My husband's insurance is BCBS and I switched over to his from my very pricey Aetna plan at work....but I now have to switch from Humalog to Novalog, and from Freestyle lite strips to I think the pharmacist said Bayer.
Rule number 2. You can't win.
For the life of me I can't figure out why a huge company like BCBS can't negotiate reasonable deals with all the insulin and meter companies.
I’m on BCBS (in Massachusetts). They cover all the stuff I want with no problems at all.
I disliked humalog and also bayer strips where I at least understand why you wouldn't want to change. From what I understand freestyles are usually pretty accurate and consistent (probably close to the one touch ultra 2 I have...very consistent even if it's not accurate where I'd probably trust it more lol) , my experience with bayer has been the opposite and I would throw a fit at the insurance company if I had to be forced to use a bayer meter. I threw one at medtronic (when I tried the pump) and my CDE when they tried to make me use a bayer and I got my way and got to use a one touch.
Change sometimes sucks, if you try it and it still sucks no matter what? Try to find some way to use your previous products if you can.
going through my MD to make my needs known. I have used the freestyle for years and want to stay with it. Humalog for years as well, but I have not heard much difference between novalog and Humalog, but still it must be cheaper so that scares me.
I got a letter yesterday saying that BCBS was doing this... SO ANNOYING!
It depends on the contract that your husband's org made with BCBS. I am not sure there is any real difference between Humalog and Novalog but if you have a bad reaction (unlikely, but), you can submit a request for an exception on Humalog.
In fact, I just got a sample bottle of Novolog to try as I have been on Humalog since it came out. Want to see if a switch will give me a quicker response. In theory, no.
I was on Ultra link one touch and loved it. It won't link any more and i can't get another, so i am now on Bayer. I checked it many times with the one touch before deciding that it would be just as good. Biggest headache is having to punch two buttons after a check. one to say 'ok' and then have to hold the danged off button down for several seconds. It takes a while to go off automatically. Love the ease of putting its readings on my Mac. So, pros and cons.
Having gone from Humalog to Novalog, I feel Novalog is a little more potent.
This is infuriating, D management is hard enough without insurance companies throwing a wrench into the works to screw us up.
For what it is worth I use Novolog and I am quite happy with it.
I love the freestyle, so little blood needed, and if I don't give it enough blood I can add more and not ruin the test. Very fast and accurate, and lights up in a movie theater, ha.
I am bummed.
Just too much to deal with as if diabetes doesn't give me anxiety to begin with.
Karen, if you find the changes will not work for you, you can ask your doctor to write a letter of necessity or some such to fill only the prescribed products.
Some years ago my insurance required that I change meters to the Bayer product because they preferred them and covered at 100%. I was annoyed, but after time found the Bayer products to be excellent. In addition it turns out that the Bayer product can link to my pump so even the pump company got on the bus - LOL!
Novolog is also excellent in my opinion. I have always used Novo Nordisk insulin in my pumps - the first insulin was called Velosulin and made just for pumps so when I got hooked up there was no other choice. I trust Novo Nordisk with my life.
Velosulin ... I had forgotten that name. I used it in pumps, too. It's a "Regular" equivalent, isn't it? Kind of like Humulin is to Humalog? I remember the doctor saying it had some special buffering agents to minimize set inclusions.
I wouldn't worry about Novolog being cheaper. All insurance companies go out to bid (RFP process) and whoever offers them the best deal is the one they go with. The same thing is true with bg meters and pumps.
I received notices years ago from BCBS that they would no longer be offering Humalog. I was able to have my doctor complete a form that allowed me to continue with my current medications. It took time and was frustrating, but it can be done.
I would find regular harder to cope with timing and peak wise.
I should add, I haven't had any set occlusions frok either Novolog nor Humalog
I have Blue Cross but have always used Novolog so that wasn't a problem for me. The doc suggested switching to the Bayer Meter last year and I figured I'd give it a whirl and it seems to have gotten them to back off the menacing strip letters, or maybe that was from Obamacare? Who knows. I've been through quite a few highly annoying phone calls with them but they seem to be keeping up with my demand for supplies well enough for me.
I use the Primemail Rx service. I was also *extremely* resistant to that but, in the end, it's turned out to be super easy, the insulin ships next day with tons of ice. I've discovered that if I order other crap at the same time as insulin, they ship the whole giant box next day which is also handy. I think I did the switch from Huma to Novo in like 1986 but it was Humalin to Novalin at that time and I just went with Novo when I got my pump.
I like the Bayer meter OK and my A1C dropped a click since I've gotten it so maybe there's some benefit there too, although it's a very small sample size. I jam it into the One Touch UltraMini case I have because the Bayer case sucks and has a stupid elastic thingy that goes over either the buttons one way or the screen the other way, making it super annoying. The OT case is also softer and fits in pockets better so I just swapped them out. Change can be uncomfortable but once I got past it, I like that the meter is easier to read and has more easily accesssed data than the UltraMini but dislike that it's utterly illegible in the sun.