For adults living with type 1 diabetes (T1D), managing the condition can sometimes feel like a full-time job — something Blue Circle Health is helping to alleviate through free education, clinical care, and support. 

The nonprofit, formed four years ago and funded entirely by the Helmsley Charitable Trust, offers a free six-month virtual program that provides adults with T1D medical support, insurance navigation, diabetes education, diabetes supportive counseling, and peer guidance. 

Monica Gomberg, MDThe program is structured to work alongside, not replace, a patient’s existing medical support. “Patients don’t have to feel like they’re leaving their trusted medical home,” said Monica Gomberg, MD, and VP of Clinical Care at the program. “We work hand in hand with what already exists, filling those gaps together.” 

Today, Blue Circle Health operates in 20 states — most recently adding Tennessee, Rhode Island, and Indiana — and also serves Washington, D.C. Since launching in Florida, the nonprofit has supported over 1,000 individuals, with several hundred enrolled at any given time, and it continues to expand with a long-term vision of nationwide coverage. 

 

Filling the gaps that traditional care can’t reach 

Before joining Blue Circle Health, Gomberg had a busy private endocrinology practice. During that time, she realized the structure of the healthcare system was restricting the kind of care she could offer.

“I was finding that I couldn’t give the patient what they truly needed,” she said, adding she often felt like she was hitting her head against a wall while trying to provide care in a system not set up to serve individuals’ best interests. 

Since Blue Circle Health operates outside the traditional insurance and billing model, Gomberg said the team can focus on how to “get patients what they need in their life every day,” instead of just what insurance companies may cover. 

 

The support extends across multiple service lines, including: 

  • Endocrinology visits 
  • Diabetes and nutrition education 
  • Insurance assistance 
  • Diabetes supportive counseling 
  • Case management 
  • Peer support from team members who also live with T1D 
  • Prescription assistance 
  • A CGM introduction program 

 

The program is designed to recognize that diabetes care is unique for each individual. “Every single person who enters the door needs a little bit of this, a little more of that,” Gomberg said. 

Blue Circle Health also helps fill a widening national gap in access to endocrinology care. “Seventy percent of counties in our country don’t have an endocrinologist,” she said. With waitlists of six to twelve months in many regions, this virtual model provides immediate access to specialized diabetes care where options are otherwise limited or nonexistent. 

Affordability of care can be a significant barrier for adults living with diabetes, and Blue Circle Health aims to eliminate it. “Everything is free,” Gomberg said, who explained they don’t bill insurance. 

So, where does the money come from to pay for the program? Blue Circle Health began with a three-year, $45 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, which has since been renewed for an additional three years. The program now operates in the Eastern and Central Time zones and hopes to expand to the entire country. 

  

A measurable difference, transforming diabetes care 

The organization’s initial outcomes data are promising, showing improved diabetes distress through the Type 1-Diabetes Distress Assessment System (T1-DDAS) and a reduction in A1c after participating in the program. The Diabetes Distress data was first shared at the ADA Scientific Sessions in June 2025, and the organization is in the process of preparing A1c data for scientific publication.  

The most immediate evidence that the program is working, she said, has come from participant feedback, relating tremendous gratitude for “having changed their life, having gotten resources and education, and support that they’ve never had before.” 

Considering the program lasts six months, it makes sense that a key concern is ensuring that people feel supported upon completion. Gomberg said the program is designed from day one to not only provide needed resources but to build the skills and confidence required to thrive with a self-managed, lifelong condition.  

To support this mission, Blue Circle connects program alums through cooking classes, virtual group sessions, webinars, virtual events, and an ongoing community network long after the program period ends. 

Changing healthcare norms is seldom simple or easy, “We faced a lot of skepticism,” she said. At first, many could not believe the model was real and would ask: “What could be free in healthcare? How could this possibly be something that you’re not going to bill for later?” 

But she says that reality is shifting. Participants, providers, and clinics are seeing the results firsthand and have become believers in Blue Circle Health. “We are not going away,” Gomberg said. 

 

Building around how people live 

For Gomberg, the philosophy of Blue Circle aligns with her personal commitment to incorporating whole body care into her own life, as well as that of her patients. As a physician, program leader, mother, and yoga instructor, she spoke about the need to recognize the balancing acts facing those she serves.  

Yoga, she said, has taught her the importance of self-advocating and permitting oneself to pursue one’s needs. She often talks about her yoga practice with her patients, which she says usually comes as a surprise to them. 

“It’s important to bring to my patients that not everything is a straight line,” Gomberg said, explaining that she teaches the importance of prioritizing self-awareness and holistic self-care. “It’s honoring who I am to take that permission to slow down and recognize it all.” 

At its core, Blue Circle Health is designed to strengthen the confidence, capabilities, and long-term independence of adults living with type 1 diabetes.  

“We want to make sure that we are empowering patients, filling up their toolbox and giving them the support they need,” Gomberg said, “to live their life and thrive and be able to advocate for themselves beyond their time with Blue Circle Health.”