I'm on the insulin pump and it's able to be hooked up with a cgm.. I tried to go for it but my insurance said no.. I think I might know y but i'm not toally sure.. I want to be on the cgm soo badly it would be much easier to have it and plus I wouldn't have to prick my fingers.. I want to go for it again but dont want to be turned down again. any suggestions???
CGMs are not considered "medically necessary" unlike the pump, insulin, needles etc. It's very rare to have insurance cover the machine, let alone the sensors. You can try having your endo write a letter, but it's likely if you really want it, you'll have to pay for it all out of pocket.
one thing you should note though is that you STILL have to test your blood sugar with a regular meter, even when using a CGM. it does NOT replace blood sugar tests. A CGM is NOT 100% accurate and is used more so as a warning system between finger pokes for those who can't feel their lows and also with finding trends between your normal finger pokes so that insulin can be adjusted.
You still have to do the fingersticks because you are supposed to calibrate the cgm like 3-4 times per day. That way it makes sure that it is always as accurate as possible. In the future, you probably will not need to check with fingersticks.
[quote user="Chris"]
You still have to do the fingersticks because you are supposed to calibrate the cgm like 3-4 times per day. That way it makes sure that it is always as accurate as possible. In the future, you probably will not need to check with fingersticks.
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umm...I donno man. I've never heard of calibrating a CGM 3-4 times a day and then eventually never having to do that or finger poke again. Each sensor needs to be calibrated; I don't think anyone on here with a CGM pokes their finger any less. When the CGM says you're low, you're suppose to do a finger poke to confirm it; when it says you're high, you're suppose to do the same thing.
"The continuous glucose monitor is not intended for day-to-day monitoring or long-term self-care and it is not a replacement for standard blood sugar monitoring. It is only intended for use to discover trends in blood sugar levels. This helps your health care team make the most appropriate decisions regarding your treatment plan."
Neither the pump nor a CGM are "magical" devices. They both require the person to wear them to monitor the devices and interact with the machines to make sure they are working correctly. you can't just turn them on, forget about them and expect them to always be accurate or working properly. If you don't use them correctly or you don't know how to use them correctly, you're not going to "magically" still get better control of your diabetes.
well i think i will just wait.. if i still have to poke myself there would be no point in the cgm.. hopefully one day we wont have to poke ourselves.. my fingers are getting tired of it ;p
I agree with Batts, my meter and Dexcom do not agree so closely that I can depend on my CGM when I do a bolus. If I did, I would be giving one or more units too much, or too little, almost every time.
I used my CGM Feb.Oct in 2010, but then I had to quit. Medicare absolutely refuses to cover a CGM for any diabetic. Prior to Oct I had a NY State insurance plan that covered my pump, CGM and all supplies. My group insurance switched to An MVP plan under Medicare, and it will be costing at least thousand extra each year, even without a CGM.
Have you tried testing on your palms or your forearms? Those sites are not as accurate as finger pokes but I know a few people who do the majority of testing their and only finger test if they are feeling low or the arm test is on the low end of their range. Would be something to talk with your doctor about.
After a looong and frustrating battle, i got the cgm approved, and i have to battle again each year when the rx runs out....but, i think it is great, for me. I used to test myself 20-25 times a day....so 4-5 tests is awsome!! But u definetly can't just stop testing, you really use it to see how fast you are going high or low. But they definetly make it hard to get!!
I have thought about using my arms.. I just don't know if I want to get another pricker for it. But it would be nice to give my fingers a break.
I have thought about trying my arms. It would be nice to give my fingers a break. thanx :D
I have thought about trying my arms. It would be nice to give my fingers a break. thanx :D
I've been on the medtronic cgm for 4 or 5 years and have had to go through the appeal process with 2 different insurance companies, as I changed jobs. What worked for me was being in the "child bearing" years. Explaining how hormones change so much durning pregnancy and using studies to show how important good bg control is durning pregnancy for the health of the growing child. Even after my second child, and not really wanting more, I still used this as my argument as I still fall in the "child bearing" years. Both appeals took time, and re-vamping of my letters, and re-submitting. I even wrote my endocrinologist's letter, then asked her to tweak it (we have a great relationship, and being in the medical profession myself i know how little extra time they have for things like that). The cgm is TOTALLY worth it!!! Testing less and seeing trends BEFORE going high or low helps to catch them sooner. Good luck!
Tawnya... I was worried about being approved for my CGM and Pump since I have only been diagnosed since October. My insurance approved it with no issues. I was shocked and so was Dexcom and Animas. However I am interested in possibly having a baby in the next couple of years so my dr put pre-pregnancy planning on my paperwork and that may have been what helped push it through. Good luck!