IT DOESN'T SEEM FAIR: Not only do you spend time dealing with the various aggravations of having diabetes—extra doctor visits, carbohydrate counting, and constant vigilance—but you also end up spending some serious cash on your condition. So here’s the good news: With a little know-how, you can save big bucks on screenings, supplies, and preventive treatments. Read on to learn 10 ways to keep more money in your wallet.

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1. Learn something new. When it comes to managing your diabetes, knowledge is priceless. Free education? Even better. For starters, call the American Diabetes Association (ADA) at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383); a representative will answer your questions, point you to helpful resources, and provide you with free packets of information on living with diabetes. Check your local hospital’s event calendar for no-cost classes aimed at teaching you more about diabetes, nutrition, exercise, and general wellness. Recently, the Cleveland Clinic featured a seminar about diabetes in the news; Duke Medical Center offered tips on finding trustworthy health information online; the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia ran a lecture on healthy eating with diabetes; and the Washington Hospital Healthcare System in California provided a seminar on stroke prevention.

2. Get screened. Preventing diseases and catching health worries before they become major problems are keys to keeping future medical costs low. Your doctors should screen you regularly for retinopathy and nephropathy, and should examine your feet to prevent problems. But local health departments, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, sports teams, colleges, and pharmacies often sponsor health care screenings. Walgreens, for example, has teamed up with AARP for an across-the-country Wellness Tour that provides free blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, body mass index, and body composition screenings. CVS Minute Clinics (available in some CVS stores) offer one free screening per visit for high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, or obesity. Some medical groups offer specific screenings, like the American Academy of Dermatology’s free skin cancer screenings. The nonprofit Screening for Mental Health provides a roundup of free screenings across the country

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3. Head to a health fair or expo. Hospitals, universities, churches, towns, and other organizations set up health fairs throughout the year that provide a range of screenings and health information. Some fairs are sponsored by area businesses, like grocery stores and health clinics, which may be on hand to pass out information or give short presentations. Similar to health fairs but much larger in scale, health expos bring together medical experts and exhibitors for screenings, seminars, workshops, and demonstrations. At ADA’s Diabetes EXPO, you can browse new products, talk with experts, listen to lectures about diabetes and its related complications, catch a cooking demonstration, take part in a fitness class, and get free health screenings. For an event in your area, go to diabetes.org/expo. For American Diabetes Month—November—there will be a listing of ADA-sponsored fairs available at diabetes.org/adm.

4. Join a clinical trial. Insulin and aspirin, hip replacements and bypass surgery—they’ve all been tested in clinical trials, research studies on human volunteers. Participate in a clinical trial and you may receive free, cutting-edge medical care and access to top researchers. Each trial has its own criteria for participation; one study may focus only on people with type 2 diabetes, another may include those with type 1, and still others may specify participants’ age or treatment history. Some trials test treatments like medications, surgical techniques, and new therapies. Others focus on disease prevention or screening. You may be asked to take medication, complete surveys, participate in an exercise program, or follow a specific diet. Some clinical trials pose no risk to participants—for example, those that require only information, such as surveys of health behaviors—but others may have potential dangers, such as side effects from a medication or treatment. (All participants are free to quit at any time.) Some studies provide pay for expenses like travel, so ask before you sign up. Other key questions to ask: How long will the trial last? Is long-term, follow-up care part of the study? What are the possible risks? If you and your doctor decide it’s OK for you to join a trial, you can visit the Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation for more information about the process, then check out a list of current opportunities.