I believe this is the best of the best topic & area.
Issue: is DexCom discriminating by packaging G6 items in specially labeled packaging for Medicare, etc patients? Additionally, the manufactured to expiration dates in the Medicare packages is one month less.
Is this discrimination or what? Why different packaging?
Ever since Dexcom was approved by Medicare, the product codes for items shipped to Medicare patients were different than those same items sent to non-Medicare patients. This is nothing new with the G6. I read the entire approval process Dexcom went through when first set up for Medicare approval but don’t remember all the intricacies. Discrimination implies some legal violation. Can you point to a specific regulation that states that Medical supplies for Medicare patients need, by law, to have the same packaging as non-Medicare patients?
I had assumed that the more oblong to more square packaging was simply a packaging change as I received several months of Medicare G6 sensors in the oblong box and the last 3-4 months have come in the more square box. Maybe non-Medicare G6 users can tell us if they have seen a packaging change as well.
I have only had G6 sensors under medicare, but wonder whether the Medicare specific labeling is due to this being DME under Medicare rather than a “normal” prescription. Do they have a different part number? I don’t have access to any non-Medicare packaging.
Stay safe!
John
I believe it’s to try to prevent fraud. You aren’t supposed to resale medicare supplied items (or any script I believe) But medicare resale carries penalties. I think they want it labeled to try to stop it. But it still doesn’t.
Think of it, get it free from Medicare and then sell it for $300.
This labeling has been done on test strips also. I believe in part due to abuse of medicare covered items being resold.
I have bought test strips on ebay and amazon with medicare labels.
I think the labeling is trying to limit/prevent this.
@Jay6 Not even close to being the same thing.
Yep, @MM1 I bought test strips once that had a label Medicare only on them from Amazon.
Then you can buy them out of pocket, without the label, over the counter.
You have a choice.
Medicare is paid for without a choice. It should not come with a Scarlet Letter of age flagging.
@Marie20, remember Medicare is not free. There were premiums before & after retirement. It is paid for by my money.
@Jay6 Sure you paid for it by taxes collected. And that is to cover your future medical needs. But if you don’t need it for your medical needs, it shouldn’t then be sold for money. Medicare is already going broke and will go broke a lot faster if people start getting Medicare to pay for stuff just to resale it. Since it is supplied by Medicare for a particular persons supposed need, they have a right to try to make sure the supplies aren’t misused by reselling it.
I’m with @MM1 here, if it bothers you so much, don’t go through Medicare. You more than likely never got close to paying into the system what it will pay out for you. Equating it to a death marking in Nazi Germany or even a scarlet letter doesn’t make sense.
Why is it bothering you so much? Everyone over a certain age that worked at least and a lot of others qualify for Medicare, so you can pretty much count on the fact if you are over 65 it is coming by way of Medicare in the US.
The reason it is bothering be is simple. Dexcom is the only provider who treats users/customers different in my health care circle. DIFFERENT equals discrimination, which needs to have the light of day shone upon it.
This country is build on equality, be it years in the making is still equality. Different labeling is inequality which must be called out and stopped.
@MM1 & Marie20, hope this inequality and labeling are now understandable.
Actually @Jay6 Kaiser Permanente does too. They label their prescription test strips (and other D supplies) “Not for Resale- for Kaiser Permanente Members Only”. Kaiser members as a group paid for the privilege of getting an Rx filled at Kaiser at an assumed reduced rate. Members that don’t want their Rx marked as such can get them filled elsewhere at market rate.
The stickers for kaiser peel off tho. But I don’t want the hassle of selling it when you could get nailed for insurance fraud.
I don’t care about the packaging of my Dexcom sensors. I am not a criminal who wants to commit Medicare fraud. I am surprised that packaging is a controversial topic.
My assumption would be that Medicare required the change, not dexcom.
Some people obviously have way too much time on their hands.
This topic has generated a unique and interesting constellation of replies.
My experience in public service was filled with “don’t do anything that could be remotely seen as discrimination” in the things thought, seen, or done.
Regardless the reason, be it Medicare, DexCom, crime, or error, the labeling treats Medicare beneficiaries differently, which in any other different treatment would be deemed criminal discrimination.
Thanks to all of your perspectives on this potentially criminal discrimination.
Thanks for sharing yours, I appreciate different opinions, this is a great place to learn from others.
I suspect it boils down to CYA by Dexcom and it’s lawyers based on something that is written in Medicare/Medicaid regulations.
If you think that’s a big problem with Medicare coverage of diabetic supplies, how do you fell about the unreasonable and stress inducing requirements they impose on when you can reorder pump and CGM supplies.
