There are several G6 threads and I tried to add to one but could not get the system to allow me to reply at the very long end of the thread.
So, any Admin can stick this to a more appropriate thread if they want.
I finally took the G6 offer but have not opened the box yet. I read one thread (the dread G6 block or something like that) and there was discussion about transmitter version. My box SN# starts with 8JFxxx, not the 81xxx referred to elsewhere. The sand glass date shows 2020-12-10.
The receiver # starts with MX9XXXXX.
Apparently, those with job insurance and not on Medicare get two transmitters at a time and Medicare folks get one. And only 3 sensors labeled Medicare/Medicaid recipients only.
Why are Medicare/Medicaid recipients treated as second class citizens. I paid taxes for 60 years before retiring and still pay taxes. I earned every meager penny of my earned, not âbenefitsâ SS and Medicare retirement and insurance that I still pay for.
Why canât I get a 90 day supply of sensors like I get a 90 day supply of insulin and pump supplies?
Is my transmitter out of date? If so, why? I am a full community volunteer. I donât see at home on my hiny. I am old as dirt but I pay my way and then some.
What gives?
Rant over. But if anyone can tell from my transmitter Serial number beginning what age it is I will appreciate knowing it. Yes, I should call Dex but thought I should rant about Medicare discrimination here.
I have little issue with Medicare over the course of more than 3 years, pumping and CGM user, and at least 3 surgeries. They and the supplement cover everythingâeven when the bill is a 1/4 of a million dollars. Canât beat that with a stick. We did worse on all of the best plans we could get when working.
My issue is the hassle of every month vs a 90 day supply for Dex supplies. Because I live in NC and the mail orders available here for fed BCBS wonât take Medicare and I have to go direct to Dex for supplies, if that matters, and they will only allow a 30 day supply for Medicare. So 12 times a year I have to have an interaction with them. And, given that I may not be able to do the restart like I have with G5, I wonât be able to stockpile. Yes, I know some do but if it doesnât last 10 days for some, it will take months to even get one extra. For me, that is.
And why do they label my box Medicare. What is different about my sensors than non-Medicare recipients? There must be a difference or they would not need to label them as such.
I agree that replenishment of CGM supplies limited to 30 days at a time is risky for the patient. Who wants to live without a CGM after youâve depended on it for any length of time? I wouldnât feel comfortable without a 30-day supply buffer.
Iâve read several comments on Facebook from Medicare CGM users that US Med ships 90 days of CGM supplies to its Medicare customers. I donât use them so I donât know anything else about them.
I have no idea why you say you have to have 12 interactions to get your Dexcom supplies. We get emails from Dexcom that we respond to (a questionnaire) and they ship our monthly supplies. It couldnât be simpler. I donât care if they do it monthly or every 90 days. I donât have to sign for the shipments, so it really makes zero difference how many times I get supplies.
You say you havenât opened the Dex g6 box yet. Wait until you are entitled to order your next 30 daysâ worth, order them, and then open the first box and use it. You have now established 30-daysâ supply of sensors. Order new ones exactly when you you are entitled to, and you will never be without.
I order through CCS, a medical supply company, and thought it would be a hassle. It is not. They send me an email reminder to approve the standing order. I go to my account on their website, check the order and click on approve. The order is sent the moment it conforms to the Medicare dictated date. No phone calls involved and, to my surprise, no problems at all. You donât have to deal with Dexcom directly. They are trying to divorce themselves from the supply side anyway.
Do you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or traditional Medicare (with or without a supplement)? If the former, thatâs a choice and they can do some things a little different. If itâs Medicare, there shouldnât be any issue. There are numerous vendors for the Dexcom. Iâm getting my first order from US Healthlink in Florida and I live in PA.
As for the 90-day, i was able to get my Libres that way, but not Dexcom. I think it has to do with cost and Medicare not wanting to take the chance that people wonât be using them for various reasons and them âgoing to waste.â
I use US Med for my G5. I have only been using them for about 4 months but they have been great. I am on Medicare and receive 12 sensors at a time. One for each week.
Ohhh, 8JXXXX? That number should come off the backside of the transmitter. Should also be on the transmitter box. That sounds to me, like a brand spankinâ new transmitter. They are releasing new models like wildfire. I currently have an 8HXXXX. That must mean thereâs an I and a J. Thatâs a butt load of new âfireflyâ transmitters.
It sounds like you have a stockpile of G5 so why not just stay on G5 until your stockpile runs out but in the meantime do your monthly G6 re-order? So if you have 8 G5 sensors left, that would give you a 2 month G6 stockpile unless your G5 transmitter has run out.
Dave44, I agree with you about Medicare. I have few complaints about it since starting 5 years ago. In the past year, I have had six surgeries plus chemo and radiation at a total cost over $500K. Not counting a new pump, new CPAP and my monthly insulin and DexCom supplies. Between Mâcare and my Plan G supplement, my out-Of-pocket has been only the annual deductible of just under $200.
Of course with the gov of any party affiliation, there are no guarantees for the future.
I get a phone call from DexCom once a month for my supplies. They never vary more than a day or so with the call. And the last three months, they have shipped same day and I got them the next day. No complaints on that, other than they say I wonât get a G6 until probably March.
Is there any source for a G5 transmitter at a reasonable cost? I asked at Walgreens and they told me it was $1,000. I wanted to get one not through Medicare to use up my large supply of G5 sensors even after they send the G6, so I can build inventory.
Here are just a few options on Amazon. I am sure you can find more on eBay or other marketplaces. I have hot tried any of them so canât vouch for their performance but at least Amazon offers a strong money back guarantee if not satisfied.
CJ114, I donât have a stockpile of G5 transmitters.
So I started the G6, just bumbled through it after viewing a couple youtubes.
I have another day or two on current G5 so am comparing. Looks like the G5 was doing fine for me compared to G6. Now, donât go bazookas over my numbers but I will show what I have recorded vs looked at so far:
Well, I thought I could copy/paste a section from my spreadsheet but canât. So the numbers are consecutive at different times over 1.5 days (first reading was first for G6, G5 was right):
G5 130 . 111 143 196 . 134
G6 161 . 132 . 166 . 197 143
In spite of Dex saying they âfixedâ the first day problems of inaccuracy, I would take my G5 readings as more accurate (the first 3). I dosed insulin off G5 readings and it worked fine.
As I write this sentence, the G5 is 118 and the G6 is 114. I had IOB from breakfast for the earlier 2 highs.
Sheesh. Not sure what to think yet.
am searching for a G6 case. Saw one for about $33 on amazon, from out of country. The Dex one does not appear to protect the screen which is truly stupid. A supposedly free cover did not come with my receiver.
I have been on the G6 and Medicare for almost a year. I started on the G6, and to build up a âreserveâ I bought a couple of monthâs worth of sensors. Yes, it cost real money, but I have complete peace of mind that I will never run out of shipments if they are late or if the weather causes major disruption of all services. My G6 is wonky for the first few hours I wear it, but my OmniPod is wonky, too, when I first change it. Neither lasts beyond a few hours, and I am smart enough to roll with the punches and just check my blood with the Contour meter during that time. I agree with others that ordering from Dexcom is simple. I get the e-mail, answer the questions, and get the product. Do not fear. Oh, and as for the Dexcom case not covering the screen on the receiver, that is because you have to give the receiver commands that are touch sensitive. If the screen were covered, it would be twice as hard to give it the commands. The supplies that you get in the Medicare boxes are the same supplies that everyone else gets. It would be illegal to send you anything out of date, and I have not had any trouble with the âMedicareâ supplies. I screwed up putting on my first sensor (TOTALLY operator error!), and Dexcom sent me a replacement with no hassle. I hate that their customer service is now overseas, but I have to admit that I have not had any major problems with them recently.
