Guest guest Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 I just called my rx ins co to find out how much the copay for test strips are. $113 for 360 of them. I can't afford this. Are there any other glucometers other than the Freestyle that cost less? Or any place else to check prices on test strips? How can I figure out what to eat if I can't test before & /or after eating? JUDITH ---------- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.2.0/276 - Release Date: 3/7/06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 > > I just called my rx ins co to find out how much the copay for test strips are. $113 for 360 of them. I can't afford this. > > Are there any other glucometers other than the Freestyle that cost less? Or any place else to check prices on test strips? > Call them back to find out which test strips they cover at a lower co- pay. All insurances have a fairly small co-pay for generics, a larger co-pay for their preferred brands, and a high co-pay for their non- preferred brands (often $10, $20 and $40). Once you know that you can get the glucometer that works with the strips with the lowest co-pay. Your diabetic educator probably can obtain the glucometer for you for free. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 > > I just called my rx ins co to find out how much the copay for test strips are. $113 for 360 of them. I can't afford this. > > Are there any other glucometers other than the Freestyle that cost less? Or any place else to check prices on test strips? > Call them back to find out which test strips they cover at a lower co- pay. All insurances have a fairly small co-pay for generics, a larger co-pay for their preferred brands, and a high co-pay for their non- preferred brands (often $10, $20 and $40). Once you know that you can get the glucometer that works with the strips with the lowest co-pay. Your diabetic educator probably can obtain the glucometer for you for free. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Judith, 360 strips sounds like 3-4 months worth to me. You could test AM fasting every day & 2 hrs. after meals twice a day for 120 days. That makes the expense work out to a reasonable amount. I do understand that it's the $113 up front that bites deep, though! Barb, T2 in MI Barbara Ward Macomb County, Michigan __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 This sounds like a 3 month supply to me. Do you really need to test after each item you eat? Maybe Fasting, After lunch, After Dinner and at bedtime? Or some days fasting before lunch and two hours after and before dinner and two hours after. Breakfast seems to be little issue for me as I tend to eat the same thing. So unless you changed you probably won't need to test after breakfast. You don't say what you are on medication wise, so if it's just oral meds, you aren't taking 'corrective' action based upon a reading... so test less frequently and more 'strategically' to see how foods affect you. As for less expensive meters/strips. I get the Walgreens brand. The Meter was $17 and 100 strips are about $45 (pre insurance). This 'brand' is TrueTrack and they make store brand meters for Walgreens and other drug stores. You can also buy them labeled as TrueTrack brand at KMart and Target (at least in my area). Mike > > I just called my rx ins co to find out how much the copay for test strips > are. $113 for 360 of them. I can't afford this. > > Are there any other glucometers other than the Freestyle that cost less? > Or any place else to check prices on test strips? > > How can I figure out what to eat if I can't test before & /or after eating? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 This sounds like a 3 month supply to me. Do you really need to test after each item you eat? Maybe Fasting, After lunch, After Dinner and at bedtime? Or some days fasting before lunch and two hours after and before dinner and two hours after. Breakfast seems to be little issue for me as I tend to eat the same thing. So unless you changed you probably won't need to test after breakfast. You don't say what you are on medication wise, so if it's just oral meds, you aren't taking 'corrective' action based upon a reading... so test less frequently and more 'strategically' to see how foods affect you. As for less expensive meters/strips. I get the Walgreens brand. The Meter was $17 and 100 strips are about $45 (pre insurance). This 'brand' is TrueTrack and they make store brand meters for Walgreens and other drug stores. You can also buy them labeled as TrueTrack brand at KMart and Target (at least in my area). Mike > > I just called my rx ins co to find out how much the copay for test strips > are. $113 for 360 of them. I can't afford this. > > Are there any other glucometers other than the Freestyle that cost less? > Or any place else to check prices on test strips? > > How can I figure out what to eat if I can't test before & /or after eating? > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Ron, thanks. I'll be calling my nurse/educator in the a.m. to find out why she picked the Freestyle for me (she said they had several different kinds) and if she can take it back and give me one that the test strips don't cost as much. And I certainly will call my rx ins co. I am worrying in advance! Medicare paid for the glucomoter and the dr's rx for 3 months I think the rx said, but not for as many times a day as the dietician in his office wants me to test. I think, but I am not sure yet, that if he writes another rx with different directions I'll be able to get them. Right now I got the first bunch from Liberty Medical where my husband (diabetic before I married him....) gets his stuff. I called my rx ins co to find out what the co pay was in case I had to get them myself if Medicare wouldn't pick up any more should I run out. I don't expect that I'll be testing this often once we get a handle on which foods shoot my BS up. Anyway, I'm not planning on it! 2x/day is fine with me even though I am not blood or needle shy! I am not on any meds now and the endo doesn't think I will need to do anything more than watch my diet and loose the weight I gained these past 2 years that I moved off my farm into a development in another state. I absolutely hate living here but am stuck here for at least another year until we can sell this house without worrying about capital gains or at least that is what my husband tells me.... sigh sigh sigh. I need to be back in the country! Oh well, c'est la vie. JUDITH == > Call them back to find out which test strips they cover at a lower co- > pay. All insurances have a fairly small co-pay for generics, a larger > co-pay for their preferred brands, and a high co-pay for their non- > preferred brands (often $10, $20 and $40). Once you know that you can > get the glucometer that works with the strips with the lowest co-pay. > Your diabetic educator probably can obtain the glucometer for you for > free. > > Ron > > > > > > Diabetes homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/ > > To unsubscribe to this group, send an email to: diabetes-unsubscribe > Hope you come back soon! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Ron, thanks. I'll be calling my nurse/educator in the a.m. to find out why she picked the Freestyle for me (she said they had several different kinds) and if she can take it back and give me one that the test strips don't cost as much. And I certainly will call my rx ins co. I am worrying in advance! Medicare paid for the glucomoter and the dr's rx for 3 months I think the rx said, but not for as many times a day as the dietician in his office wants me to test. I think, but I am not sure yet, that if he writes another rx with different directions I'll be able to get them. Right now I got the first bunch from Liberty Medical where my husband (diabetic before I married him....) gets his stuff. I called my rx ins co to find out what the co pay was in case I had to get them myself if Medicare wouldn't pick up any more should I run out. I don't expect that I'll be testing this often once we get a handle on which foods shoot my BS up. Anyway, I'm not planning on it! 2x/day is fine with me even though I am not blood or needle shy! I am not on any meds now and the endo doesn't think I will need to do anything more than watch my diet and loose the weight I gained these past 2 years that I moved off my farm into a development in another state. I absolutely hate living here but am stuck here for at least another year until we can sell this house without worrying about capital gains or at least that is what my husband tells me.... sigh sigh sigh. I need to be back in the country! Oh well, c'est la vie. JUDITH == > Call them back to find out which test strips they cover at a lower co- > pay. All insurances have a fairly small co-pay for generics, a larger > co-pay for their preferred brands, and a high co-pay for their non- > preferred brands (often $10, $20 and $40). Once you know that you can > get the glucometer that works with the strips with the lowest co-pay. > Your diabetic educator probably can obtain the glucometer for you for > free. > > Ron > > > > > > Diabetes homepage: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/diabetes/ > > To unsubscribe to this group, send an email to: diabetes-unsubscribe > Hope you come back soon! > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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