Diagnosis is in and some questions

January 13, 2006

Went to the doctor this morning and took my log book where I have been

checking my BG first thing in the morning and 2 hours after eating for a month.

He said I definitely have crossed over to a diabetes diagnosis instead of

borderline. In my heart, I knew that from looking at the numbers myself. He

did do an A1C test and I will have the results next week.

he has put me on Actos ---- anyone have any experience with this? And has

recommended staying on South Beach Diet - he feels like it would be the

right one for me.

He wrote a prescription for a meter and testing supplies and when I went by

Walgreens, I found out that Blue Cross/ Blue Shield ( or at least my plan)

does not cover ANY testing supplies at all. How common is this? My husband

makes too much for any type of govt assistance program but we sure can't

afford $100 a month on test strips. And testing 2 hours after every meal has

really been beneficial this last month in helping me to know what foods cause

problems and which ones don't. I thought all insurance covered testing

strips. any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Jane

January 13, 2006

Thanks Becky, I will try that. This policy just went into effect in Oct

and we never did get anything but the cards from Blue Cross --- it seems like

with other health insurance we always got a big copy of the policy - but with

this one, we didn't get anything.

I will call their customer service and see what I can find out.

Jane

January 13, 2006

Thanks Becky, I will try that. This policy just went into effect in Oct

and we never did get anything but the cards from Blue Cross --- it seems like

with other health insurance we always got a big copy of the policy - but with

this one, we didn't get anything.

I will call their customer service and see what I can find out.

Jane

January 13, 2006

Thanks Becky, I will try that. This policy just went into effect in Oct

and we never did get anything but the cards from Blue Cross --- it seems like

with other health insurance we always got a big copy of the policy - but with

this one, we didn't get anything.

I will call their customer service and see what I can find out.

Jane

January 13, 2006

I just called Blue Cross and ya'll were right --- it is covered under major

medical..... They recommended that I call Liberty Medical to get my testing

supplies.....

The bad news is we have a $1000 calendar year deductible. Liberty Medical

won't handle any supplies if your deduct is over $250 --- I don't think we

have had any expenses so far that counts toward the deduct ---- so it looks

like I will have to be purchasing the supplies out of pocket.

So now I am going to start looking for the lowest cost supplies I can find

---- and I guess limiting my testing also ---- I really like my Freestyle

Flash monitor as it is totally painless on my arm --- but the strips are

around $1 each at Walgreens. So I need to look for a lower cost source.

Thanks

Jane

January 13, 2006

Becky, I am going to call CCS Medical and see how much their testing

supplies are - maybe it will be cheaper than what I am paying and then if I do

meet

the deduct later in the year , it would be good.

I wish we did have a flexible spending account but we don't. Blue Cross is

a pain to deal with.

Jane

January 13, 2006

Becky, I am going to call CCS Medical and see how much their testing

supplies are - maybe it will be cheaper than what I am paying and then if I do

meet

the deduct later in the year , it would be good.

I wish we did have a flexible spending account but we don't. Blue Cross is

a pain to deal with.

Jane

January 13, 2006

Becky, I am going to call CCS Medical and see how much their testing

supplies are - maybe it will be cheaper than what I am paying and then if I do

meet

the deduct later in the year , it would be good.

I wish we did have a flexible spending account but we don't. Blue Cross is

a pain to deal with.

Jane

January 13, 2006

That is fairly unusual. Are you sure that it doesn't cover at all, or

only covers through a contracted mail-order supply house? (I ask that

because this was the situation with me. I was turned down when I tried

to buy at my local drugstore, but after I called CS and pitched a fit, I

found out that I could get insurance to cover through National Diabetic

Pharmacies.)

If you end up paying out-of-pocket, save your reciepts as the cost of

the supplies ARE deductible as a medical expense from your income tax.

(Do you have a flexible spending account? That can re-imburse you for

testing supplies, too.)

Diagnosis is in and some questions

He wrote a prescription for a meter and testing supplies and when I went

by

Walgreens, I found out that Blue Cross/ Blue Shield ( or at least my

plan)

does not cover ANY testing supplies at all. How common is this? My

husband

makes too much for any type of govt assistance program but we sure can't

afford $100 a month on test strips. And testing 2 hours after every

meal has

really been beneficial this last month in helping me to know what foods

cause

problems and which ones don't. I thought all insurance covered

testing

strips. any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Jane

January 13, 2006

That is fairly unusual. Are you sure that it doesn't cover at all, or

only covers through a contracted mail-order supply house? (I ask that

because this was the situation with me. I was turned down when I tried

to buy at my local drugstore, but after I called CS and pitched a fit, I

found out that I could get insurance to cover through National Diabetic

Pharmacies.)

If you end up paying out-of-pocket, save your reciepts as the cost of

the supplies ARE deductible as a medical expense from your income tax.

(Do you have a flexible spending account? That can re-imburse you for

testing supplies, too.)

Diagnosis is in and some questions

He wrote a prescription for a meter and testing supplies and when I went

by

Walgreens, I found out that Blue Cross/ Blue Shield ( or at least my

plan)

does not cover ANY testing supplies at all. How common is this? My

husband

makes too much for any type of govt assistance program but we sure can't

afford $100 a month on test strips. And testing 2 hours after every

meal has

really been beneficial this last month in helping me to know what foods

cause

problems and which ones don't. I thought all insurance covered

testing

strips. any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Jane

January 13, 2006

That is fairly unusual. Are you sure that it doesn't cover at all, or

only covers through a contracted mail-order supply house? (I ask that

because this was the situation with me. I was turned down when I tried

to buy at my local drugstore, but after I called CS and pitched a fit, I

found out that I could get insurance to cover through National Diabetic

Pharmacies.)

If you end up paying out-of-pocket, save your reciepts as the cost of

the supplies ARE deductible as a medical expense from your income tax.

(Do you have a flexible spending account? That can re-imburse you for

testing supplies, too.)

Diagnosis is in and some questions

He wrote a prescription for a meter and testing supplies and when I went

by

Walgreens, I found out that Blue Cross/ Blue Shield ( or at least my

plan)

does not cover ANY testing supplies at all. How common is this? My

husband

makes too much for any type of govt assistance program but we sure can't

afford $100 a month on test strips. And testing 2 hours after every

meal has

really been beneficial this last month in helping me to know what foods

cause

problems and which ones don't. I thought all insurance covered

testing

strips. any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Jane

January 13, 2006

Hi,

Call your insurance company and ask about the testing supplies. We have Anthem

BC/BS and the prescription part of the plan doesn't cover the test strips but

the medical part of the plan does. So I have to pay for them and then submit a

claim to the medical plan and they reimburse for part of it.

In VA, apparently its a law that they have to cover diabetes supplies but I

don't know what other states do.

Barbie

-------------- Original message --------------

From: NanaNich@...

Went to the doctor this morning and took my log book where I have been

checking my BG first thing in the morning and 2 hours after eating for a month.

He said I definitely have crossed over to a diabetes diagnosis instead of

borderline. In my heart, I knew that from looking at the numbers myself. He

did do an A1C test and I will have the results next week.

he has put me on Actos ---- anyone have any experience with this? And has

recommended staying on South Beach Diet - he feels like it would be the

right one for me.

He wrote a prescription for a meter and testing supplies and when I went by

Walgreens, I found out that Blue Cross/ Blue Shield ( or at least my plan)

does not cover ANY testing supplies at all. How common is this? My husband

makes too much for any type of govt assistance program but we sure can't

afford $100 a month on test strips. And testing 2 hours after every meal has

really been beneficial this last month in helping me to know what foods cause

problems and which ones don't. I thought all insurance covered testing

strips. any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Jane

January 13, 2006

Hi,

Call your insurance company and ask about the testing supplies. We have Anthem

BC/BS and the prescription part of the plan doesn't cover the test strips but

the medical part of the plan does. So I have to pay for them and then submit a

claim to the medical plan and they reimburse for part of it.

In VA, apparently its a law that they have to cover diabetes supplies but I

don't know what other states do.

Barbie

-------------- Original message --------------

From: NanaNich@...

Went to the doctor this morning and took my log book where I have been

checking my BG first thing in the morning and 2 hours after eating for a month.

He said I definitely have crossed over to a diabetes diagnosis instead of

borderline. In my heart, I knew that from looking at the numbers myself. He

did do an A1C test and I will have the results next week.

he has put me on Actos ---- anyone have any experience with this? And has

recommended staying on South Beach Diet - he feels like it would be the

right one for me.

He wrote a prescription for a meter and testing supplies and when I went by

Walgreens, I found out that Blue Cross/ Blue Shield ( or at least my plan)

does not cover ANY testing supplies at all. How common is this? My husband

makes too much for any type of govt assistance program but we sure can't

afford $100 a month on test strips. And testing 2 hours after every meal has

really been beneficial this last month in helping me to know what foods cause

problems and which ones don't. I thought all insurance covered testing

strips. any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Jane

January 13, 2006

Hi Jane,

I saw some cheap strips at Walmart, you might have to get a different meter -

usually the meter comes free and the strips are where they make their money back

a

Re: Diagnosis is in and some questions