An offer I can't refuse?

I've been away from computerland for a few days - rather blissfully, I must admit. We go to our little shack in the woods (swamp-front property, as I call it) regularly when the weather warms up . It's a usually-peaceful break that feels far from our usual lives, even though it's only 20 minutes from our house (good thing, or we'd never make it there!).

I'm mulling an unusual opportunity: long-term-care insurance. How many diabetics have that? For a short time, they're offering though my company with limited underwriting - which means far fewer health questions. I just squeak by because I don't yet officially have any complications. I grilled my eye doctor recently, because he saw a few "blots and dots." Was it retinopathy? No, he said, not yet, but he wants to keep a close watch on it. So I'd better get in on the insurance while I can, even though I'll probably be paying premiums for a long time before I need it. I am worried, though, that eventually (after I've paid premiums for years) someone might look at that record from my eye doctor and claim I have retinopathy already. (It is amazing that I don't, considering I've had diabetes for going on 25 years.)

It's scary to think about that part of my future - I'm sure I will need care at some point. But who won't, if they live long enough? When, and how much? Who knows. Maybe I'll get hit by a bus first. I've never thought much about this sort of thing, only because it seemed there was nothing I could do about it. I have only the limited life insurance I get through my work without going through a health screening - which is nice enough to have, considering. I've never bothered to try for more. I've heard of people who are not diabetic, officially, being denied because of risk factors for diabetes - like one woman I know who had gestational diabetes, and later applied and was denied, although she no longer had diabetes. I'm certain that, in another few decades, people will begin to realize our life expectancy is much better than it used to be, at least for people with type 1 diabetes. But will that ever change their view of us as just a huge liability? For insurance purposes, maybe not.

I do wonder if this offer has anything to do with the recent healthcare bill's passage, part of which apparently is going to involve government-funded long-term care insurance that doesn't exclude based on a person's current health. Whether that will work out, and how expensive it might be, is anyone's guess at this point, though.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to enjoy this break from reality, and trying not think too much about such morbid things. My sugars have been running particularly low lately - maybe it's the warmer weather - so I have that to focus on, instead, along with keeping my daughter alive as she throws herself completely into everything she does - from climbing the outside of the staircase, to climbing nearly every structure at the playground (and tottering close to the edges, mainly just to tease me), to insisting on taking her own sweater off (and getting stuck). She's always been enthusiastic, but now her activity level seems to be peaking (I hope!). Gee, maybe that's part of the reason for the lows. I feel guilty sometimes when I have to, say, make her wait another 15 minutes to go to the playground while I treat a low (or eat to avoid one). But then I think, how silly; every parent has things they have to do, that take time from their kid. I just don't like it when my diabetes is one of those things.