Blue Circle Health was recently featured in an article by diaTribe, highlighting the focus we provide on patient needs and individualized care. Check out the full article here or continue reading below, and don’t forget to follow us on socials @bluecirclehealth to stay up-to-date on our program and service states.
Key takeaways:
- Blue Circle Health is a free, six-month program that offers virtual care to people with type 1 diabetes.
- The service provides comprehensive support in one place, including telehealth, diabetes education, financial assistance for medicine and supplies, and social work.
- The organization supports those with type 1 diabetes facing challenges and acts as a model meant to influence healthcare practices.
Free diabetes care? What’s the catch?
This is the question people may ask when they learn about Blue Circle Health. The free program, currently available in five states, offers virtual healthcare, diabetes supplies, and mental health support – among other services – supporting about 450 people with type 1 diabetes.
The program is limited by design to six months and is currently funded and staffed to support 1,500 people per year.
On any given day, about half that many people are in the program as some enter and exit, said Leonard D’Avolio, the organization’s CEO and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Blue Circle is funded by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.
“We’ll work hard for six months to not only give you the things you need but teach you how to thrive with this 24/7, incurable condition so that you have a stronger foundation moving forward,” D’Avolio said.
Now in Florida, Maine, Vermont, Ohio, and Delaware, the non-profit plans to expand to six more states in 2025.
Refocusing on patient needs vs. insurance coverage
While the program’s duration and capacity are limited, the number of offerings available at no cost is wide-ranging. Health care and other services are provided by phone, text, and video and include online appointments with an endocrinologist, certified diabetes educator, registered dietician, and diabetes supportive counseling.
The service also offers help navigating insurance issues, as well as financial assistance for type 1 diabetes medicine and supplies. Blue Circle will make referrals to community support services for clients whose diabetes management is affected by the need for housing, food, and employment, as well as those dealing with insurance lapses.
Their introductory continuous glucose monitoring program provides three months of support for Abbott’s Freestyle Libre 3 CGM. Those who need help paying for type 1-related diabetes medicine are provided with a card to pay for prescriptions for up to a year.
Peer support guides who live with type 1 diabetes help patients navigate the program and provide ongoing support. A monthly peer support group meeting is available for both those in the program and people who have completed it.
The group will advise and support those who use insulin pumps and automated insulin delivery systems, but does not coordinate starting a new pump.
Though the program acts as an extension of existing care, it does not bill insurance for its services.
D’Avolio pointed to some recent examples of how Blue Circle has helped people with diabetes, including clients who were misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes, as well as those who were unsure where to seek long-term care after being diagnosed. Others with type 1 diabetes may be satisfied with their current health care but are seeking a tune-up.
“If you have this condition, the healthcare system has made it really difficult to get everything you need,” D’Avolio said. “And for some people, giving a little bit of help brings them to the next level. And for other people, we have to invest more, and we’re happy to do either.”
Next steps
When the six months nears completion, the organization works to establish long-term solutions for any clients’ diabetes-related challenges.
“Participants are aware of the time-limited nature of the program from the start,” D’Avolio said. “Everything is planned with that in mind and discussed along the way. One of the things we do is make sure you have a primary care physician or an endocrinologist because we’re not a medical home.”
After each visit with a Blue Circle endocrinologist, progress notes are sent to the participant’s healthcare provider, who is also notified when the person with diabetes transitions out of the program.
“We’re a supplement to whatever care they have access to, and keeping them connected is important,” D’Avolio said.
Some participants transition out of the program sooner than six months if they feel their needs have been met, he said. In other cases, if clients need additional support, Blue Circle will extend their services to help them transition out of the program. Those who complete the program can reenroll a year after the original date of their enrollment. Of the hundreds of people enrolled since Jan. 1, 2024, 13 have taken the organization up on the offer to rejoin, D’Avolio said.
Blue Circle began in Florida, where it serves about 300 people, and plans to expand to six more states in the Eastern and Central time zones. Specifics of the expansion are still being worked out. Ultimately, the organization wants to offer care in all 50 states.
“We’re well funded, but I also think it’s important for other big stakeholders in the community of all types of diabetes to get behind an idea like this,” D’Avolio said. “It’s important for us to show what’s possible – and bring others to the table.”
The bottom line
Blue Circle Health, funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust, offers free, virtual diabetes care for up to six months, including telehealth, mental health support, and assistance for paying for prescriptions and CGM. The program does not require insurance, though it can help participants navigate insurance issues.
The organization currently supports about 450 people in five states – Florida, Maine, Vermont, Ohio, and Delaware – with plans to expand to six additional states in 2025. The service is meant to provide diabetes health care and support while demonstrating a model for providing care for people with diabetes that other organizations could replicate to extend access to high-quality care across the country.
