Just wanted to share a white paper where a few doctors tested multiple blood meters for accuracy against lab results in 2013 - Freedom FreeStyle Lite and Freedom Freestyle are by far the winners even with +/-5%
Exactly what I've been looking for. I've been looking for just such a list for a little while now as I'm looking into switching meters again. Thanks.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing. I recently had a conversation w/ BCBS ordering me to get a new meter and was like "sure, which one works the best" for which they had no reply. It appears that my One Touch Ultra Mini is no longer even listed so perhaps it sucks? Hmmmm, I'll have to check this out and look into revising my meter plan.
For what its worth acid, I had the one touch ultra and just got an order in for the freedom freestyle lite - I have BCBS with Medco/Express scripts
Meter not covered 19 bucks
300 strips - 30 day supply was 50 bucks.
Yes it was 2010 good catch, but I couldn't find the actual meter list. The Freedom freestyle lite is covered under BCBS - Medco/Express scripts per post above if that helps anyone.
I've had so many meters since the 80s I can't count. I have found the Freestyle Lite to be very accurate as I always take my meter to the lab. The thing to keep in mind is that even with one brand, each individual meter can vary. I had one Freestyle that was always 2% higher than the lab. Another (years later) was always 7 - 8 % above the lab value. The one I have now reads 4 - 5% high. So you should basically get the meter whose features you like, check it with the lab repeatedly, and then simply know how "off" it is and treat from there.
This study was presented on DiabetesDaily several months ago. I changed to Freestyle as a result of it and I am very pleased with the change. I use a Dexcom G4 and when I start a new sensor, I am required to calibrate it with two finger stick BG readings. With both my Ping meter and my Verio iq meters, those readings were usually 10-15% different. With the Freestyle Lite meter, they are usually within a few points of each other. Repeatability is very important for me and in my experience, Freestyle is much better than my Lifescan meters.
Like everyone, I worry about insurance changes and what strips will be covered. My current insurance allows me to purchase any strips at the same price, but I know that is very rare these days.
Been there , done that too. Any meter that does not filter and measure the glucose only D is a dud in my experience and useless. I am fed up with the FDA excuses allowing meters that read all sugars in blood stream as acceptable.
Unacceptable to this 30 year plus type 2.
I use the freestyle lite as well.
Can anybody boil down the raw data any? I see all the differing columns with various accuracy percentages and my eyes glaze over (literally)
Can anybody boil down the results...
How many machines of each type did they use?
Who paid for the testing?
Can patterns be discovered reading the data in some way? Temp causes readings below 100 to do XYZ..... At tempratures over 85 degrees most of the listed meters did XYZ? These kinds of things...
no
The article at Diabetes Daily gives more details about the study. It does not pretend to be a huge exhaustive study. Because I was already unhappy with my One Touch meters, I used this test as a motivation to try Freestyle. In my day to day use I am definitely getting more consistent readings from Freestyle. I still have Lots of One Touch Blue And Verio strips to use up, but I only use my Freestyle meter to calibrate my Dexcom.
http://www.diabetesdaily.com/voices/2013/07/blood-glucose-meter-accuracy-comparison-chart/
Well with express scripts you can no longer use freestyle and have to use the lifetouch starting in 2014, besides that i just found out my sensors for dexcom are no longer covered as DME or by express scripts, I am getting beyond frustrated
This makes me wonder if United Healthcare's choice plus plan covers a freestyle meter. I don't know if I can trust my one touch because I got an 87 mg/dL reading one night except I felt shaky, sweaty, and overall what I suspect was a hypo? I've never had a hypo reading yet in my almost 5 months of diabetes, but I'm really worried because I'm on insulin and what if I'm giving myself the wrong amount? I go to the endocrinologist tomorrow and will bring it up then, but I'm curious.
Call your insurance plan and try to get information from the source. Ask things like whether it makes any difference whether you buy strips through your pharmacy benefits or through your medical supplier. With my plan (not United Healthcare) I can only get One Touch and Contour (I think that’s the second brand) if I buy them at the pharmacy. If I buy them through Edgepark my medical supplier, I can get any brand.
There are so many changes happening with insurance plans now and it looks as though all of us will be losing many choices. Scary.
One other thing to do is to call Freestyle and see if they have any advice or help for you.