Hi everyone! I have few extra supplies on hand that might be able to help someone out. Please let me know if you are interested in any of the following!
Accuchek Aviva Meter
Approximately 1000 lancets
1 Box of Ketone Strips
Hi PumpGirl,
I am wondering if those strips will work in the AccuChek Aviva Plus. I was just diagnosed on Monday. But because I am on state insurance due to unemployment recently. I can test only once a day. Made no sense to me to not be allowed to test more. Kinda scary actually!
Not really sure what else to ask you at this point other than how does everyone handle the shipping costs when someone has free items others can use? Will search around see if there is info on that but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Thanks so much,
Jeri
Hi Jeri. I will ship it to you. Let me know what kind of strips you have. Accu chek aviva strips are usually covered by state programs. It crazy that they say to test once a day. Makes no sense. When I was unemployed I got free strips and meter from my local free clinic. Www.needymeds.org has listing of free clinics. Just search your area.
I'll take the 5 boxes of Omnipods.
Thanks for replying so quickly! ACCCHS in AZ only covers 1 test per day. The pharmacist was telling me she had Type 1 diabetics on the state program that had to pay out of pocket since they have to test several times a day.
The meter and 50 test strips were all the state program supplied and it says on the scrip label check glucose once daily. It boggled my mind. I'm attaching a picture a little blurry but best my not so intelligent phone can do. Thank you for the link to needymeds.org I saved it to my diabetes folder immediately.
Let me know if you think what you have will work in my unit. So glad I found tudiabetes.org!!
958-DSCN2209.JPG (3.23 MB)
Hey Jeri!
Yes, I have the meter you need. I"m sorry they only pay for one strip a day. It's insane. Don't they realize that down the road they are going to be paying for everyone's dialysis, limb amputations, strokes, and heart attacks because they won't to save a couple dollars on some strips that would help people have better control. I want this policy changed. It's absolutely barbaric!!! Let me know if you want me to send you the meter. Will be happy to do so. My free clinic was providing me with 200 strips a month while I was unemployed. You may have more luck at one of those places.
LOL! Good one Dave! I'll fax those right over to you!!! :-) Made me smile!
PumpGirl,
What's funny is the nurse finally called me back and said the prescription sent over was for testing 3x a day. She was not aware of the state insurance limiting people to 1x per day. Guess they don't have a lot of unemployed coming thru their office. Totally agree it is insane. Maybe it is time for an advocacy group to get started in my state for folks and put some pressure on the powers that be! Going to go to the state website and see if there is anything I can dig up.
If you want to contact me at jeri.barnett@gmail.com for my info tomorrow that would be great. I will be happy to cover the mailing cost.
Jeri
Thanks! Just sent you an email.
I agree Jeri! I just don't know where to start. Many of the state programs...especially Medicaid and Medicare are severely limiting diabetics...both type 1 and type 2 on the number of strips they can get. I want to start advocating...but just don't know where to start. How can a person control diabetes if they just test once a day? Heck, even three times a day isn't going to give anyone good control! You have to know what your sugars are around the clock! UGH!
I had a thought just now. I am going to search Facebook for a local support group. If there isn't one I will create a page and build from there to diabetic advocacy in our state. If there is a page already I will join and ask a lot of questions and see if folks feel the same as I do. Frustrated!! My gut is it can be done!
make sure you use a resolution of at least 600dpi when you fax -- they leak otherwise. Oh and my fax number is (209) POP-CORN. Just ignore that lady telling you the time when you call... that's my crazy aunt chained up in the basement. She operates the fax machine.
Actually once per day is the medicare standard for type 2 Diabetics. There is some reason for that standard, and most of us likely agree the reason is pretty good one. It was found that a good deal of Medicare excess diabetic supplies were ending up on Ebay and Craigs list for sale. These listings on the Gray market are abhorrent to me but if you look at Ebay in particular for any type of strip you get a large listing of Gray market providers, most first purchased using private insurance or Medicare dollars.
So to cut that abuse Medicare instituted these very tough and in my judgement for any diabetic who cares about their health counter productive guidelines. By the way it is 3 times per day for a type 1 or LADA patient (I believe). Both are completely out of the realm of feasibility. Many of us are trying to change to that along with support for making CGM's an eligible medicare expense. We have made absolutely zero progress so far.
With the test strip issue, if you are using medicare to purchase test strips the doctor can write a script for supply of more testing strips per day. Of course there is a down side if you use more than the specified amount you must turn a 30 day log of testing in every six months to your doctor, who can and often is being audited for medicare violations, including excess test strip usage.
Most doctors will not accept these logs, as they generate so much paper in a paperless world. Unfortunately, in those cases, the patient has to maintain the paper at home in case it is called for and you never know when that might be.
In your situation, I do not know for certain but I suspect that your state unemployment is set up so no exceptions are allowed and that is an awful idea. It is clear evidence once again why the medicare restrictions are way too tight.
Now not to scare folks if your secondary insurance is paying for the test strips medicare does not care how many use. This only applies to Part B purchases, which for good and valid reasons, some years ago, became free for most medicare patients. In this case free (we diabetics and our families cost ourselves using and selling on the gray market) is a very costly proposition.
Thank you Rick for far better information than I was able to get from the Doctors office, the state website or the pharmacy over the last few days. Now it makes much more sense! I totally understand now. Nothing beats a clear and concise explanation :)
At least my fasting numbers have gone down since Monday when I was diagnosed! I'd like to keep them dropping! Watching everything I put in my mouth can be time consuming but I can feel a major difference with each day just in these first few days.
I am so grateful to have found a link to this site! So many great people for support and tons of info!
I hate to say it but these two issues are so important that we as diabetics need to write our congress person and senator to ask for a change. Especially if they are in the house. There is a bill to include CGM’s as eligible for Medicare funding. The strip issue is just as important.
Unfortunately people mistake these issues as being only for Medicare receipts when these standards are very far reaching. Medicare sets the national standard so it impacts all manner of things, from unemployment coverage to eventually private insurance.
It is a very big deal. Unless we band together we all lose and the loss will be awful. I wrote both senators and my congress person. My note means nothing but all our notes might mean something. I hope you will join us to once again make this a doctor patent decision.
It's a huge deal. Testing literally can mean the difference between senior years hiking and playing tennis, or being pushed around in a wheelchair with a missing leg.
That's no exaggeration.
It's infuriating that the answer to fraud and abuse is to, well, abuse those that aren't committing fraud and abuse. How about stepping up investigation and enforcement, set harsh penalties, and then nail as many of these cretins in as public a manner as possible? I'd bet that would help shake a lot of the fraud out.
When was the last time you heard a big announcement by the justice dept that they'd just nabbed a fraud for laundering millions in medical supplies?
They're barely even trying, far as I can tell.
BTW both my wife and I wrote congresscritters and sinnators, as well as my newly-minted 18yo voter son.
BHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh my goodness! Crack me up!!! :-) You are awesome and thank you for the great laugh!! I sure needed it!!!
I couldn't agree more, Dave. So a few bozos decide to abuse the system and then the rest of the diabetics in America have to suffer??!!! When will the insurance companies realize that by NOT providing diabetics with the testing materials they need....that down the road they (ins. companies) will be flipping the bill for strokes, heart attacks, kidney transplants, dialysis, amputations, prosthetic limbs, and rehabilitation??!!! ARG!!! So frustrating!!
Great info Rick! I had NO idea that the standard for Type 1's was only 3 strips per day!! That's just crazy and simply not enough!!! If I could only test 3 times a day I would either be dead or in the hospital once a week!!!!