so where do u get your Medtronic supplies? (Medtronic supplies a Contour Next Link meter with a pump). can’t u get the strips from Medtronic, just like thru Dexcom? if not, that blows! (I sure missed earlier that u were referring to strips with a pump; not with a Dexcom)
I currently get my strips from RiteAid (150 per month) and my reservoirs and infusion sets from Medtronic, quarterly. i got my last four boxes of Guardian 3 sensors off of E-Bay. You have to act quickly before E-Bay takes them down.
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First of all, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of you who are so tech savvy for the info. Great that I can continue to use the 1.8 reservoirs. Am I correct, though, in assuming that they will be shipping me the newer reservoirs as soon as I get the 630? That would be no problem, as I know they can be under-filled, and that they will eventually be part of my back-up supply.
As for test strips…since I do not have a CGM, I still get my strips through Walgreens. I get 240 strips a month, or 720 every 3 months. Back-up supply because they send me 8 boxes every 90 days since they can’t split the boxes into smaller than 50’s. But I’m still using the One Touch Ultra, and Medtronic tells me that the 630 will not accept transmission from BGM’s other than the Contour.
For Dave and Don: If one is not using a CGM, one doesn’t necessarily get strips from the same company that covers pump supplies. My doctor usually has to provide a 30-day bg log once every couple of years for Medicare to approve that many strips, but that’s easy enough to do. Medicare wants to make sure that those of us who get test strips do not over-order and sell them online or provide them to friends/family who do not have insurance coverage. Can’t say as I blame them.
Ruth
I am so thankful that it is “one-stop shopping” for my CGM and test strip supplies. We have nothing but problems with the local Walgreens so the less we have to use them the better. it took them about 2 weeks to get my insulin thru Part B from Walgreens and many phone calls to get it accomplished. Recently it took my wife more than 2 weeks and several visits to the store and many phone calls–for the same issue–Part B (DME, folks) coverage for strips. The stores are so lame when it comes to Part B it blows my mind. Didn’t any of the pharmacists go thru any training to deal with that sort of thing?
It’s so interesting, Dave, how different service is from one store in a chain to another.
I started out with CVS. After I went to Medicare, CVS made so many mistakes in processing my scrips (and other things) that I finally switched to Walgreens. Walgreens has been nothing short of wonderful for me.
Also, I still shop the front end at my local CVS, but the pharmacy is SOOOooooo bad, even the front end people tell me they’re not surprised I switched.
Keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t have any problems with Walgreens but, so far, so good.
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I long for the days when we used Target Pharmacy exclusively for many years and it was generally fantastic. Then they got bought out by CVS. Then they sent us a letter saying that Medicare wasn’t covered, so we moved our business to Safeway which was a huge mistake. We then went to Walgreens and had tons of trouble so called Target on the off-chance that their CVS-branded pharmacy was OK with our insurance once again. They said yes, so we went back to them. Sadly the woman in charge was a witch and my wife finally had her fill of her, so back to Walgreens we went. It’s been the pits ever since we used the original Target pharmacy before the CVS take-over. Everyone knew our names as did we. Now we are just a number, but that’s not the bad part. It is the ineptitude of epic proportion that frustrates us.
So, the verdict is in, and I’m getting a Medtronic 630G. Since Byram isn’t an approved vendor for Medtronic pumps, Medtronic put me in touch with a company called CCS Medical Supplies. They have been great, so far, staying in close contact throughout the process with both myself and my doctor. Pump is due to ship in a few days.
Since they will also be my new company for supplies, I’m wondering if any of you have experience with them? I sure hope their ongoing supplies service is as great as this!
That must be specific to your insurance, since my last Medtronic pump was covered from Byram. With my change in insurance, I also now need to use CCS Medical, but not impressed with them compared to Byram.
In what way are you not impressed with them, MM1? I’ve actually had a few problems with Byram, which I wasn’t expecting.
I miss Liberty Medical…had absolutely NO problems with them for the few years I had them before Edgepark bought them out. Between buyouts and Medicare, life has become more difficult instead of easier.
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Medicare will not pay for the sensors.
Yep, I know that Sally. I’m actually not getting a CGM, as I don’t really need one.
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Thanks Ruth. I guess I misunderstood. Thankyou for clarification.
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I was using CCS Medical when my insurance changed to Medicare Advantage. I was in the process of appealing the declination of the cost, but CCS Medical credit dept advised that they would put me into collections if I didn’t pay the full cost ($430 for each of the three boxes) by the end of the month and refused to discuss my appeal.
Medtronic subsequently charged me $340 per box on my next order.
As you may know the Guardian Sensor has been submitted to the FDA for approval as of July 23.
after additional research studies. If they approve Medicare will cover. Terrible how this has gone.
Approval by the FDA isn’t going to improve the quality of Medtronic sensors.
Working for us Dave. Unless we decide to go with something else at some pt.
Not speaking to improvement simply cost.
Sally
You can use the same reservoir. It is smaller but still works with the 630G. That is what I do. I went from the 530 Paradigm with the smaller reservoir to the 630G. I have been using these reservoirs for 2 years now in the 630G
Yes. I was worried about that, but both Medtronic and my supplier mentioned this. So…once I run out of the smaller reservoirs, I would then start using the larger ones and just not fill them all the way. Thanks, Soraya!
Just got the new pump yesterday (along with a new bg meter). Took me almost 30 minutes just to get everything out of the packaging. Then spent a couple of hours learning all the screens on both the 630G and the Countour Next bgm.
I don’t like the orientation on the 630, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. Just seems like I’m twisting the tubing a lot more each time I look at the pump screens. Other than that, things seem to be going well.
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If you plan on keeping your older, smaller pump for backup (if new pump fails), you may want to keep some of the small reservoirs.