During my training for the last marathon, I had some wonderful comment and email exchanges from Catherine W, and a ton of support there. ironically, she works and lives in Phoenix though we never met (and certainly not on race day as she was way ahead of my time).
She wrote me about a neat program from Medtronic, makers of my insulin pump, their Global Heroes program, “Celebrating the passion and accomplishments of runners who benefit from medical technology”:
Running long distances was never meant to be easy. It becomes even harder when the body becomes a barrier. For runners diagnosed with medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, spinal disorders, chronic pain or neurological disorders, that is the reality. Yet the passion for running remains.
Medtronic proudly recognizes these runners as Global Heroes, in a first-of-its-kind program that brings people running from around the world with medical devices to Minnesota to run in Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon events.
In 2008, up to twenty-five Global Heroes will be selected and awarded their Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon or Medtronic TC 10 Mile Race entry fees, an exclusive travel package, recognition throughout the race, and a $1,000 grant to an associated patient organization.
Catherine went on to nominate me, and my excitement level was high until I got an email asking me to verify their program guidelines where it says:
Runners 40 years and older, who have had diabetes for more than 15 years, are ineligible.
WTF?
Why would a program rule out people who have dealt with an illness a long time and still are able to run distances? What does it say about a program that only wants young heroes? I am struggling to even see a reason for such a thing.
I am crushed.
Is this my first time of age discrimination?
I am crushed. Why should I get back running nextw eek if I am too old or have lived healthy with diabetes too long?
I am crushed.
Update: Upon asking the reasn “why” via e-mail, this is the explanation:
I apologize that you are not eligible for the program. The health and safety of our Global Heroes is of utmost importance to us. We worked closely with Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon medical staff in developing medical criteria for all potential Global Heroes.
As cardiovascular risks associated with diabetes mellitus increase with longevity of the disease, with a rise in risk of sudden death from atherosclerotic causes for people over 40, it was determined to limit the age of diabetic runners.
Every year the medical criteria for the Global Heroes program will be reviewed and re-evaluated. Your input will help us during this evaluation process.
You want review? YOUR PROGRAM SUCKS. What exactly is the message you promote? That people over 40 or have lived with diabetes 15 years should not be active? This is shameful, shameful, and I am making it my new mission to let as many people know as possible.
I know my health much better than some “medical staff”.
Pffftttttt on you and your program.
name: Alan Levine
That is absolutely ridiculous!!! Runners 40 and over who have successfully managed their diabetes for 15 or more years are “heroes” who need to be emulated by other diabetics. My parents dealt with diabetes and they were not successful in managing the disease. It would have been helpful for them to learn from some other mid-life diabetics who were like you – healthy and physically fit.
Wow. Keep running and strongly suggest they reconsider their policy to include 2 categories of recognition! As I understand, diabetes doesn’t get any easier to manage as one gets older, does it?
You’re still an inspiration to many! Tell your own story!
That is sincerely the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I wonder what they were thinking? Maybe I could talk you into trying Albuquerque at the end of August instead? No sponsorship, but lots of fun.
“YOUR PROGRAM SUCKS.”
That’s an accurate statement, Alan, and one with which I totally agree.
And yet it makes me want to cry.
You see, I was one of the “Global Heroes” lucky enough to be chosen the first year. I was over 45. I had been diabetic for over 30 years. And I was not the only one.
It was a wonderful thing.
I was shocked when the criteria were arbitrarily, senselessly changed the second year. Over the past couple of years I’ve exchanged several emails with people involved in the program.
If you’d like, I’ll share the parts of those conversations I can, here on your blog.
Shoot me an email if you’re interested.
Instead of waiting for a reply, I’ll lay it on you.
10/1/2006 [ I ran the 2006 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon as a "Global Hero." ]
10/4/2006 [ Email to several people I met who worked for Medtronic and the Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. ]
Thank you.
Thank you for the opportunity to run in what I am now certain is America’s Most Beautiful Urban Marathon. I felt that the Twin Cities and Medtronic really welcomed all of the marathoners to enjoy their neighborhoods and parks.
Thank you all for the enthusiastic support, encouragement, and wishes.
Thank you for the awards and running gear. Thank you for the gracious reception at Medtronic and the chance to meet so many inspiring individuals and their families.
I’m sorry I couldn’t do that one thing which would have made this a much better story. I wasn’t able to get my butt over the finish line in less than 3 and a half hours. Still, except for taking those extra 8 minutes on the course, the weekend was wonderful.
And I’ve been checking the results for other Triumphant Soles and Global Heroes, and I see that you do have some true success stories. Jason Burke ran a fantastic 2:54:25. Don Wright ran 3:36:02 and took an Age Group third place!
Please congratulate them for me. And congratulate all of the runners, if not for the result then for the effort.
I hope everyone is doing all right. I saw some runners had problems out there. That is almost inevitable when you have that many people attempting to do something so difficult.
I know that for you folks, just as for the runners, this took months of planning and preparation, then a long sustained effort on race day. Congratulations on your achievement. I hope this finds you all well, and you’ve had time to celebrate and recover.
And thank you!
Jerry
10/24/2006 [ Email from a PR person working for Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. ]
Hello and congratulations to all of our Global Heroes! Now that the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is over, we’d like to do a couple of quick follow up stories for our nonprofit patient organizations and the media about your participation. We have your race times and are now just hoping to get a few comments regarding how the event went for you. Please e-mail back your answers no later than the end of day on Wednesday, Oct. 25, if possible. THANK YOU in advance for your help!
1. How did “race day” go for you?
2. How did Medtronic support you for your race?
3. What message do you hope your participation in the Medtronic race sends to other patients with your condition?
4. What does it mean to you to be a Medtronic Global Hero?
5. Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks again for your help! I hope to hear from you soon.
-Jana Faxvog
10/24/2006 [ My reply. ]
> 1. How did “race day” go for you?
It was a beautiful day for a marathon. Even though I flew out from Arizona, I wasn’t too cold in the crowd at the start.
That course has something wonderful to see every step of the way, from metropolitan Minneapolis, out into the neighborhoods, the lakes, the river, the trees… I loved it.
The hills were tougher than I anticipated, and by the time I crossed the line, I was 8 minutes behind my goal and worn out. But a marathon is supposed to be a challenge, and I enjoyed the challenge and the adventure.
It was a little bit of a rush to get cleaned up and get to the airport after the race. I wish I had been able to take more time off and spend more time in the area after the race.
Maybe next year.
> 2. How did Medtronic support you for your race?
I appreciated the gear bag and all of the goodies Medtronic provided to me and my family, but the hat and singlet turned out to be especially useful. It was a thrill to have the Medtronic crowd cheering for me, at the start of the big hills on Summit, and at the finish line by the capitol.
I can’t thank you enough for all you did for me.
> 3. What message do you hope your participation in the Medtronic race sends
> to other patients with your condition?
I hope that it will help encourage any diabetic with any dream to make the effort to get past the obstacle presented by diabetes. I hope it will make other diabetics reluctant to believe there is anything they can’t do.
> 4. What does it mean to you to be a Medtronic Global Hero?
It has been a little like being called a hero just for having a hobby. But I have been happy to be recognized for this. I feel like it is at least a little pay back for all of the times I’ve had to poke my fingers, times I had to stop running because my blood sugar was low, all of the times diabetes has gotten in my way, as an inconvenience or as a near catastrophe.
It’s gratifying to have that appreciated.
> 5. Anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you, Medtronic. Thank you, Twin Cities Marathon organizers and volunteers. Thank you, Twin Cities.
Jerry
3/22/2007 [ Email from a PR person working for Medtronic. ]
Dear Jerry,
It’s been nearly six months since you participated in Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon weekend, and I am working with Rich Fischer to gather updates on the 2006 MTCM Global Heroes.
Specifically:
Are you still running? If so, are you training for a specific race?
What did it mean to you to be a Global Hero?
Have you stayed in touch with any of the other 2006 Global Heroes?
Are you involved in patient education groups or initiatives?
Do plan to return for the 2007 MTCM weekend of events?
We look forward to hearing from you!
Regards,
Ginny Cassidy
Corporate Public Relations
Medtronic, Inc.
3/22/2007 [ My reply. ]
Hi, Ginny,
I’m very glad to hear from you.
> Are you still running?
Yes, still breathing, eating, sleeping, and running.
> If so, are you training for a specific race?
My next big race is the Boston Marathon, April 16. I was trying to qualify for Boston at Twin Cities last year, but failed. I got in using the time I ran at the St. George Marathon in 2005. I was 22 seconds too slow in that race, but I sent a letter with my application to the Boston Athletic Association, explaining that I probably lost at least 22 seconds checking my blood sugar, and they let me in.
I’m not saying that I’m training for Boston because I am forced to take it kind of easy for now. My right knee has been bothering me for the past few weeks. In February, I ran the Desert Classic Marathon on the 4th, the Pemberton Trail 50K on 10th, then the Lost Dutchman Marathon on the 18th.
It was a tremendous achievement for me, and I’m proud of it, but it has left me a little injured. I’m hoping I’ll feel strong enough to have a respectable race in Boston.
> What did it mean to you to be a Global Hero?
I was very honored by the whole experience, and humbled to be in the company of people who have achieved so much while overcoming such obstacles.
I have my trophy in my room where I can see it every day when I get up. It starts my day with inspiration.
> Have you stayed in touch with any of the other 2006 Global Heroes?
I’ve been in touch with Chris Jarvis at insulindepence.org
> Are you involved in patient education groups or initiatives?
No, I’m not. The closest thing I’ve done to that is to occasionally run with the local Team Diabetes marathon training and fundraising group. When I do that, I am just one of the runners, not an organizer and a coach. Of course I always try to be helpful and encouraging, and to share my experience.
> Do plan to return for the 2007 MTCM weekend of events?
I have no firm plans to go to the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon again this year, but I have it on my calendar. I would like to be there, and I’ve been recommending it to others. I’ll have a better idea later in the year.
Thanks for the note. Hope things are going well for all of you at Medtronic, and that everything goes well at the marathon this year, whether I’m there or not.
Cheers,
Jerry
4/5/2007 [ My email to many people upon seeing the new Global Heroes Guidlines for 2007. ]
Hi,
I had been mulling over whether or not I should apply for participation in the Global Heroes program again this year. I thought that maybe it would be a little presumptuous of me to try to get in twice.
However, browsing the guidelines for this year, I was startled to see that it says insulin pump users over 40 years old are ineligible.
That certainly takes the decision out of my hands.
But I don’t understand why Medtronic would do this.
Age is a very arbitrary criteria to use to assess someone’s ability to run a marathon or ten mile race, and 40 is a ludicrously young age to draw a distinction.
MarathonGuide.com says that in 2006 more than 46 percent of all marathon finishers were over 40 years old.
I’m 48 years old. I think that other diabetic participants in last year’s Global Heroes and Triumphant Soles program were much older than I am. They deserved to be there.
Last year after I ran the Twin Cites Marathon in 3:38 I ran the St. George Marathon the following weekend, loping through it as a training run in 4:18.
So far this year, I have run:
1/14/07 Rock ‘N’ Roll Arizona Marathon as a 4:15 pace group leader
2/4/07 ARR Desert Classic Marathon in 3:41
2/10/07 Pemberton Trail 50K in 5 hours
2/18/07 Lost Dutchman Marathon in 3:50
I can’t believe that a company that I thought was on my side, that I thought believed in me and my fellow diabetics, seems to doubt that I should attempt to run a ten mile or 26.2 mile race.
Maybe something of which I am unaware happened to someone last year. I know you would be unable to comment on anything involving medical confidentiality.
However, what happens to one old runner with an insulin pump should not automatically disqualify all other runners over 40 with an insulin pump. Being over 40 is probably not a significant factor.
I’m not really pleading for myself. I hadn’t even decided whether I should run the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon this year, and if I was going to run it, if I should apply to be a Global Hero. I was just shocked by what I read on your web site, and I wanted to say something, for myself and others.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry Nairn
[ Several emails went back and forth after this, but some of the things said may have been confidential. I don't want to get anyone in trouble. Everyone who personally wrote to me on the subject was either in total agreement or seemed very sympathetic. ]
[ There were no medical problems with any of the diabetic Global Heroes in 2006. ]
4/11/2007 [ Email from an executive at Medtronic involved in the Global Heroes program, to the 2006 Global Heroes alumni. ]
Dear 2006 Global Heroes:
Spring is here and we’re preparing once again for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. That includes our Global Heroes program, which continues to grow. I have many fond memories of the Global Heroes Class of 2006. You marked the beginning of a program that is near and dear to my heart and I’m proud to know each of you.
Recruitment for 2007 Global Heroes is now underway. We launched a new web site (www.medtronic.com/globalheroes) and are working with the major running magazines and web sites to promote the program. Our goal is to select up to 25 Global Heroes to participate in 2007 Marathon events. Please take a look at the web site, which profiles some of your achievements and includes segments of the inspirational video you each were part of last fall. I encourage you to recruit Global Hero candidates to apply for this year’s events. You are the best ambassadors that we have for the program!
Your class of 2006 Global Heroes continues to do extraordinary things.
Laura Santurri (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) is training for her first half-marathon on May 6. Plus, in recent months she established her own nonprofit organization. IC Support, Inc., provides a local resource to people living with interstitial cystitis.
Jason Burke (Boston, Mass.) and Jerry Nairn (Chandler, Ariz.) have each continued competing in marathons in 2007. Jason raced in Sedona, Ariz., in February. Jerry completed three marathons in three weeks in his home state. They both will run in the Boston Marathon on April 16. We wish them good fortune in one of the country’s premiere marathon events.
Pooja Lodha (Pune, India) ran in the PUNE International Marathon on Nov. 26, 2006 and was ranked 26th in the women’s category. On request from her physician, Pooja consults with several patients who are coping with their diabetes.
Michelle Valancius (Vancouver, BC) is now a Run Leader at a Vancouver running/sports store. So far this year she has completed a half-marathon in 2:16 and an Olympic distance triathlon in 3:37. She also raced in the San Diego Half-Marathon on March 31 and plans to do more half-marathons and the Ironman Canada this year.
Brian Stephenson (Zeeland, Mich.) is training for the Riverbank Run in Grand Rapids and also for the Cleveland Marathon. He said his experience in being a Global Hero made him realize he is an inspiration for others and that’s often what keeps him going during his long training runs.
David Thoen (Bloomington, Minn.) continues to train and is considering Grandma’s Marathon this spring, a triathlon this summer and the MTCM come fall. He also talks to people a couple times per month about marathon running, wearing a pump and managing diabetes. David was one of six people who made it through a very rigorous process to be accepted into the Diabetes Institute of Immunology and Transplantation’s (DIIT) islet cell transplantation list. He said this is a very experimental study being done by the DIIT at the University of Minnesota that may eventually lead to a cure for Type I diabetes.
Lastly, Doug Hanson and his daughter Angel (Costa Mesa, Calif.) continue their goal to race in 100 marathons. They completed the LA Marathon and ran the Big Sur International Marathon on April 4. They will also run in Angel’s Run and complete the Long Beach Marathon this spring. Doug continues to be active in Angel’s Charity and speaks to schools in his community to share Angel’s story with as many people as possible.
As you see, your lives independently touch many people – not only in the races you challenge yourself to complete, but in every day activities as well. Thanks for being part of what I feel is a pivotal program helping to change the way the world thinks about people who live with chronic, life-changing conditions.
If you haven’t done so recently, please take a moment to reach out to your fellow 2006 Global Heroes. Send a note of support as they prepare to run another race, speak to another group, or fulfill other important dreams in their lives. And keep Kailey Ross (New Westminster, BC) in your thoughts as she has another surgery in April. Kailey hopes to be back running as soon as she is fully recovered.
Together we can continue this wonderful new tradition of shifting mindsets and sharing in the message that no matter what condition or circumstance we face as individuals, we can live full and rich lives.
I look forward to hearing more about your accomplishments throughout the year. Best of luck in all you do.
Keep in touch.
Steve Oesterle
5/3/2007 [ Email a friend of mine sent to the Global Heroes administrators. ]
Hi there,
I have been diabetic for the last 19 years and I use Medtronic insulin pump Paradigm with the continuous glucose monitoring system.
I have started doing triathlon 3 years ago and am now inscribed to 2 half-ironman races this summer and would like to compete in a full ironman race (probably in Penticton, Canada) next year.
I have started long distance running less than a year ago and now have completed 2 marathons including the Boston marathon 2 weeks ago.
Why is that you disallow runners of more than 40 years old for your Global Hero?!?!?
I’m 44 years old am I’m curious!
Michel Giguere
CGI – Chorus
5/9/2007 [ The anonymous reply both Michel and I got to our emails concering the 2007 criteria. This is the only email I got that was anonymous, the only email I got with a confidentiality notice and disclaimer on it, and the only email I got that supported the criteria. ]
We thank you for your question and interest in the Global Heroes program.
The health and safety of our Global Heroes is of utmost importance to us. We worked closely with Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon medical staff in developing medical criteria for all potential Global Heroes.
As cardiovascular risks associated with diabetes mellitus increase with longevity of the disease, with a rise in risk of sudden death from atherosclerotic causes for people over 40, it was determined to limit the age of diabetic runners.
Every year the medical criteria for the Global Heroes program will be reviewed and re-evaluated. Your input will help us during this evaluation process.
______________________________________________________________________________________
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY NOTICE
Information transmitted by this email is proprietary to Medtronic and is intended for use only by the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is private, privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient or it appears that this mail has been forwarded to you without proper authority, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this information in any manner is strictly prohibited. In such cases, please delete this mail from your records.
http://emaildisclaimer.medtronic.com
5/9/2007 [ My reply to the Global Heroes administrators who sent the above, anonymous message. ]
This does not personally matter to me. I am registered for the St. George Marathon in Utah the day before the Twin Cities Marathon. But I still vigorously object to this blatant ignorant discrimination.
This criteria makes no distinction for the “longevity” of diabetes. Someone who has had type 1 diabetes from infancy is not distinguished from someone who got some kind of pancreatitis last year.
But worse, this criteria makes no distinction based on atherosclerosis. Someone 39 years old with severe atherosclerosis is unaffected by this criteria.
Certainly requiring the applicants to provide certification that they have consulted and been cleared by a doctor should work to weed out these cases, but no more for those under than over 40.
Applicants for Global Hero are all obviously working closely with a medical team.
They must all have already finished comparable events.
They must all be cleared by a physician.
Just to apply, they have proven their ability to participate in the event more than anyone but the elite runners.
As I see it the whole idea of the Global Heroes program is gathering and honoring these inspiring people who could have just said, “I can’t…” and instead are asking, “How can I…”
These people are finding ways to get past the obstacles which make it more difficult for them to fulfill some of their dreams. Some of these obstacles are physical, biological, health issues. Some of these obstacles are well-meaning, misguided people.
I hope that next year you have more sensible, specific criteria. I hope your attitudes have not discouraged anyone who may not know how ridiculous your guidelines are.
Jerry Nairn
[ I got no reply to the above, and I saw no reason to press it any more. I had been told that the Global Heroes would be reviewed. I got so much agreement from everyone I interacted with, it seemed likely the guidelines would be changed. ]
2/14/2008 [ Email I sent after seeing the Global Heroes Guidelines for 2008. ]
As you probably know, the Global Heroes program is in its third year. I was one of those honored to be selected in 2006, the inaugural year. At 47 years old, having been a type 1 diabetic for 31 years, I finished the marathon without incident in 3:38.
I was not the oldest diabetic selected that year, nor had I been diabetic for the longest time. All of the diabetic Global Heroes finished the races they ran that year.
In 2007, the Global Heroes Guidelines were inexplicably changed to make diabetic insulin pump users over 40 years of age ineligible. I was shocked.
As I saw it, the whole idea of the Global Heroes program was the gathering and honoring of inspiring people who could have just given up on their dreams and instead worked to fulfill them. And now it seemed as if the Global Heroes program was setting arbitrary, unfair limits on what we are capable of achieving.
I wrote to several people at Microchip and the Twin Cities Marathon, Inc., to express my disappointment in them. I pointed out many reasons why these guidelines were wrong. I got several replies from people, most of them sympathetic, and telling me I should be patient, that the criteria might be changed in the future.
And I got one curious, anonymous reply with a specific statement of why the guideline of 40 years was set:
“As cardiovascular risks associated with diabetes mellitus increase with longevity of the disease, with a rise in risk of sudden death from atherosclerotic causes for people over 40, it was determined to limit the age of diabetic runners.”
To which I replied:
“This criteria makes no distinction for the “longevity” of diabetes. Someone who has had type 1 diabetes from infancy is not distinguished from someone who got some kind of pancreatitis last year.
But worse, this criteria makes no distinction based on atherosclerosis. Someone 39 years old with severe atherosclerosis is unaffected by this criteria.”
Now it is 2008, and the new Global Heroes Guidelines are out. They declare diabetic insulin-pump users who are over 40 and have had diabetes for more than 15 years to be ineligible.
This is just barely less silly and arbitrary than the 2007 guidelines.
It is heart-breaking to me to see this happen to the Global Heroes program. This should be about saying, “Yes!” to people who want to overcome hardships in their lives. It still is in many ways. But it is arbitrarily and unfairly saying “No!” to diabetics over 40.
Applicants for Global Hero are required to provide certification that they have consulted and been cleared by a physician to run the race.
As people who are living with the kind of medical technology described in the guidelines, they are all obviously working closely with a medical team.
They must all have already finished comparable events.
Just to apply, they have proven their ability to participate in the event more than anyone but the elite runners.
I ran my first marathon at the age of 39. I had already been a diabetic for 15 years at that time. In the years that I have been over 40 and a diabetic for more than 15 years, I have run 40 marathons and 2 50K ultra marathons. I’ve crossed the Grand Canyon on foot 6 times.
Apparently some people think I shouldn’t even be trying to run. I knew that. I didn’t care. The only thing that concerns me is that people like that are involved with the Global Heroes, a program in which I was, as I said, honored to participate.
Jerry Nairn
Wow, Jerry, thanks for sharing all of your efforts. With all that ammo, and no response from Medtronic, I am not very optimistic.
I did contact Coach Dave and Cydne at ADA and that have been asking the local ADA to try and apply some pressure.
So I need to figure out if it is worth running since once you hit 40 its all over, eh?
Hey, Alan,
I’m sure you’re just joking about giving up running.
I definitely did not want to discourage your passion for your “new mission” of getting the word out on this. I was really encouraged to see your reaction to it. I was starting to wonder if it was just me, if I was over-reacting.
Please do put some pressure on the people behind the Global Heroes guidelines.
Remember that this is not just a Medtronic issue. It is between Medtronic and Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. Medtronic is bringing a bunch of people with chronic medical conditions to the Twin Cities Marathon. The Twin Cities Marathon wants to keep its insurance rates down.
This is the key sentence:
“We worked closely with Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon medical staff in developing medical criteria for all potential Global Heroes.”
They had a runner (not a diabetic) collapse and die on the course in 2006. I saw Dr. Bill Roberts mentioned in a couple of articles as the marathon’s medical director. I was able to find his email address and write to him, but got no reply.
Then in 2007 they had a different medical director anyway. Last year it was Dr. Steve Sterner, but I don’t know how to contact him or if he’s even the guy to contact this year.
But if you’re writing to protest, or asking someone else to, have them write to the marathon staff as well as to Medtronic.
And let them know that something that should be giving them good PR is turning out bad.
Hmm,
I wonder if I can afford to run the course the day before as an “anti-hero” and get the press to write about it.
Total BS. My reaction here: http://certainintelligence.blogspot.com/2008/03/medtronic-sucks.html
Medtronic sucks in several ways, and knowing what I know about pump design and materials risk analysis (having been an engineer for years) I would not trust ANYTHING they produce. I could scare you with their lack of quality control and contamination issues. Every other medical device company of comparable size is a lot more on the ball on these issues; Medtronic farms these details out to unqualified contract groups. Their pumps clog and kink frequently, and that’s not even discussing the shoddy oversight on safety matters. DON’T buy their product. I won’t.
Ouch Frieda, that is severe. But it feels true, i have lots of clogs, i thought it is an issue with air bubbles. So what do you recommend? I did not purchase mine, it was provided under my previous employer’s insurance.