I was reading a lot about the CGMs especially the DexCom and really would like to get one. I am wondering how it was in your cases, did you initiate the request for a CGM or your doctor? Do all your insurances pay for it?
I would like to have one because I started having LBG unawareness, had a 21 and a 23 and did not feel anything.
Since I have a busy lifestyle and my job requires sometimes over 2 hours straight without a break for BG testing, I thought it would be great to have a CGM that can warn me when I get too low. But is that enough reason get one ?
No CGM will catch every low, but they will alert you to the vast majority of them. Hypoglycemic unawareness is a fantastic reason to get one.
You will need a letter of medical necessity, and a prescription. We use the dexcom, and I highly recommend them. Many insurance companies will cover them. get a log of your BG and show the lows you have had. Most insurance companies do require lows to have happened before you get coverage, but that should not be a problem. Sorry about the lows you have had. Hypo unawareness is scary that is for sure. A CGM can help A LOT!
Thanks Betty, you just reminded me that I will have to start write a log tomorrow. haven’t seen an Endo in 3 years and forgot that this is the first thing they want to see. By the way, I hate writing logs…lol
I am aware that the currents CGMs are not perfect and number may vary from the finger testing but hey, I rather have the system alarm me 8 out of 10 times then having no alarm at all.
I never write logs. When I absolutely need one, I just go through my meter’s history and write down what my blood sugars were. (To get the Dexcom, you need 30 days or readings, so that’s what I did.)
I applied to get a Dexcom about a month and a half ago. Actually, I just went on their website and requested information and they called me a day or two later to talk about it. Their customer service was great. I think that the biggest requirement for a CGM is hypo unawareness, and it sounds like you have that covered. (Though, obviously, you exaggerate these things when talking to the insurance company.) Anyway, after I talked to them on the phone, they emailed me some papers to fill out and contacted my doctor and insurance company. They have a vested interest in getting your insurance to pay for the CGM, so they will really fight to get you one.
I have no idea whether most insurance covers CGM or not. There was a thread on here where people mentioned what their insurance company was that covered the CGM; you could probably find it. Personally, my insurance company is quite small, but they covered it (but then, I have a lot of severe lows, so I’ve cost them tens of thousands of dollars, and they’re probably really happy to have anything that will charge them less). They usually say it takes a month after you send in the information to get it, but, for some reason, I still haven’t gotten it. I don’t know what the problem is; my insurance just keeps putting me off (evil insurance companies). But I know one gal on here got hers a week after she contact Dexcom.
I shy away from tedious work. Instead of filling out the log I bought a download cable for my bg meter. What a pleasure to be done in a minute! I also speculated that a bg meter download would be more credible than my scribble. Of course, this is pure speculation. I don’t have an endo and it took a little effort to persuade my PCP to sign the paperwork. It took 1 week from getting the download cable in the mail to getting the DexCom in the mail. I never contacted my insurance. DexCom handled everything. My insurance pays 100%. The DexCom gives me so much peace of mind. I don’t have to wonder whether what I am feeling is the caffeine from my coffee or a low. Now that I know what my bg is really doing I understand why tight control was so difficult to achieve with 10 finger pricks a day.
Anna, thanks the info was very helpful. Hope you get your Dex soon:)
Thanks Helmut. So what I hear from all of you guys is that the DexCom people are very supportive that’s good to know!
Wow… that’s fast. Did you fax your info in? I faxed mine on Friday and I called up today to check on it and they claimed they never received anything 
So I faxed it again and I was told that it could take a few days to hear from a rep? I didn’t call back in again to see if it had been received, I figured I would give it a day and check tomorrow.
I filled out my 60 days of logs by hand… since I’m on a mac my download options are limited and I didn’t think to ask my endo’s office for a copy of their printout of my meters when they gave me the paperwork for the dexcom
Insurance companies differ on their policies regarding CGM, but here is a link to a really active discussion we had on the topic.
My CDE (certified diabetes educator) initiated the request, my endocrinologist wrote the Rx, and the company that makes my preferred brand (Freestyle Navigator) worked with my insurance and the medical supplier to get me the device. Both the third party supplier and my insurance company asked me for 30 days of logs and I had to show my insurer that I had (documented) frequent lows below 50 mg/dL each month (once or twice a week was sufficient for them to consider it frequent). They also had to verify that I regularly tested more than 4 times per day, as a CGM is not a substitute for frequent blood sugar testing.
I faxed the paperwork in. If I remember correctly I had to send the page with my doc’s signature by snail mail. Then I got a call at work from DexCom saying: “You are approved. Do you want the starter kit with a 3 months supply?” I said “Sure, if the insurance pays for it”. At the time I was on the fence about paying out of pocket. Now I would not hesitate to pay for the DexCom myself. DexCom replied: “We will fedex the package to you today”. The process could not have been any easier. Btw, I am a mac user too. I keep a PC in the basement for all the stuff that does not work on a mac. The dex software only works on a PC. I really like the stats. I understand that I could run windows on my mac. I just didn’t want to get my mac ‘dirty’.
@Helmut and Sarah
always nice to meet other MACs 
@Melissa
so your log had to be 30 days with 4 tests minimum a day? Just want to get ready…
Thanks for the info!
Helmut and sarah
found on the apple site a BG log application for free