Hi Everyone! I am having a problem getting test strips covered by my health insurance and I was hoping someone might have some advice for me.
I recently switched to a new endocrinologist near my college. She is great and wrote the statement of medical necessity so that I could switch to the omnipod. My insurance did not even require a prior authorization. I had previously been using a medtronic pump and a one touch meter. My insurance always covered my test one touch test strips and I only payed a $15 copay. My insurance is covering the omnipod at 90% which is great!
So now that I am on the omnipod I wanted to use the freestyle test strips that work with it. I called the endo office and they wrote the prescription. I went to the pharmacy to pick up the strips and was told they were "non formulary" and that I needed "prior authorization" (which seemed strange to me because the pump didn't even require a prior authorization).
So I called the endo office and was told by the nurse that the pharmacy had asked for the prior authorization already and that it was "in process". This info was garnered on friday. So I let it go for the weekend.
Now today I received a voicemail from the endo office nurse telling me that they needed prior authorization for the freestyle test strips (which I already knew). She then asked if I could call the health insurance and ask them which strips and meter they do cover so they could prescribe those strips.
Switching to a meter with covered strips does not solve the problem. I want to use the strips that work with my omnipod and I don't get why the insurance company wouldn't cover the strips to work with the pump that they cover at 90%!
How do you folks think I should proceed? Btw I have Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield if that makes a difference.