. Now, she said, she is feeling better than ever.
Susan's A1C and blood glucose numbers have come down, and most important, she said, “I feel empowered to manage my diabetes.”
She said she couldn’t have done it without her Blue Cross team.
“Becky and Nancy are a phenomenal support, and I give them huge props,” Susan said. “They helped me realize there are options to manage my diabetes. I love that their recommendations are personalized to me and not cookie cutter.”
Dowling hopes Susan’s story will inspire others with diabetes.
“Susan has made incredible strides, including controlling her blood sugar. Most importantly, she feels good, and she’s happy with what she’s eating,” Dowling said. “She deserves a lot of credit because she tried new things and didn’t give up. Her story shows that there’s no one path to success. Sometimes you need to try different things and even combine approaches to find what works for you.”
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PHOTO OF NANCY DOWLING BY JIM MAHONEY