Me too for the reasons @RachelMaraii mentioned. The tube does sometimes get in the way.
Fwiw, I wouldn’t let the change in reimbursement rules play a major role in your exploration since who knows what’s going to happen. My 2 c
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Manny published something today on new CMS rules….He’s been on The Hill with ADA this week.
I asked him if I could share his article w/ you all. He said yes, but adds this comment,
“The important thing is that, although this currently applies to Medicare only, it’s a matter of time before it gets extended into commercial plans, as we saw occur with competitive bidding in glucose meters.“
Five Offices, One Day Fighting for 40 Million Americans with Diabetes
Manuel Hernández
CEO, The Diabetes Link (FKA, College Diabetes Network); poet
March 13, 2026
On March 12, a red tide took Capitol Hill by storm.
Over 100 advocates wearing red ADA scarves, the color the American Diabetes Association has adopted to signify our fight, fanned out across the House and Senate office buildings. Team Florida was made up of five members:
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Henry Rodriguez, Chair of ADA’s National Advocacy Committee (NAC) and pediatric endocrinologist.
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Brittany Bruggeman, also a pediatric endocrinologist and NAC member.
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Miriam Rizo, MHA , who manages a team of diabetes educators at a community health center in Southwest Florida.
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Abigail Smith, MSW, MPH, our ADA staff liaison.
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And I, as someone who lives with diabetes every day and leads The Diabetes Link.
Each of us brought something different. Henry and Brittany brought clinical authority and research experience. Miriam brought the voice of community health to the table. Abby brought institutional knowledge and coordination. I brought 24 years of lived experience with diabetes, a CGM and a pump keeping me alive, and a phone showing my glucose readings to tell the story in real time, as I walked through Capitol Hill (and prevented low blood glucose episodes with glucose gummies). 
Who we talked to
Between 10 am and 3 pm, we visited five congressional offices representing communities across Florida:
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Rep. Byron Donalds (FL-19), serving SW Florida, including Naples and Ft. Myers (Miriam’s representative).
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Rep. Laurel Lee (FL-15), serving the Tampa Bay area and Lakeland
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Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03), serving North Central Florida, including Gainesville and Ocala (Brittany’s representative)
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Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-02), serving the Panhandle region, including Tallahassee
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Sen. Ashley Moody, serving the entire state of Florida
From the Gulf Coast to the Panhandle, we carried the same message: the 2.3 million Floridians living with diabetes need Congress to act.
What we discussed
ADA’s Call to Congress covers critical issues: increasing funding for diabetes research and prevention at NIH and CDC, capping insulin costs, and protecting access to diabetes technology. Each of us brought different expertise to these conversations. Henry and Brittany spoke to the crucial value of research funding and how it shapes therapies for decades to come. Miriam shared what access barriers look like in underserved communities.
I focused on what I know firsthand: what it means to depend on a CGM and insulin pump to stay alive.
My message
My CGM continuously monitors my glucose every 5 minutes and sends that data to my phone. At 2 am, when I’m asleep, it wakes me before I go into a hypoglycemic episode. My insulin pump delivers precise doses throughout the day and night. Too much insulin and I lose consciousness. Too little over too long, and I face increased risks of complications.
These devices are not interchangeable commodities. They integrate, share data with my care team, and help me make dozens of life-saving decisions every single day.
Yet CMS wants to apply competitive bidding to CGMs and insulin pumps for people on Medicare. Millions of people would get these devices through a Durable Medical Equipment (DME) supplier chosen based on the lowest bid, not through the manufacturer or our care team.
I was there when competitive bidding was applied to blood glucose monitors in the early 2010s. Suppliers who didn’t win disappeared. Patients in rural areas were left without any contracted supplier. Access collapsed, quality suffered, and patients were affected. Those were far simpler devices.
We cannot afford to make the same mistake twice!
The ask
Senators Collins and Shaheen have introduced the bipartisan Diabetes Act, S. 4037, which would exempt insulin pumps and CGMs from competitive bidding for 5 years. We asked the Senator’s office to support this bill, and gave a heads-up about an upcoming House version to the staffers of all the Representatives.
This won’t stay in Medicare. Once this model exists, private insurance follows. Millions of people, regardless of age, will feel this.
What you can do today
Contact your Senators. Ask them to co-sponsor S.4037. This isn’t a policy abstraction. It truly is a matter of life and death for me and millions of others.
And if you want to advocate on the full range of diabetes issues, from research funding to insulin affordability, visit ADA’s advocacy page: diabetes.org/advocacy
Why this matters
Advocacy works when we show up together. Clinicians, educators, policy experts, and people living with diabetes, each bringing what only we can bring.
I’m grateful to Henry, Brittany, Miriam, and Abby for showing up with me. To the 100+ advocates in red who made sure Congress couldn’t miss us. And to the American Diabetes Association, for making the 2026 Call to Congress a success!
Miriam, Abby, Henry, Brittany, and I
#ADACall2Congress #WeFight
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You also risk DKA (immediate threat of Hyperglycemia).
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