So I'm saving up to buy a Dexcom for myself, and wondering if anyone buys their sensors from a wholesale place or a place that has them discounted...or if you just are ordering through Dexcom? Seeing that my insurance won't be covering it, I'm trying to find the most affordable way to maintain my monthly costs. Thanks :)
Sorry I can't be of much help... I order mine through Diabetes Supply Center of the Midlands, but my insurance covers 90%, so I'm not paying full cost.
Unfortunately there are no wholesalers for Dexcom supplies. Those who get them through other retailers don't get a better deal - they simply must do so for their insurance to pay for it. Some insurance companies will not pay Dexcom or the insulin pump companies directly but will pay a 3rd party supplier. The 3rd party simply buys the supplies from Dexcom and functions to exchange money between the patient's insurance and Dexcom.
One way to save money with Dexcom is to wear the sensors for as long as possible. Save the sensor wrapper and call their technical support if the sensor is not working or ends prematurely. Dexcom will replace it free of charge. It can be fairly affordable if you wear the sensor for 2 weeks instead of one. And I would encourage you to have your doctor write appeal after appeal to your insurance company stating the importance of having this monitor for your blood sugar and safety as well as the risk at which you are placed by not having one. Insurance companies are more likely to pay for something if they think they will have greater expenses if they don't (i.e. hospitalizations, law suits, deaths).
Can you wear the sensors for two weeks? That would be great! I reset mine (as if I had actually inserted a new sensor) when it shut off one night while I was still at work. The DexCom people said they couldn't officially tell me to just restart it but that they KNEW people did it. So... I did. I think I only kept it in for an extra day, though. Is it as accurate once you pass seven days on the same sensor? That was my only concern...
Yes, you can wear most sensors for two weeks. I do it all the time! When it automatically shuts down after 7 days, just hit "start sensor" again. I haven't noticed a difference in accuracy after the first 7 days.
You can totally where it longer than 7 days. I find that I don't usually make it to a full 14 days before the adhesion wears off. I average about 12 days, I would say.
Hi Kim, this is great to hear someone with experience with the Dexcom that you are comfortable wearing it longer than 7 days. I have had my 2 1/2 year old son on it (and the animas ping pump) for about 2 months now and we are loving it. You can imagine the constant guessing of a toddler's blood sugar was quite stressful. This has taken a lot of that burden away. The only thing is that he does not enjoy the insertion, and for the first few weeks had tantrums screaming "no mommy no!" which is so heart breaking to hear. He seems to be getting used to it, but it would be awesome if I could stretch out the length of time between insertions.
I don't enjoy the insertion part, either... I kind of have to psych myself up for it. :)
Chelsea, before you purchase the Dexcom out-of-pocket you should try to get your insurance company on board. If you contact Dexcom, they will help facilitate this process. All you really need is for your doctor to say it is clinically indicated. Dexcom can talk with your doctor to help them with the language to get insurance approval. Dexcom can also provide you with the things you need to prep for the doctor's appointment. Just give them a call.
When I contacted Dexcom, the rep helped me get approved by insurance, no problem. But, he said I needed to prove I'd been testing at least 5 times a day (or was it 6...?), and that I had at least one "bad" low (under 50) a week (and of course the letter from my endo). So, I'd start making sure you've been testing enough just in case. (:
Sarah is right. You need to provide 1-2 months of blood sugars with an avg of 5 readings per day and 1 blood sugar <50 per week. If you provide that and get the note from your Endo, then your insurance company should cover the CGM as well as supplies. It would save you hundreds, so I'd be sure to explore this avenue before purchasing anything out of pocket
Rachel,
I am diabetic father with a 5 year old diabetic son. I know how you feel, except for the inserting part. I use a numbing cream that is an Rx from my son's endo. It works GREAT. I have even put his new infusion sets on while he sleeps, he never feels it. We are both on the ping and we are presently going through a Dexcom trial. I am applying for one, however, we are not sure if we want to strap another piece of electronic gear to our active son. Do you happen to know of anything out there that will replace the large Dexcom receiver?
Bill
Chelsea,
Here is a link for the Dexcom website that talks about purchasing without insurance. (bottom of page)
http://dexcom.com/customer_care/sales_support
Thanks so much for the post and the info, Bill! I will look into the cream, I've been a bit hesitant about it since one parent told me it was "bad" to get them hooked on it because once you do, then they want to use it forever and you have a hard time if you're out of it. That seemed weird, but I somehow attached to that notion, and it seems pretty ridiculous now. We are loving the Dexcom, it has really given me a lot of peace of mind. It's not always totally accurate, but it's pretty close. My son is 27 lbs. so you can imagine there is not a whole lot of skin real estate to put this and the ping we have, but it's been ok, after my initial reticence. We mainly use the buttocks and thighs and hip area for everything right now. I'm not ready to do the tummy. . .it's just to precious. I know there are many different things in development right now, but supposedly this is the smallest one for the cgm so far. Dexcom just merged with Animas last year, and I am sure they will have something in the next year or two that will combine both (hopefully smaller than the gigantic Omnipod). There is much on the near horizon to be sure.