Dexcom's latest comment regarding Medicare patients staying on the G5

after they become eligible for the G6:

According to a convo I had yesterday, no longer is Dexcom assuring customers that they can stay on the G5 if they wish. It is now mandatory to upgrade to the G6. My time will come in January. Also, as others have stated online, there will be no more Medicare coverage for test strips. I hope that turns out not to be the case. No sensor is going to be accurate at all times. Especially right after a new sensor is installed. And there are times when it isn’t possible to wear a sensor. I think I’ll check with Medicare, but somehow whenever I call them for clarification on something, they know less than I do, so I hesitate to make them my first call.

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Aggh, sorry to hear that as I know you’ve been uber-skeptical of the G6 and very happy with the G5. Guess it was just a matter of time. The test-strip thing, though, is really a surprise, and a very stupid one. The first-24 erraticism has been a fact of life ever since I’ve been using CGMs, starting with the earliest G5, and to formulate a blanket policy around the assumption that any device will be 100% up to spec at all times is just rule-bound thinking at its most unrealistic and idiotic. Even with the G6, which has been super accurate for me, I still test at least a once a day, sometimes more, just to keep an eye out that it’s still on track, and every once in a while it’s far enough off to calibrate. Compression lows are also a thing. Dumb.

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I’m sorry about that Dave44. Many of us have already taken the leap, so we will be here to help. It must be because they want to switch to manufacturing only one type of sensor.

Agreed, 1,000%. I tried calling Medicare this AM, but the hold times are long, according to the automated message. I’ll try another time.

If Tesla can produce 3 vehicles or more, even as many as 5 (X,S,3,Y,semi,roadster), then I think Dexcom could make 2 types of sensors.

Hehehe, you know how things are going over there. They are not the company that they used to be. This means that my precious G4 will be done forever, too. It is a sad day.

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I’d love to bend Dexcom’s CEO’s ear for a few minutes. I’m sure many of us would love to give him feedback. That also goes for the mucky-mucks in charge of Medicare rules.

Feedback is gonna come to them in the form of market share. I dont know why they are doing this when competitors are reaching the market. Its as if they are burning down all the good will and market share that they have built.

Not sure when the roll-out is but aren’t they going to be releasing the G7 with 14-day duration, lower profile, disposable inserter etc. pretty soon? I suspect it relates to that—they figure they have to have some limitation on how far back they can manage parallel production lines for older versions as they release new ones.

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You cannot get strips if on libre even thou the abbott site states a myriad of reasons you should test

I would not know how to appeal because you cannot even submit the script so it is never denied ??? smh

catch 22

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Has any medicare patient having received a G6 asked their doctor to write a prescription for test strips and been denied? I am sure as more medicare patients will go on the G6, we will try every permutation and combination to get additional strips through medicare. I know for FDA certification and approval for each Dexcom product going to medicare patients on a monthly subscription, Dexcom is required to include everything required to operate their system. If the feds and Dexcom get enough complaints from medicare patients after the G6 is fully released that periodic finger sticks are still required, I would think Dexcom would change their tune so they don’t risk the possibility of losing G6 approval. My guess at this point is that strips may become an item such as sensor over-patches. If they are requested from Dexcom, they will just send them out. I am not due for the upgrade before next January as that is when my next G5 transmitter will be due for replacement. Will see what happens, but like Dave44 I hope to be one of the last converts if converting becomes mandatory.

I’m not on Medicare, but Dexcom is still trying to force me to upgrade to the G6. I won’t, partly because I’m onery, and partly because I ha e a pump integration, and partly because getting a cgm was a serious p.i.t.a… and I don’t want to go down the appeals road again if I don’t have to. Weirdly enough, I have a recurring order for sensors. The sensors are due to be delivered tomorrow, and Dexcom is fighting with my Dr to get a G6 Rx and saying they will cancel my sensor order if the Dr doesn’t respond. Also weird, if you have a 90 day order and there is less than 90 days on the Rx, Dexcom won’t ship you the product. Seems like complete bull***t to me as my pharmacist would never dare to do that.

It’s a brand new day ladies and gents. I personally am looking to eversense for my future needs.

Ridiculous for all of you to have to go thru this crap all the time.

I have a different perspective on this whole situation with decisions being made. Cover this then don’t cover this. Change this, change that.

I do not have diabetes.

I have been with my husband for 38 years and have watched him go thru the changes in his life all the time dealing with diabetes. Most people have no idea.

When I read what all of you write I think of how it is all just a part of your life. Like my husband says, “I am playing the cards I have been dealt.”

I say isn’t that enough? Why does it have to be so much more difficult than it already is?

People out there don’t seem to understand unless they have an intimate look as I have for these many years that diabetics and others with chronic conditions should just get what they need without a such a hassle.

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If you do somehow get upgraded, make sure that you are really cautious with those sensor supplies. I keep running out because they fall off like crazy. Tape them on like your going to a water park everyday or you’ll be without any sensors at all for weeks.

As much as I desire Control-IQ, financially it makes more sense for me to stay on the G5 as long as possible, especially using XDrip

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It’s not manufacturing related, as they will need to continue manufacturing different products as long as they want to keep selling in markets where regulatory approvals are along different timelines. For instance, in Australia Dexcom don’t have approval to market G6 yet, and even though we’re a relatively small population we remain a significant market as CGM is now fully funded by the government for all T1s under age 21.

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The no test strips thing is completely idiotic. I have a G6 and it is can’t be trusted for the first 4-8 plus hours? Unless I restart one, then it isn’t as bad. But I’m not supposed to be doing that either and they are working at stopping that too. But I’ve had them read really low and really high at the beginning and I’m supposed to treat by that? They say over their training video that “when in doubt get your meter out”. It’s not affecting me, I’m not on medicare yet. I just think the whole idea of never needing to test is ridiculous.

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I can see Medicare cutting back the number of strips they will cover for people with the G6 but not completely.

It seems like everyone is being told something different. I spoke to a person last week at Dexcom who claimed to be in charge of the Medicare G6 transition and she informed me that Dexcom will continue to supply the G5 to all of the people who wanted it.

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FDA is insane. Their like a crazy uncle that talks to himself. I don’t think they are trying to be crazy, they were just born that way - can’t help it. Everybody humors him and acts nice to him because he’s crazy and nobody wants him running loose on the streets, but we all know he’s off his gourd and his judgement in not to be trusted. He’s just a tolerated, constant pain in the ■■■. Sigh.