Nope, born and raised in Canada. I’ve never lived in the U.S., but I have visited many times, so meeting is not an impossibility. 
Canada spends 10% of its GDP on healthcare and covers 100% of the population, but the U.S. spends 17% of its GDP on healthcare and covers only 80% of the population. Part of the government is a much stronger player and can negotiate with doctors and drug companies over the price of healthcare to bring it down, while the individual, especially when sick, is an extremely weak negotiator for the price of healthcare.
Hideous tragedies like being told you are dying of cancer and then having to think about how you protect your family from bankruptcy while you try to save your life against this threat are possible only in the U.S., among the developed countries of the world which can afford public healthcare. I was born in the U.S., but I regard myself as a medical refugee to Canada, since I was going to be financially and medically discriminated against my entire life in America.
can u give it a rest?
Facts are stubborn things.
I borrowed that from US President John Adams. Here’s his full quote:
Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
I think it is great you were able to find an option that worked for you.
@Jen, oh, ok. I was imagining you with a british accent, LOL. All steam ahead with the lumberjack jokes for Jen.
Seriously, though, I missed the Las Vegas convention. I’m hoping everybody gets together again. Maybe they will have it in a fun city next year. I think @Terry4 went to the Las Vegas one. Maybe we can assign him to advertise it, next time its somewhere fun.
I was surprised that Dexcom required a ‘Certificate For Medical Necessity’ to provide a TRANSMITTER!!! And I’m Cash Pay.
And WHY can the older Humulin / Novolin be purchase Over The Counter without a script?
Indications are that it is a RIGGED game.
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$310.70 US for a box of 4 if you are on Dexcom’s AutoShip program. And after 9 shipments you can get a free Transmitter (but need current prescription!!).
Thinking retail price is around $400 US for box of 4.
Just because you pay cash makes no difference to what items require an Rx. sigh.
Perhaps because they don’t want u killing yourself with appropriate usage of fast acting insulins such as HumaLOG and NovoLOG? Just a WAG
I agree that you could potentially kill yourself with any kind of insulin, so I have no idea why only the older, less effective/popular versions are available OTC.
I tend to think the system is rigged as well.
I think because of the speed of the “logs”. again, just a WAG.
Man what kind of plan is a POS plan? Doesn’t sound very good to me 
So the thing about referral requirements is it is 2 fold. Not only is it based on insurance, but also individual doctors/offices. Every Endocrinologist I have been to required a referral from another doctor, and thanks to the way things work that often also means an extra unnecessary appointment with a doctor just to get the referral. Plenty of other specialists have required referrals too, and it is more common with certain types of specialists. Like neurologists…I have never found one that didn’t require a referral. I have successfully gone to an orthopedic specialist and an allergy specialist without a referral, but I think the allergy one didn’t require a referral because I had been there many years ago so they let it slide (usually places will require a new referral after longer period of time without coming back).
And on the topic of wait times, I think my wait times my be shorter than the horror story ones you hear when people argue against socialized medicine, but definitely longer than the easy breezy time frames that are often touted by people in support of the US system. I usually have pretty long wait times to see anyone, even my regular doctor (family doctor/general practitioner/primary care). And I don’t live in a rural area, there are many doctors within a 5 min to hour drive range. It’s just that they all have long wait times. If I have to reschedule with my endo it is usually 3 -4 months, a schedule or reschedule with my primary care doctor could be 2 weeks - 2 months, and that has been common with all primary care doctors I have had. Other specialists range from 2 -6 months usually, and that is only for the initial appointment, not counting the rest to actually figure out the issue. On that note often I am left wasting much of my time as they fail to actually diagnose anything even when there is an obvious issue.
Where are people finding these low prices for sensors? According to every price I have seen retail is around $900 for 4 sensors. I am guessing Dexcom sells them direct for $3-400 or something (I am unable to see Dexcom prices)? Seems every other retailer sells them way higher than that.
I think that in the end all heathcare systems could be better than what they are. I personally am not an ideologist or a purist (in general but also specifically on the topic of healthcare systems), so I can look at things from other sides. Socialized healthcare isn’t the end all be all, but just one type of solution. I do not like the third party payer system, like we have in the US. It is the cause of much of our healthcare system woes and it also tends to stifle entrepreneurialism. It is not all bad, but far from the best option.
As far as buying directly from Dexcom, don’t they give a cash discount for those without insurance? I know for a FACT that MM gives exactly a 45% discount on Enlites.
IIRC, MM doesn’t discount everything like that, however.
Call Dexcom directly and talk with sales rep about your options. Eliminate the middle man if you can.
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I was just thinking that every time I have talked to dexcom they were pretty helpful. Maybe the Dexcom in Vancouver or whatever place you accesss could just fedex you a sensor to be on the safe side? That way no prescription needed, maybe just a pricey fedex charge?
2019 quoted costs were $349 for a box of G4/G5 or G6. In 2018 I was on an auto ship program for G4/G5 at reduced cost of $310 per box PLUS after buying 9 boxes I could request a FREE transmitter. Worked out great because G4 transmitters typically last at least 9 months for me.
So now in 2020, Dexcom supplies still require prescription (just received confirmation from them). Only possible harm is momentary pain at insertion site. I wanted to know if I could legally sell some G4/G5 sensors at a discount to afford trying the G6 system - guess my G6 test will need to wait a few more months.
I know this thread is old but… The G6, and I would assume most others, most definitely requires a prescription. DME or pharmacy, it doesn’t matter. It’s clearly labeled as “Rx only” on the packaging.
What I haven’t seen mentioned in this thread, is that prescriptions for medications and medical supplies are largely due to current patents, which keep them in the “controlled” category. Once medications and other technologies are old enough to have expired patents, they usually get moved to the “over the counter” category.
However, insurance will forever and always want a script showing medical necessity… At least until the health system is overthrown.