Saturday, May 19, 2012

Just when you think everything is amost predictable...

Lately I've been reading other d-bloggers talk about their struggles with things like insurance coverage issues and meter accuracy problems. For the last couple years I have been out from under that cloud and pretty content with the material/supplies/equipment side of things. I've been cruising along with my One-Link meter that talks to my pump, and my supplies were being auto-shipped monthly. I was getting 8 strips a day, and normally didn't even need all of them. Then I started using Symilin... and more test strips.

When I ran out before the next shipment arrived I called my doctor to get an Rx for the local pharmacy. Following some phone-tag I had a an order being filled. After I picked it up, I got home and realized that they'd given me Accu-chek strips. Hmmm... must have been a communication problem with nurse at the doctor's office. I went back and asked if they could switch them. Yes, but your insurance doesn't cover One-touch strips here/anymore.

But, that's what works with my pump integrated meter....

It looks like I will have to exclusively get my One-touch strips from Medtronic from now on. And if I need more than 6 strips a day, I will need doctor authorization, etc.

So, what do I do today... with no strips, and no insurance coverage for the ones I use?

First, I thought of buying One-Touch strips with my flexible spending account, which is my own money. Even a small amount of strips to get me through the week would cost me dearly, they run about $1.50/ each these days. After some waffling, I finally decided that the economical move would be to take the free strips (and meter, and lancing device...) from Accu-chek and just input the readings manually until I could get some strips from Medtronic.

So, now I have a new toy. The Accu-chek* Aviva plus, and a Fast-clix* lancing device. I will write about my adventure in adapting to them shortly.

*By the way, what's up with Roche's insistence on spelling their model names so stylistically. I had concentrate to type them "correctly".

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