I need a meter to keep at school, for just in case purposes. I've read on a different diabetes website that people call the meter companies and tell them they want to try their product and they will send you a kit. Is this true? Has anyone tried this?
I don't know about "free", but the meter that's the wal-mart brand (Relion) seems to be the cheapest, with the cheapest strips, and it has a pretty good reputation.
here's a page with some possible resources for you
http://www.tudiabetes.org/notes/Diabetes_Patient_Assistance_Resources
and welcome to the community Taylar. let me know if you have any questions about how things work around here.
It varies by manufacturer, or at least that's been the case for us. Roche (Accu Chek) has been the best by far. We've used a couple of their meters & have always used the MultiClix lancing device. We've never paid for any of them.
I use a lot of test strips, over 5000/year. These manufacturers make their money on the test strips, not on the meters. When I need a meter, I call the company directly and request that they send me a free meter. If the front-line customer service rep is puzzled by this request, I simply tell them that I use over 5000 strips per year and I would like to keep my business with them. I've never been turned down.
The last time I called Roche, I requested a second free meter so that I could have a home meter and a meter to put in my go-bag. They had no problem shipping me another meter.
I haven't paid for a meter in a long time.
Most of the time if you call them up, say you want to switch to their brand of meter, and give them the appropriate marketing information you can get a new meter. They will want to know what brand meter you are switching from, what brands of different diabetes supplies you use, etc. Occasionally they will want you to send them your old meter (haven't seen this in a few years but it was true at one point.) The grey market is kinda shady in terms of how they got these discount supplies - most often something that may be related to insurance fraud.
I myself am slightly uncomfortable giving out personal health information to marketers. My uncomfortability point varies depending on my mood but might be ballpark $20 much of the time. Most meters are available OTC or off-the-shelf at a pharmacy, and many models are now $20 or less. There is also a "grey market" in meters and test strips on E-bay and other online sellers which can be half the list price or less. If you buy off the shelf or from the grey market, you will not have to give up any of your health information to the seller.
Yes ma’am I already have a meter and test strips. I just wanted like a sample kit from a company to keep on me incase my other meter stops working for some reason. I go to my endo Monday so maybe he’ll give me a meter. If not, I’m gonna go buy the ReliOn at Walmart.
Thank you!!!
At my D clinic there is a "supply closet" and "supply fridge". The closet contains a bunch of different meters and test strips, syringes, pen needles, all salesman's samples, and a fridge full of different types and forms of insulin in pens and vials. I don't know if your doctor has a similar set up but I would ask.
Generally if you are sincere and the company is willing ( you dont know until you try) you can get a free meter. As someone commented below Roche is almost always accommodating, Also one touch will give a free, albeit a small meter to a caller.
Good luck
Almost all the meter companies understand the razor / razor blades model and give away free meters.
Abbot is giving away free touch screen Insulinx meters if you sign up for their diabetes care program, which amounts to basically tolerating some junk mail from them. I just got mine a few weeks ago.
it's a very cool meter that has all the usual logging functions, plus record insulin doses and had a nice alarm/reminder system.
Great for any insulin using diabetic... I got it as a backup for any circumstance where I might have to go MDI because of pump issues.
Check it out here. There's a link to sign up for the Freestyle Promise program and get a free meter.
Im finding Abbott no longer gives free meters. They make you have a Prescription now even for the free ones.
Accu-Chek however will send you a free meter, Lancing device, etc. Just call them.
You could also ask your Dr, they may have samples.
Apparently someone didn't get the message with the free Insulinx meter they sent me a few weeks ago. With no prescription, just filling out their online form.
it's an amazing meter too. Far beyond a simple BG meter. But hey, you don't have to believe me if you don't want to!
Same here Dave -I got my latest Insulinx meter in the mail without any rx needed. And my experience is that all the strips are the same regardless of whether they are labeled Freestyle, Freestyle Lite or Insulinx. So I use what ever strips I have handy. I have a couple of Insulinx meters - the one from the UK although annoying because it uses mmols is great because it has an insulin calculator, the most recent one is still in the box.
I have an Insulinx but thank you for telling me how awesome it is.
Clare- how did you get your free insulinx? Like someone else said, I’ve tried and it said I have to have a rx! Thanks in advance!
You can call AccuChek (Roche) and possibly get a meter by spreading it thick. Just say that you keep hearing people talk glowingly about it and their multiclix or fasclix lancets. (I prefer Fasclix.) I've NEVER paid for one from them.
Lois
Taylar - I received a notice from my insurance company about this meter. I think I was already a member of the "Freestyle Promise" program. I just called them and they sent me the meter. Like I said it is still in the box.
They USE to have the Freestyle Promise where when you signed up they sent you a free meter, thats how i got my Freestyle Lite but when i tried to get another meter for keeping in my bag, i was told I needed a RX. So I got an RX for the Insuilinx but then couldnt find it at nearby pharmacies and had to send them my RX to get them to send me one.
Yes, they have sent me a softclix. I personally love the Softclix and FastClix. Best Lancing Devices!
Yes I have done that a lot. Bayer one time sent free meter and 50 strips for free. Also you can go to your hospital diabetes center for meter and some test strip . I have at least 10 meters 
all for free. One time I called Accu chek the nice guy sent me 100 strips. I’m hope to go to diabetes expo this April.