VENICE FAMILY CLINIC WARNS FEDERAL CUTS THREATEN LIFE-SAVING DIABETES TECHNOLOGIES
Patient Georgia Guzman’s Story Highlights Importance of Critical Technologies Now At Risk During National Diabetes Awareness Month
VENICE, CA (October 30, 2025) — Venice Family Clinic, a nonprofit community health center serving 45,000 people in need across the Westside of Los Angeles, Inglewood, the South Bay and everywhere in between, is recognizing this upcoming Diabetes Awareness Month by bringing attention to critical diabetes management technologies threatened under recent federal policy changes.
Before receiving her Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and Omnipod insulin pump through Venice Family Clinic via Medi-Cal in July 2024, Georgia Guzman, a 65-year-old personal trainer, lived with constant uncertainty and worsening health risks due to her Type 1 Diabetes. Despite careful dieting, regular exercise and insulin injections, Guzman still suffered unpredictable spikes and crashes in blood sugar, leading to seizures at work and an A1C level (which measures average blood sugar level over the past 2-3 months) of 8.6% – indicating a higher risk of long-term complications including kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, heart disease and shortened life expectancy.
After her husband passed away, Guzman lost the insurance coverage that she depended on to manage her condition. “It was terrifying,” she said. “Without insurance, I didn’t know where to turn. That’s when I found Venice Family Clinic.”
“Diabetes is unpredictable,” said Ligaya Scarlett, FNP-C and clinical lead of the Mayer B. Davidson, MD Diabetes Program at Venice Family Clinic who regularly sees Guzman. “Despite patients’ best efforts, blood sugars fluctuate constantly due to factors like stress, exercise, illness, hormonal changes, medications and even the smallest shifts in diet and routine. When we first saw Georgia, she was doing everything right: eating carefully, staying active and taking her insulin, but her blood sugar was still dangerously unstable – so we worked to create a support system that didn’t depend on her managing every moment on her own.”
After Guzman received her Dexcom continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump from Venice Family Clinic last year, everything changed: The two devices, now covered by Medi-Cal, work together in a closed-loop system often called an “artificial pancreas” because it monitors blood sugars and automatically adjusts insulin delivery in response to changing glucose levels. Together, the real-time glucose alerts and precise insulin delivery provided by this enabled Guzman to maintain safe, steady blood sugar levels for the first time in years. Today, Guzman has regained control of her health and no longer faces the emergencies that once defined her daily life. “Once I tried it, I never wanted to go back,” Guzman said. “It’s made my life safer, and diabetes management simpler. I can finally train, work and live without fear — no more seizures, no more constant injections and no more being told I can’t eat what I enjoy.”
Guzman’s story mirrors those of thousands of Californians and Clinic patients who struggled for years without access to new diabetes technology. For many, that changed in 2022, when Medi-Cal expanded coverage to include continuous glucose monitors — a policy shift that made these life-saving tools available to low-income patients for the first time. The expansion opened the door to more equitable diabetes care, transforming daily life for people who once cycled between dangerous blood sugar highs (which can lead to long-term health implications) and lows (which can cause immediate loss of consciousness, seizures and even death in extreme cases).
Now, recently announced federal Medi-Cal cuts threaten to unravel that progress for patients like Guzman – stripping away coverage and removing access to vital tools that continue to keep them alive and healthy. Without Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) or insurance coverage, the cost of maintaining a closed-loop system (CGM and insulin pump) is often prohibitive – running thousands of dollars per year just for sensors, infusion sets and calibration supplies. “If I lost coverage for my CGM and pump, it would be devastating for me,” stated Guzman. “I truly don’t know what I would do.”
“These technologies don’t just improve lives – they save them,” said Dr. Mitesh Popat, CEO of Venice Family Clinic. “Taking away access to CGMs and insulin pumps will undo years of progress, putting patients back in danger of life-threatening emergencies. We urge federal policymakers to protect this coverage and ensure that every person with diabetes, regardless of income, can continue to rely on the technology that helps keep them alive.”
Pictured: Venice Family Clinic patient Georgia Guzman, who now benefits from using a continuous glucose monitor and pump in tandem. Photo courtesy of Venice Family Clinic.
About Venice Family Clinic
Venice Family Clinic is a nonprofit community health center that is a leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality health care to more than 45,000 people in need annually, regardless of their income, insurance or immigration status. The Clinic serves an area that spans the Westside of Los Angeles, Inglewood, the South Bay and everywhere in between. It has a network of clinic locations and Early Head Start centers in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Inglewood, Culver City, Redondo Beach, Carson, Gardena and Hawthorne, plus mobile clinics and an expansive street medicine program to reach people experiencing homelessness. The Clinic’s comprehensive care also includes mental health services, dental care, vision services, substance use treatment, prescription medications, domestic violence counseling, HIV services, healthy food distributions, health education, health insurance enrollment, child development services and more. For more information, please visit VeniceFamilyClinic.org and follow on Facebook, X and Instagram.