Time for a rant and I am turning to my TuD circle of support. My apologies in advance …
I have just spent the last 4+ hours working on getting my next 90-days supply of (900) Accu-Chek Aviva Plus test strips from my PBM, CareMark. Aside from the time, here’s the rub - $1247.88 for this refill. That’s almost $139 per 100 strips.
Now stop right there @Sam19! First, this is MY rant, so let me vent a bit before you tell me your tried and true solution. Second, as I have pointed out before my Accu-Chek Spirit Combo pump requires the use of the meter and the strips.
My call to the laughingly named Customer Support/Care line revealed that my prior authorization had expired. When I asked, “How could that be? I just did this in April 2015.” I was told that Customer Support/Care couldn’t help me, but my CSR could give me the number for the Prior Authorizations Dept. My first to their number offered 3 choices … I was eventually routed back to a new CSR on the Customer Support/Care team … oh gawd! Let me cut this short!
Lots more routing and transferring when I finally spoke with someone who has probably sent me down the proverbial primrose path by giving me a fax# to appeal the co-pay amount to some Caremark entity.
Bottom line right now, is I will probably just start ordering OTC on-line, since I can get them for $69/box of 100.
So my benefits are starting to look like something of a penalty - GRRRR!
I feel your pain. Truly. And, I have long since adopted the same solution. A few years back, when I discovered the absurd, ludicrous truth–that my insurance copay for strips was higher than I could buy them for online–I just started doing that and have been ever since.
sorry to hear that, I didn’t realize there was no way to manually input your bg without their proprietary strips. Hope it works out… That is an asinine copay.
Are there any channels of to appeal to outside of Caremark? Like the human resources at your employer, etc?
I have the same pump, and I only use the Aviva strips if I’m thinking I’ll need the bolus calculator. otherwise I either use the Livongo In Touch (took advantage of their offer to TuD members for basically unlimited strips for $25/mo) or whatever other strips people give me.
I just delayed my appointments for going to all doctors until after April 1, which is when our plan for 2016-17 starts up. We’ve used up all our healthcare for this year.
@MarieB so what are the drawbacks to using different meter and strips? This thread prompted me to look at this pump— looks like a pretty good one but I’d consider it a deal breaker if only one meter could be used…
well I can’t do computer generated reports, for one. My a1c has been in the 6s pretty much ever since I joined TuDiabetes, with a small exception for one 7.1 last year around the time my mother died. and that seems good enough for me. I keep a One Touch meter with donated strips in my purse, for the times when I’m out of the house. I’m too forgetful to remember to bring a particular meter with me. I check my blood a lot (no cgm), so the Livongo has been a real help.
I have used these pumps for over 25 years and have gotten really good service from Roche. I wouldn’t want to switch
IMO, the big drawback is the main selling point of this meter/pump combo.
The meter can be used as a remote for most of the pump functions, so I can bolus, change basal rates and effectively have a logbook all in one place. The bolus calculator/wizard has its annoying parts, but still, there is a convenience there that means I don’t always have to do the ‘X’ carbs divided by the I:C ratio = bolus. I can eyeball what the calculator says and either accept it or make a simple modification.
In retrospect, I have now seen for the last few years, that this system has me locked into the Roche universe. While there is benefit, I really dislike being held captive, so I am hoping that when it’s time to change pumps out, we diabetics will be in a position to have better pump/meter/CGM integration than we do now. IMO, we are caught in a transitional phase with no great pump choices.
So the accuchek meter / pump remote has no ability to manually enter a bg unless it’s one it reads itself? All of the features like the logbook and bolus wizard are dependant on the strips? That’s lame. I can see how that’d be frustrating when all of a sudden the strips copay is $400/ month… That’s crazy
I think you mentioned that your Caremark is the pbm for a self funded insurance plan-- is there anyone at the plan itself that can over ride caremark’s shenanigans?
So the accuchek meter / pump remote has no ability to manually enter a bg unless it takes the reading itself? All of the features like the logbook and bolus wizard are dependant on the strips? That’s lame. I can see how that’d be frustrating when all of a sudden the strips copay is $400/ month… That’s crazy
I think you mentioned that your Caremark is the pbm for a self funded insurance plan-- is there anyone at the plan itself that can over ride caremark’s shenanigans?
I am a retiree and the company that I retired from was bought by someone else, so my view into who that “person” is is a bit cloudy. It is a big company, though, so I am sure I will find them eventually.
Your rant has prompted a flash of brilliance. Why can’t we invent a little dongle adapter that would allow different strips to be used in different meters? So that you could use the meter that offers all the advantages with your pump, but whatever strips are cheap, or preferred by ones insurance, or whatever? Maybe it could fit into your meter but have several different inputs for different strips? It’d require some electrical engineering know-how but it wouldn’t be rocket science by any stretch. It could sell, I’m sure I expensively and save consumers millions.
Thank you for this post. You just saved me $50/month! My daughter uses the Omnipod which has a similar situation - the PDM that controls the pod is also her meter. Downside is that the only strip it takes is Freestyle Lite which is $96/100 co-pay after insurance. It never occurred to me to check on line. Sure enough, I can get them out of pocket on line for only $56/100. This makes me very happy.
@Sunriz, if you go to the Freestyle website, they offer the Promise Program, where they pick up the difference and you pay maximum $15 for a 30 day supply. It is a great deal.
@Sunriz, the Promise program works for a 39 day supply. I was able to get 300 strips a month for $15. I test 10-12 times a day. Your Dr may have to write a " letter of necessity" so your insurance will cover it. My pharmacy worked directly with my Dr. To get approval for 309 strips a month. Good luck!
