There also are people who will refurbish old G4 units by changing the battery, on ebay or such places.
My doctor had to submit documentation about how often I experienced hypoglycemia, e.g., during/after exercise, overnight, etc., in order to get my insurance company to approve the Dexcom.
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Thank you so much @WestOfPecos I really appreciate your kindness & support! 
There have actually been many occasions where by having a motivational letter by your doctor submitted to the insurance company, they will make an approval because of that, but I did ask about that and they still said no. I went back to the company that sells the dexcom here in SA (Ethitech) and I gave them my long sob story about how I almost died and really needed to get this, and they actually gave me the details of which insurance company, which plan, contact details and everything that would actually cover this device & all its maintenance expenses in full.
So this is something else to consider now and something I still need confirmed by this insurance company, but this insurance company is practically double what Iām paying now every month (for those in South Africa looking at this - ZAR3500 per month with a company called Discovery), but on the big plus side is that they really do pay for everything then, all my specialist doctor visits, blood tests, the dexcom device, any other diabetic device actually and a huge amount of other things, theres really not one other medical expense that I would ever have to incur, all of which I currently pay for out of pocket for because my insurance wonāt cover itā¦ which as Iām talking about this Iām beginning to realize that maybe I didnāt choose the best insurance company at all, because I spend a huge amount of money on diabetic expenses every year.
So Iām going to dig a little deeper into this option, I also still need to speak to my doctor about all of this which I will be doing at my next check up in about 2 weeks time, I just wanted to get a jump start on it cause I wanted to be well prepared when I went in to see my doctor.
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Do you know if the G4 is able to send alerts out to other people? One of the things I particularly liked about the G5 is that it alerted other people and because I live on my own, I like the peace of mind knowing someone else will get an alert if my sugar drops too low and I fall unconscious again, cause I might not always be so lucky to have someone around when it happens again. The other thing is I really liked that its reading and alerts would show up on my iphone because I find that a little more discreet than having something out for everyone to see, and my phone is always near by already and Iāve also been told the alerts can be adjusted - thereās different tones, different volumes and that they can be turned off, so thatās definitely something Iāll have to ask more about then. Thank you!
You have great insurance!
Yes, the G4+Share system works with an app that runs on the iPhone called Share 2. A separate Follow app can be installed on the phones of people who will get notification according to the preferences of the person sharing the data.I donāt know anymore than that since Iāve never used the Share with Follow apps.
You may download the product guides of both the G4+Share and the G5 at this Dexcom page.
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If anything I find they seem to get more accurate the longer theyāre in place. I regularly keep a single sensor going past 14 days. People do report that eventually they start getting erratic if you get out to 20 days or more but Iāve yet to see thatāIāve always had to take them off before getting to that point because the various adhesives Iāve used to keep 'em stuck on eventually give out.
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I second this! Absolutely. My insurance helps with mine, but I still like to stretch the materials as far as possible. Just managed to keep one in place for 35 days, which was a PR. Jen holds the record on the forum at 41, I believe. Accuracy improves with age somehowā¦at least to a point.
Wish you all the best in your quest. Well done in continuing your pursuit, despite the obstacles.
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I do see erratic readings after about 14 days. I see some people can make it last longer.
Hi Kimmi,
I use both the Dexcom G5 receiver and the iPhone (at different times). The receiver holds a charge much longer than my 3 year old phone so I use receiver while sleeping while my phone charges in a different room out of range. The receiver can be set to vibrate which is handier than the loud alerts on the iPhone (which canāt be muted) in some places. Itās quite small and (for example in business meeting) will vibrate in your pocket as an alert. The iPhone on the other hand will wake everybody up within earshot, so I turn it off if I want to rely strictly on the vibrating alerts from the receiver for a time.
For me, self funding the Dexcom system has been worth the cost (my insurance would not cover it). It has caught impending lows before they got too low, which is the main benefit. The secondary benefit is getting a better handle on fluctuations in BG and obtaining tighter control by using these measurements. The downside is accuracyā¦some people have better luck than me but I always go to a fingerstick if I really need to know my BG (for example correcting a high or treating a low). Sometimes the Dex is close, sometimes not. There are patterns you will learn telling you when it is probably accurate and when it is likely to be unreliable.
Be careful when dealing with their sales staff if you order by phone. They always have special deals they are trying to push. Some seem like a good deal, some not so much.
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Possibly when you run a spreadsheet you will find out that the higher premium company actually would save you money on the whole? Even if it is close, the ability to get a Dexcom would make a huge difference. I know we need to run spreadsheets every year to figure out what might make the most sense.
Such a good move. It would be great if you could let us let us know how things go!
I am also working on an insurance issue with my son (a specific pump that would be very useful to him but that is not covered). I know it will take me 6-7 months to work it through, like everything with insurance companies it seems. But you are so determined that I am sure you can slog through it! Somehow, in life I have noticed that nothing ever happens without a lot of hard work - I donāt think itās just me:-)
Hi Kimmi,
I have been using the G-5 since August and am pleased with it. Because I had a hospital admission that fulfilled my deductible and maximum out of pocket for 2016, it was covered at 100%, so I got lucky there. I used a loaner G-4 for two weeks and really couldnāt tell any huge difference when I got the G-5. I use a receiver instead of my iphone 4 (not a typo!) and I remember reading that you can use the receiver on a plane with no problems.
My endo told me to re-start the sensor (!!) and I could kick myself for not doing it sooner LOL She said she has heard of a ~ 22 day life-span and I have to say I have come close to that. I did find out from Dexcom that the transmitter on the G-4 lasts six months while the G-5 transmitted lasts only three. Also, the G-5 has been approved by the FDA so we can use the reading to calculate insulin doses although I always finger-stick first. There are differences and sometimes they can be large. The co says a 20% variation is acceptable and that the sensor becomes more accurate over time. Funny, huh? since itās only supposed to stay on for seven days LOL
As for your insurance challenge, I imagine you have the right to appeal the CGM denial. I would check the total claims paid for your hospitalization and use that as leverage in your appeal. What is the cost in money for the co. to deny you the ability to closely monitor your BG and avoid another hospital stay versus the cost of a CGM? I would also track the swings in your blood sugars and especially the lows and send the data. And finally, Iād throw around words like ājeopardizing your healthā and similar phrases. I would max out every appeal you have and perhaps you will find someone with a brain who realizes this is a worthwhile investment for the insurance company. (They basically only think in financial terms.) I hope some of this is helpful to you. Take good care of yourself!! 
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I donāt really understand how the readings improve the longer itās in place, so everyone is constantly dealing with readings that arenāt accurate and then using your normal glucose monitor to check? But it is definitely comforting to hear so many people agree on using the sensors for longer than 7 days, thank you everyone!
Thank you for the infoā¦ still not sure why everyone talks about these variances between a dexcom reading of your sugar and a normal meter reading, I thought the dexcom would be more accurate. These loud sounds that the G5 makes is starting to make me question whether I should rather go for the G4. The biggest thing that I really liked about the G5 though is having the access on your phone and also the alerts it can send out to other people. Still trying to find out if the G4 can definitely do the same with sending out alerts.
It is less accurate in the very beginning due to the initial trauma of placement. Dexcom is āless accurateā in that it isnāt sensing BGāit is sensing the interstitial fluid under your skin. It takes time for your BG to permeate to that point, which causes the lag. Built-in algorithms do their best to forecastābut is only so good. Thatās why checking during big swings often show the biggest difference in values. Dexcom is pretty much always playing catch-up. If I were paying out of pocket I would go with the G4 due to the transmitter longevityāhowever since my insurance pays well, I love not having to carry around the extra device. You can get the G4 with share which would allow you to get info on your phone as wellābut you are required to have the extra device for that.
G5: Transmitter ==> Phone
G4: Transmitter ==> Receiver (with share) ==> Phone
All about personal preference.
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Hi @Alex27 what do you think of the loud alerts that the G5 apparently makes? No one seems to like it, apparently the G4 has more options available for the alerts (while the alerts are great, I donāt always want everyone else to know about them as well, especially if Iām in an important business meeting).
I was also told by the company selling this Dexcom that I canāt use the G4 for insulin treatment so do you think itās just because the G4 has more accuate readings than G5?
I also donāt get the whole āthe longer you use the sensor the more accurate it isā because as you say, they tell you you only supposed to use it for 7 days lol
Good idea about challenging the insurance company, but honestly I just donāt have the strength to take on a giant insurance company, Iād rather just go to someone else who will cover it. Although even though I have found one, there is a long lengthy procedure involved to get it, and then they may not even approve it at the end, but definitely going to give it a try.
G4 and G5 use the same sensor and algorithmāIāve used both and havenāt seen a difference in accuracy. G4 is definitely used for insulin treatment. You can change the alertsābut the low alert (55 and under) is fixed and cannot be changed. I am not sure if this applies to G4 and receiverāas this was a recent update.
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Ok that explains it more clearly then! Thank you
I have heard that there is apparently an app you can use with the G4 to share data, I just havenāt heard of anyone actually using it and what app it is. Ethitech (the company that sells the dexcom here) still hasnāt been able to give me that info either. But the G4 is slowly starting to become my preferred choice.
Actually I use āDexcom Followā app. Which allows me to see my sonās BG on my phone and smartwatch when I am away. I also have a few others as watchful backups and have found this very useful. Currently Dexcom is the most accurate CGM on the market.
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Thank you, will definitely keep everyone updated.
I think this could all be really helpful to someone one day who is going through the same situation in this part of the world, because there arenāt many people here that use these devices (from what Iāve been told) and it could really serve people better if they just knew about it.