The Carbon Health Metabolic Health Assessment

Our new Metabolic Health Assessment is a two-week program that helps you understand your blood sugar levels and build a personalized path to living the life you want — all for the price of your copay or a single visit. 

With our program, you’ll track blood sugar levels in real time, with a small wearable device that will help you understand how your breakfast (or late night snack attack) and many other daily decisions affect your body. At the end of two weeks, you’ll meet with one of our expert providers who can walk you through your results and craft a personalized plan to help you understand and reduce your risk for diabetes.

Currently, people between the ages of 18 and 65 who live in California and whose healthcare is not covered by Medicare or some other government programs are eligible to apply for the assessment.‍

+ What is a CGM and how might I benefit from one?‍

A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a small device that tracks blood sugar 24/7. It is worn on your upper arm and syncs your blood sugar levels with your phone every 15 minutes. The CGM provides insight into how your blood sugar responds to food and exercise in real-time, all without the painful finger pricks of traditional at-home blood sugar testing. 

Once you start receiving information from your CGM, you can work with your Carbon Health primary care provider to get insight into which food and lifestyle choices are working for your body, as well as identify potential health risks.‍

+ What are the steps I need to take to get started?‍

Once you have been approved for the assessment, simply:

     1. Bring the prescription into your local pharmacy. You can also send in your prescription to Alto for at-home delivery.

     2. Book your provider visit ahead of time. We suggest two to three weeks from when you enroll.

     3. Enroll in the My Freestyle Program to see if you’re eligible to receive a voucher for a free sensor. Share the voucher code with the pharmacy when you pick up or arrange delivery of the CGM.‍

+ What do I do once I get my sensor?‍

Once you get your sensor, you can start your 14-day journey in a few easy steps. ‍

     1. Set up your accounts and materials  ‍

To get set up, you’ll need to create an account with Carbon Health, prepare and learn how to use your CGM, and download the Libre 2 so you can keep track of your levels. To set up your Libre 2:

          a. Download the FreeStyle Libre 2 on your phone

          b. Follow the prompts to create a new account

                    1. Click on Menu ≡ (top left)

                    2. Click on “Connected Apps”

                    3. Click on “Connect next to LibreView”

                    4. Click on “Connect a Practice

                    5. Enter our Practice ID “CarbonHealth” in the field provided, click the Next button, and then click the Connect button

                    6. To set Reminders to scan:

                             a. Click on Menu ≡ (top left)

                             b. Click on “Reminders”

          c. Confirm the blood glucose targets are 70mg/dL -180mg/dL 

          d. Choose carbohydrate units in grams

          e. Navigate through rest of set up screens 

          f. Stop at “Scan New Sensor”‍

     2. Scan your CGM and track diet and lifestyle choices‍

Next, simply go on living your life. You don’t need to eat or drink anything special during the assessment. The goal is to use the CGM to determine which current food and lifestyle choices are helping you reach your health goals and which ones may need to change. It can be helpful to take photos of your meals (or keep a log). You should scan your CGM at least every eight hours to make sure there are no gaps in information. ‍

     3. Explore new possibilities during your provider visit‍

Now it’s time to find out what’s next. At the end of your 14-day journey, you’ll meet with your primary care provider to discuss your results. It can be helpful to bring a list of questions to ask your provider, or make note of anything that stood out to you. During your appointment, your provider will help craft a personalized care plan to help you understand and reduce your risk for diabetes. 

+ Where can I go if I need help? ‍

If you need help, you can contact our customer support team via the app; they will answer any questions you may have. You can expect to hear from central support within 24 hours of sending your first message. Any additional messages are typically answered within four hours. 

Staying on top of your health is hard. Which is why our team is dedicated to providing you with judgment-free care, to help you feel your best.