That's what I ended up doing. I picked up a box of 25 strips for about $30 (seems outrageous) and my doctor is sending in a prior authorization form to the insurance company to get my brand of strips covered. Ugh! :-)
Are they phasing out the One Touch Link meter?
Yes. Check out the Medtronic Revel web site.
I'm assuming you use the Ping, since that's the only one with a meter-remote? When I started on the Ping I had to switch to the One Touch as well and went from $40 for three months to $100 for three months..grrr. Are you saying your insurance doesn't cover the One touch at all??
I use the One Touch Ultra Link, which "talks" to my pump. No, the insurance will cover One Touch supplies but it needs "prior authorization" from my doctor. They only want to cover the Freestyle, I think. Even the Contour strips will need prior auth. Ugh.
Do you have a Ping? If not, what do you mean when you say it "talks" to your pump? The Ping meter-remote means that the meter can be used to do any of the options that the pump itself does such as bolus using the I:C ratios, ISF, etc. I was under the impression that no other pumps had that! Does it just tell your blood sugar reading to the pump?
Excellent. I love the "consumer" attitude.
One time I was seeing a specialist for something not related to db.
He was looking on my chart and saw that my A1C was 6.9. He said "that's pretty good - you know, we in the medical profession know that diabetics are NOTORIOUS for not taking care of themselves".
Say what? Do you want me to whack you upside the head?
Well, the appt ended badly, with me crying and getting defensive and telling him he had no idea how hard it was, blah blah blah.
It has only been within the last 5 years (T1 for 38 yr) that I've found a care team of people who really get it. Now I don't worry about being judged or scolded or threatened with stories of going blind. And what difference it makes.
I always used to say I didn't have my calendar with me and would call later to reschedule my next appt. Before I knew it, months had gone by. Now I schedule a new one when I leave and promise myself I'll keep it.
Thanks for clarifying, Aimee. I didn't know that it communicated the blood sugar reading! I like to know at least a little bit about the other pumps.
The strips will almost surely be approved. When I went on a Cozmo pump 4 years ago, BCBS wouldn't cover the FreeStyle strips without prior authorization. But when they approved, it was for my lifetime. Of course the Cozmo meter and the related strips are now off the market but....
You must have Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, they made me switch to the Freesytle strips but said anyone with a pump was exempt from the strip switch. It's fairly easy to get your doc to authorize and once it is done it is done for life.
Wow I just happened to come across your Post and you sound a little like me. I am usaully terrified to go to my Endo when I'm being bad (A1C 10.0 currently)because sometimes I get a scolding when I'm not prepared with my weekly log sheets but as my Endo told me 3 months ago when I was actaully being good with everything and she praised me for being one of her more organized Patients (these past couple of months I gave up and was scared to go to my appointment last week).But long story short she said "that it's not about her when patients are not doing the right thing it's about the Patients doing the right thing by themselves".
I identify with you on your post because for me I do not want this anymore, I want to wake up one morning and put on a new pair of shoe's so to speak and never look back.
Now I know since you posted this in July im sure you went to your Nurse Practitioner and things most likely went well for you I hope. They can only help educate and inform you of things.
Anyway do it for yourself and use your Kids as a great motivater.
Good luck!