Soaking? What? Please explain!
And by what super human powers did you find out that switching to a different provider would yield a different result in ordering your test strips?
Installing a sensor but not āstartingā the xmitter right away. I place a used xmitter on the new sensor and continue to use the previous sensor for itās last day (out of 7 days). On the day that the previous sensor comes to itās āendā, I āstopā sensor, take the xmitter out of both of them and install the active xmitter on the new sensor and then āstartā it. Then I remove the previous sensor . That gives day-one accuracy that I canāt get if I just start a sensor that has just been installed.
During The previous year, Walgreens supplied the 150 strips at no cost. So when they started charging my $30 starting this year, I assumed they were not processing the prescription properly so I had my Endo write a new prescription and I took it to RiteAid which processed it properly at no cost to me.
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Safeway charged me and my wife a combined cost of many hundreds of dollars which I paid under protest, for strips. It took me about 3 months to get a refund from those bozos, who charged us incorrectly because they were so inept at dealing with Medicare. How a pharmacy can be that clueless is beyond me. Anyway, we dropped them and switched to Walgreens which is a mixed bag.
No question you did not have good service. But all pharmacies are different.
My Safewayās pharmacist was great and really helped me through the beginning of being a T2
Agreed, each pharmacy can provide vastly different service than another of the same brand. In my nearby area, there are few to choose from of the same brand. So we suffer thru the frequent goofs at Walgreenās, it being the "lesser of two weevils (Master and Commander) 
.
Carolyne_hart This is not a T1 vs T2 Medicare decision. This past January CVS decided to dispense only 3/day strip supplies because they do not want to take responsibility for the extra paperwork that Medicare requires for them to fill a higher amount as per your Doctorās orders. I was getting 6/day for years from CVS (BTW I am a T2 and do not have a CGM but do use Omnipod. Have Part B, no Part D, secondary BCBS). My CVS told me it was a new Medicare rule. Baloney!! After hounding Medicare, CVS customer service, and BCBSā¦ finally it was an Advocate at BCBS (bless them) who determined that this was a CVS policy.
Further down the yellow brick road I called around to find a pharmacy who would fill Part B strip Rx AS WRITTEN by my Doctor and is in network by my BCBS secondary as they pay my 15% Medicare copay for strips. Turns out to be Target and my hospital pharmacy in my area. Am so fortunate to be retired to have the time to get through this MAZE!! Wish I could not spend another dime at CVS for their lousy corporate decision but they are close and so dang convenientā¦ Take care.
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WOW! Itās a wonder how messy things can getā¦ I finally have gotten an order filled for sensors after having hours and hours of conversations with Dexcom and secondary companies over a three week period, with many a resolution that was come to, only to be overturned by another overseer in the process for whatever reason. I was told repeatedly by Dexcom reps that Medicare has not approved the G6 transmitter yet. Huh? Wouldnāt they be the first ones to know that it has? Yellow brick road is filled with all sorts of scary encounters! Interestingly,
I just switched this month to CVS after being with Express Scripts for years. Express gets a ten out of ten, CVSā¦ letās just say I looked for another alternative after they refused to send in a request for a prescription to my dr. and several preceding conversations which had already given me pauseā¦ in the end I decided to see if I could get a 3 month supply from a local CVS store at Target and, yes, I canā¦ The local drug store will send prescription requests to your Dr. and run everything through insurance and send reminders, when needed, to Drās for renewals before you run out of meds. Iām not retired yet. These phone calls have impacted my work and caused my coworkers to have to pick up my share of lost productivity. They understand, but still. Iām completely sympathetic to your trek through bureaucracy. We need survival gear!
Dexcom is not yet shipping G6 to Medicare patients, carolyne. Should be late this year. Stay tuned. Too bad u didnāt inquire hereāthere are dozens of folks here that know G6 isnāt shipping to Medicare users yet. Latest word is 4th quarter, but do not take that to the bank. Itās just talk. When it happens, then we will be sureāuntil then its not much more than rumor, IMO.
That is just not true. Medicare fully approved the Dexcom G6 transmitter several months ago subject to Dexcomās ability to ship it to Medicare patients It is Dexcom, due to various internal manufacturing issues that has not been able to meet full demand for Medicare patients and as a result has delayed release of the G6 until they fully can meet Medicare patient demand. Dexcom initially announced that they expected to be able to release the G6 to Medicare patients in April. That date was subsequently pushed forward to the last quarter of 2019 so the next earliest expected period is sometime after October 1 of this year.
In the meantime, the Dexcom G5 is available to Medicare patients and G5 users will be automatically upgraded to the G6 when available. There is also a rumor that the G6 does not work well for everyone, especially low BMI individuals and they will be allowed to continue on the G5 if the G6 does not work for them.
I get 250 test strips per month on my advantage plan but my doctor needs to write a letter of medical necessity that says I test 8 times a day. I test about 4 times a day so it gives me double supply. One letter per year. He writes that I have low blood sugar unawareness which I do. Iām on the Medtronic system And my sensors and transmitters are all covered under the medical portion of my advantage plan which is Aetna.
Did your doctor have to put any āmagic wordsā on the prescription to get the 3 month supply? And did your doctor have to specify on the prescription that it was to be charged to Medicare Part B? I am still using Express Scripts, but the Contour Next test strips I use are now non-formulary, so Iāll have to pay the $53 copay for a 3 month supply. I wouldnāt mind picking up an order every 3 months at a local CVS, and let Medicare take care of the finances.
If you are on a Dexcom CGM, the test strips are included under medicare as part of your monthly subscription package
I did get my sensors (and strips) from Dexcom, but switched suppliers when Dexcom switched to their call center in the Philippines. The new supplier does not supply the test strips that I need, so Iām searching for a new source, preferably at the lower cost possible.
When I read the Medicare approval for Dexcom CGM I remember that Medicare approval required Dexcom to supply a monthly package that included everything a Medicare patient would need for a 1 month period. That basically included Sensors, Test Strips and Lancets. Dexcom also needed to provide a starter package that has a long list of items.
Since Dexcom is on a strict 1 month supply for Medicare patients, I donāt see how Medicare will pay for more than 1 month of strips as long as a Dexcom CGM is being used.
Why would you not want to get your supplies through the Dexcom Philippines call center? They are totally awesome. My monthly supplies have never been delayed more than 2 hours since they have been handling my refills since late last year.
Medtronic CGMs are not covered by Medicare. I will be new to Medicare as of Sept 1st. After being a Medtronic pumper and CGM user for 25 yrs, I will need to to change to a different system. 
I just got a new Dexcom G6ā¦
thruā¦
ā¦
MEDICARE, & told BCBS will pick up the deductible, so FREE!..
My endo may have obtained an exception in my case. I also have Addisonās which can raise holey H with diabetes. Can U say STEROIDS r needed to treat Addisonās. My diabetes went āBRITTLEā last year before my Addisonās was brought under good control. If I makes any diff. I also have CKD stage 3, could be worse.
JD
Have you gotten 10 days on it yet or is it too soon to ask?
Hi Dav
I plan to make the switch to Dexcom tomorrow. So If I loose a bit, it will be only 1 or 2 days. I will TRY and pry the transmitter off when I go for the MRI Sep 11.
I have about 40 hour left on my Libre in use. I get 2-3 extra days from 10 day Libre sensors with MiaoMiao + Glimp
JD
JD