Anyone else receive this email from Dexcom (see below)? Any issues or concerns? Thoughts?
"Did you know you may have pharmacy coverage for Dexcom through your insurance, making it possible to get supplies at a local pharmacy? This may allow for lower out-of-pocket costs and an expedited process.
Dexcom has been working continuously to expand pharmacy coverage for our customers. More and more insurance providers are now covering CGM as a pharmacy benefit (versus Durable Medical Equipment).
Save up to $140 on your Dexcom G6ÂŽContinuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System co-pay at your local pharmacy with these simple steps:
Step 2: Ask your doctor to e-prescribe your Dexcom to your local pharmacy.
Step 3: Visit the same pharmacy to pick up supply refills.
If your Dexcom G6 isnât covered as a pharmacy benefit, you can continue to receive your supplies from Dexcom."
I received the same e-mail last week. I see a couple advantages to using a pharmacy above the rebate. 1) with the recent problems with Dexcom CS ( at least for some of is) the ordering process should be easier. 2) if itâs a larger pharmacy chain (Walgreens, Express Scripts and the like) they may carry inventory, although that remains to be seen. That might improve delivery over what Dexcom is currently quoting on some products.
For me, thereâs an added bonus - once I meet my annual deductible my co-pay is zero on pharmacy transactions. If I submit as a medical device, I have a 20% copay.
I can attest a large national Pharmacy chain which does not carry Dexcom inventory in our local pharma store has the proven ability to overnight it and have it available the next day.
So far - very pleased with our switch to Pharma and away from DME.
It is SO much simpler to get stuff delivered to our door (as long as no signature is required) than to stand in line at the local pharmacies. I HATE going to the pharmacies. Maybe yours are better than the ones we have tried. They ALL blow around here.
Yeah, our Pharmacist is super nice. Always helpful for any questions. Both drive-up and walk-in options.
I prefer doing the local Pharmacy every 30 days as opposed to mail-in every 90 days because if there are any issues, I would much rather have our local Pharmacy team helping me out (face-to-face) then trying to deal with people on the phone.
We have tried Safeway (the absolute worst), Walgreens (slightly better) and CVS inside Target. The problem at Target is the manager. We had to pull my wifeâs prescriptions out of there because of her crazy, accusatory demeanor. Not only that, but if something should be refilled in 28 days, she claimed that they donât figure it the way all the others do; ie, elsewhere, if you picked up an rx on a Monday, 4 weeks later, ON A MONDAY, you would be eligible to get the med again. She tried to explain her nutty method of calculating 28 days. It was more like 29, 30, 31 days, every time. sigh.
Thank you for your replies.
I decided to go ahead and give it a try since I like my pharmacy and the care I receive from them.
ButâŚthereâs a form you have to fill out to start the process. I got all the way through but didnât check the box that says the following:
âBy checking this box, DEXCOM or companies acting on its behalf may send me materials about other offers, use my information to develop or improve products and services, or contact me in the future about health-related topics.â
Unless you check that box, you cannot proceed. I donât like it one bit! How can they require you to agree to that?
It is their company so they can set their policies as they think serves them and their customers best. You can agree and do business with them or as they say vote with your wallet and buy elsewhere.
That form is not required. Unless you want something from Dexcom which may or may not materialize. Such as some coupon or copay or whatever. In which case - good luck.
If you are not concerned about trying to get something extra from Dexcom, then there is no need to involve Dexcom. In fact, this is the benefit which I get. Dexcom used to be easy to order from. Of late, it has turned into a nightmare for me. I now bypass them entirely by going to the Pharmacy. The last thing I would want to do is pull them somehow back into the chain.
We require:
Script from the Doctor (properly written)
Pharmacy able to fill the script (the Pharmacy may need the NDC codes if not familiar)
PBM providing coverage at acceptable prices (sometimes easier to find out at time of pickup as opposed to asking in advance)
Note that when you go to the counter to pick up the Dexcom supplies for the first time, if the pricing is not what you are willing to pay then you ARE NOT obligated in ANY WAY to take it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying the cost is higher than expected, you do not want it and to please return it to stock.
No professional Pharamacy team member should even blink an eye. This happens all the time.
In our case, the Pharma pricing was the same as DME so that was a pleasant surprise.
Thatâs required to get the rebate coupon. So as you suggested, they can require it for that purpose. Iâll probably check the box. Most of the marketeers have other ways of locating their target audience. I already get solicitation e-mails from Abbott (Libre) and some of the local health care providers.
My insurance uses Express Scripts as the pharmacy - mail order only except for short term urgent orders. So unfortunately I wonât have the benefit of dealing with a local pharmacy or receiving anything less than a 90-day supply. Express Scripts has their own issues, but for me delivery has never been one of them - at least for drugs. I hope that will be the case with medical devices. I also donât know how theyâll handle replacement sensors, etc.
Sensors that are being replaced under the Dexcom Warranty (ie - failure of G6 prior to 10-day life or insertion failures or similar) would be handled by Dexcom (or Tandem if linked to an X2) technical support without regard to how/where the sensors were purchased.
Sure - but the way they announce it is confusing.
this: âIf your Dexcom G6 isnât covered as a pharmacy benefit, you can continue to receive your supplies from Dexcomâ makes it sound like you have to find out if your pharmacy will cover it and they make it seem like the only way to find out is by completing their online form.
Iâm new to all this so learning from this group is excellent!
Donât worry, everybody is learning including Dexcom that is currently expanding their deliveries through 3rd parties while growing operationally at a faster rate than they can comfortably handle. Patience is key and with such a nice product many of us are finding patience and creativity we never thought we had in order to get our supplies reasonably on time as needed. All the best!!! I am sure once you get squared away, you will never want to go back.
It will depend on your insurance. Theyâll know if you can get your supplies via a pharmacy or have to continue buying direct from Dexcom. I would call them first. Thatâs what I did. Be sure to find out if thereâs any cost difference. Your pharmacy benefits and your major medical benefits may have different deductibles or co-pays.
If your Insurace says âyesâ and the cost is right, you can decide if you want to fill out the Dexcom form and see if your eligible for the rebate. But that wonât have any impact on where you get your supplies. Thatâs you and your insurers decision. Dexcom doesnât have a vote.