Health Monitoring Devices

I clicked over to this article from Twitter the other day in part because I already wear a medical monitoring device. It’s an interesting read, but to summarize it talks about how someday technology may make it possible for insurance companies to do the same thing with our bodies that they can let us do with our cars, have a device that monitors activities and gives rate incentives on choosing low-risk/healthy behaviors.

At this moment, I have a platinum and silver wire in my right thigh. The sensor wire makes contact with a transmitter that sends blood sugar information to a receiver where I track my trends, patterns and movements, helping me make better choices about my health. As I was reading the article I thought about how I’ve been turned down for additional life insurance coverage because of my “history of diabetes and long-term insulin use.”

It astounded me to be turned down for additional coverage because I have a bum pancreas that forces me to make healthy choices, the questionnaire didn’t bother asking about my current health status (things like blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney function or even A1c). I get denied but people who have a history of alcohol abuse or who smoke can get additional coverage.

I often feel like the world is unfair (which is true). I can’t “catch a break” ever because I don’t have a functioning pancreas. I get penalized with prescription costs, testing expenses, the ignorance of others, plates that look like math and higher insurance costs coupled with being denied coverage because I’m obligated to check the diabetes box. (The box literally just says diabetes, doesn’t ask for type or any other information.)

One stinking word doesn’t define my existence or even my health. Sure an implanted health monitoring device is pretty big brother-ish, but I thought about how something like that would capture healthy eating habits and exercise and give a better picture of me as a healthy person than a check box on a piece of paper the causes red flags to go up.

What do you think? Would you volunteer to wear a monitoring device?