Summary: As a T1D in the US, I found that Home Health Store in Alberta, Canada has an excellent price on G6 transmitters.
For Dexcomm G6 users who sometimes restart a sensor, what good are the extra sensors? I live where earthquakes are possible, but T1Ds can live under risk of other natural disasters where supplies could be difficult to get for some period of time.
My small cache of extra G6 sensors would only be good as long as I have an extra G6 transmitter. While I might get my Endo to write a script for a couple of extra transmitters, I’m not sure my insurance would cover that, and at most places, the non-insurance cost is high. While there are exceptions, the solution for me was to purchase 2 G6 transmitters from a Canadian pharmacy. No Rx is necessary. I purchased from Home Health Store in Edmonton, AB. The G6 transmitter was §33.50 USD plus $6 shipping. Delivery took about 10 days.
As I’ve written before, I realize restarting G6 sensors is not for everyone. Each body is different, and perhaps I’m lucky this works for me. My only trick is to apply a FixIC patch when I restart, otherwise the sensor adhesive won’t make it through another 10 days.
I don’t advocate restarts to save money (unless you can’t get insurance and are paying for your CGM yourself). I want Dexcom as a company to be successful. But I do think it wise to have some extra meds and test supplies in case of a supply disruption. This works for me.
I am holding off on moving to G7 (several reasons), but my plan is when I do start getting G7 sensors, I will continue to use my extra G6 cache and build up a similar inventory of G7.