Well, at least Joslin recommends more but probably still not enough for many. Dr. Kevorkian would be accurate for the number they want us to test. I don't see how anyone can get by on that number. And I don't know why they care that much since they probably make money off the test strips anyway.
I actually was thinking of T2 but not using bolus insulin. The Joslin recommendation was higher for T2 on MDI
I’m just glad that there are finally strips that are affordble for when insurance fails us… Ie relion prime. I have put serious thought into just buying only those with cash and not even using my rx coverage just to avoid the headaches. Haven’t quite talked myself into it yet though. I really hope relion (Walmart) soaks up enough of the market that others have to lower their prices to compete
Yeah, I worry about people that don't have the tenacity I do to push through this. I'm told that yes, I will probably have to pay the deductible each year and will get reimbursed; it shouldn't be that way, but it is, because too many different groups are involved. Maybe they'll figure it out by next year, if not I'll just live with that as it's not a lot.
It is scary isn't it? And they don't explain the reasoning. Although I wonder if they sometimes read the forums and notice the amount of testing that is done that is needless for example:
test to verify unwanted results;
test the neighbors;
test the family;
test soda pop;
etc.
I don't waste strips, I need them. I may read more than is helpful to me, but I do notice some misuse of a very necessary thing. That is not helpful to we who use them and actually make decisions based on the results. When testing serves no purpose, then there is good reason to limit the tests.
Sorry for getting on that soap box. I just read another post elsewhere that has a person testing people who are not diabetic...and this is on my dime (state funded health assistance program)! Pissed me off :(
We must be our own advocates to get what we need beyond the "limits" of any kind of coverage. I get a kick out of the coverage for lancets! What if we could trade the lancet coverage for strips instead?!? My insurance once sent me one bottle of Novolog for a three month supply! The bottle expires 28 days after opening said I to the pharmacy....and one bottle won't last one month even if it did not expire!! Scary!!!
Good one, Maurie!
I also have CalPers. I took all the paperwork into Kaiser's customer service office, dumped it onto a lady's desk, and never had to worry about it since, they took care of everything. That was 2 years ago. I wish I had as much confidence in their doctors as I do their office staff. There's no way I could deal with all that paperwork doo doo, and I am a reasonably intelligent person. Or at least I used to be.
Nice, Jan. I don't have Kaiser, but there is a woman at Anthem that sort of took charge for me, coordinating with CVS and Medicare. But she didn't do everything. You still, I assume had to do labs and turn in logs?
What I find interesting is that NOBODY seems to understand how CalPers and Medicare integrate. And I live in a small town that's a county seat with lots of retired workers!
Dear Karen,
Thank you so much for posting the link to the Medicare limits information! Very interesting!
And I'd like to--very respectfully--suggest how valuable it is sometimes to test other people. Who knows when a test like that might show that a friend or family member is diabetic but doesn't know it? That's how I found out that my blood sugars were surprisingly high. If it saves even one person from a DKA emergency, that seems so important.
It's such a good education for those out there who don't know much about diabetes to experience what a test is like and to see the results. At the minimum, it helps them understand more about what their friend or family member goes through.
And I really like your idea of trading lancet allowances for strips!
Very best wishes to you,
marty1492
I have Kaiser Medicare & I've never handed in logs, they download my pump & meter data at the appointment before I see the endo. Also in 52 years I don't think I've ever had a c-peptide blood test. I have an A1C every 3 months or so & that's it. When I 1st came to the USA I just told the Docs I had T1D & no one questioned it, I worked for a large corporation so insurance coverage was good. I've never known any other insurance but Kaiser, after the UK national service I wouldn't know how to cope.
Interesting that there is so much variation. I can understand the downloading of data as an alternative to written logs (I have never given data to anyone as I just see a PCP for scripts). But it's odd that many of us have been asked for c-peptides for Medicare, but some have not it seems. I guess Kaiser has their own system.
I’ve always been told that Medicare requires a C-peptide for pumps and pump supply coverage. In 37 years as a Type 1, I have never had a C-peptide test. My endo just laughed at me when I wondered what I would do if it ended up being too high. I have a few years to go until Medicare and know I have a lot to learn.
yes, I meant they recommend more for type 2 than medicare does.. I had some nurses calling me for while to help me through my insurance. One had type 2 and she wasn't on insulin. She was trying to tell me that eventually I could test less because I would know what would happen, she really didn't have a clue about being on insulin or type 1 and how much you can fluctuate although she gave me some useful advice for other areas. The other nurse I spoke with had even less of clue and she didn't have diabetes. I think they all just go by whatever medicare says now or by what seems to work for them.
there is nothing wrong with testing family members occasionally and it's not illegal. That is really irrelevant to how many test strips we should have as pwd. We should have as many as we need to stay alive and keep ourselves healthy.
Is verifying unwanted (unexpected) results really a waste of strips. If I'm expecting a 130 and the reading is 190, do I correct based on that number or retest to make sure. If that 190 is more like 160, I'd use about 1/2 unit less for my correction and probably save myself a low.
Me too… well, that sucks, but at least it isn't a lot.. I hope they figure it out.
I agree, I always retest if I'm in doubt so I can hopefully give the best treatment. The only people who should decide how much we need to test are us imo.
I agree it is not a waste to retest if you don't trust a result. I expect my bg to be 80 at all times, but it does not always happen that way. I trust my meter so I would correct any of those numbers in your example.
And by then it will probably have changed again, Laddie!