I just went into my sharps bin and checked my past 3 sensors! All wires accounted for! I just started the G6 and had never heard of this despite being on the G4 for years!
I will be checking all site from now on…this is scary!!
Glad I am on this site…and for the things I find out through this community!!
@Robr. Did your insurance cover your expenses even though the sensor was worn outside ‘label’. I have heard some insurance companies will not cover ‘broken sensor recovery’ if the CGM sensor is worn out side Dexcom approved sites…
Let us hear.
@Jay6
Yes they will. The insurance also covers any kind of cut that you have no matter what or who did it.
Dexcom is approved for buttocks and abdominal area here in the USA. In Europe it’s now a couple of months approved for the upper arm as well. My doc told me to wear it were ever I feel comfortable with the best readings. For me that is the back of my arm cause there is not enough fat on my abs lol and shooting that wire in a muscle ain’t fun haha. I’m fortunate with aetna insurance so for they haven’t given me any issues and I’m extremely happy with all they do for me! No other way to discribe it.
@Robr, thanks for the reply.
The reason I brought up the issue is because about 18 months ago, a person brought up the issue. In their post, they warned readers to avoid using ‘off label’ locations. They ‘lost a wire’ in an off label location and their insurance company declined coverage. If I remember correctly, the term ‘contributory negligence’ was used. The someone also alleged the doctor was negligent in failing to obtain off label authority according to the post. If the CGM patient were a child, child protective services could even be involved in the allegation of endangerment/harm for off label usage.
I am not a lawyer. I am only repeating a story about a tragedy related using a location lacking FDA approval in the USA.
I agree there are other countries approving arms and other locations. I am aware of New Zealand as one approving arms. A simple verbal instruction from a local doctor may not prevent a savvy insurance company from acting miserly.
Based on my reading, I would certainly want my doctor to write a letter to Dexcom requesting authority for off label sensor placement for you while in the USA. A copy of the reply correspondence to your doctor would protect you, your doctor, and others from allegations of negligence and malpractice which could be argued by your doctor’s licensing authority.
I am taking the effort to write this so others acting on their own volition related to CGM sensor placement will risk insurance denial of a claim for a sensor wire recovery in a location outside the Dexcom/FDA approved sites.
Hope this shines a positive light on this situation.
The idea of an insurance battle and denial is scary enough to want that… But how does a doctor go about doing that? My particular doctor isn’t very familiar with diabetes stuff (and I like it that way) and I have to request exactly what I want. In my experience, the DME provider just faxes over a form with check boxes or a completed prescription for the doctor to sign. At what point does a doctor write extra instructions? Is it a separate handwritten script handed directly you the patient?
Since I don’t have insurance coverage, my script just gets sent to the pharmacy… But it’s all computerized. They just select the name of the script and the quantity, They don’t normally type instructions for taking, in pretty sure they are generated by the software since the prescribing rules are well established. Maybe there’s a friend to add notes though?