Over testing?? What the??

2high · #1 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 07:16 PM

I spoke to my DE on the phone today, and she asked how often I am testing currently. When I told her 8-10 times per day, I was told that I'm "over testing" and using too many supplies. Now, here in Aus, we just buy whatever supplies we need through the NDSS, no script required, just an order form, so I don't know how she can say I'm using too many supplies. Surely I'm just tryin to gain better control by keeping track of my bgs more frequently?? Especially considering that a year ago I was testing only once a day, if that, and my hbA1c was 13.9!!

Has anyone else had this problem??

rzrbks · #2 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 07:39 PM

Here in the US, Ins. companies try and make people cut back on their monitoring all the time.

Stoopid Bean Counters can't see the forrest for the trees.

The manual says, X number of times, so, X number of times it is..............period.

2high · #3 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rzrbks

Here in the US, Ins. companies try and make people cut back on their monitoring all the time.

Stoopid Bean Counters can't see the forrest for the trees.

The manual says, X number of times, so, X number of times it is..............period.

Fine... Rant time.

It's bloody ridiculous! Do these morons not realise that we HAVE to do this to stay healthy? It's not like we're testing for fun, this is a **** disease and we have to deal with it! Apparently, by testing so often, I am letting D rule my life. BULL S**T!! It takes about 10 seconds to set up my meter and test! Surely it's be much worse if I were testing only once a day again, having no idea of my bgs, my trends?

Sorry... had to get that out... **** textbooks think they know it all...mutter mutter...curse curse

JediSkipdogg · #4 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 08:03 PM

Keep in mind, strips are expensive. Like I say all the time, don't pin this 100% on the insurance companies. This is the strip makers fault and the insurance companies have to pay it. There is no control of negotiating prices when it comes to drug prices. Heck, in the US, Medicare Part D SPECIFICALLY states that the Federal Government MAY NOT negotiate prices for drugs on Medicare Part D.

SPike says he tests 18 times a day. In a year, at $80 a box of 100, that's $5256 in just strips. Add that he's a pumper, and you have him as a guaranteed loss for the insurance company.

It's all stupid, but someone needs to get into an office somewhere and starting forcing companies to lower prices. Then making billions in PROFITS a year is no excuse. They claim it's to cover research costs, however, if that's true, they would only make millions in profits, not billions.

Cyborg · #5 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 08:06 PM

This is the same DE that knows you are going on a pump?

2high · #6 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyborg

This is the same DE that knows you are going on a pump?

She sure is... yeh, I'm surprised too... She's also the person that told me to test frequently to get my A1c down...

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediSkipdogg

SPike says he tests 18 times a day. In a year, at $80 a box of 100, that's $5256 in just strips. Add that he's a pumper, and you have him as a guaranteed loss for the insurance company.

You pay $80 for 100 strips?!?!?! OMG!!!
We pay $12.70 AUD for 100... I'm sorry, but that is NUTS!!

Go the Aussie NDSS!! (National Diabetes Supply Scheme)
All our needles are free, too...

Funnygrl · #7 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2high

She sure is... yeh, I'm surprised too... She's also the person that told me to test frequently to get my A1c down...

You pay $80 for 100 strips?!?!?! OMG!!!
We pay $12.70 AUD for 100... I'm sorry, but that is NUTS!!

Go the Aussie NDSS!! (National Diabetes Supply Scheme)
All our needles are free, too...

You may pay $13, but that doesn't mean the strips COST $13.

JediSkipdogg · #8 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 08:32 PM

Well, we don't pay that. I pay $7 for 100. Our insurance pays the rest, which is why insurance rates are through the roof and if you don't have a job with insurance, you pretty much can't get it. Insurance companies won't cover diabetics because we are too high of a risk for them and we are an automatic loss for their company.

lgvincent · #9 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 09:56 PM

I have the same trouble with my doctor. He, and the one before him, both said 3 strips a day was plenty. The reason they say that is because they can be bought in boxes of 100 and divided by 30 days comes out to just over 3 strips a day. I asked for 5 a day and he said he would write a prescription for that but after I left, he sent in a prescription for 3 a day. I went back and had to get really nasty with the clown before I actually got the prescription for 5 strips a day. The sad thing is, I wanted to ask for 200 strips a month, or roughly 7 strips a day but considering how hard it was to get 5, I gave up for the time. I'm looking for a new doctor, one who actually knows something about the medical field.

lilituc · #10 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 10:11 PM

Well, some of us pay more. My insurance will only cover 5 times a day - and that's if I can get the doctor to write it on the prescription, so I end up buying about another 200 a month at $74 per 100.

poodlebone · #11 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 11:38 PM

My insurance doesn't limit my strips. Before I started pumping I was getting 200/month. Then I asked my CDE for 300/month once I got my pump. I was having a lot of trouble getting my numbers straight and ended up buying some strips myself from eBay. So, this past summer I asked my CDE for a new prescription for 400/month. She wrote it, I mailed it away, I got my strips (1,200 at once, a 3 months supply). I pay $20 for the 3 months worth.

My CDE does sometimes tell me that I test too much and might want to cut back a test or two each day but lately my numbers have been so unpredictable I don't dare go more than 2 hours without testing while I'm awake.

FrankDr · #12 (**permalink**) 10-26-2006, 11:44 PM

Another insurance game that my mailorder (Medco) will do is if you have more than 600 on a 3 month script (~ 6.7 / day) , they shorten the 3 months to whatever it takes to keep it under 600. So for example if you have 12 a day, they would change the 90 days to 50 days, so you would actually have 2 copays in the 3 month period instead of one.

But it's still a heck of a savings over list price. I would like to know their actual price though . . .

I'm sure some of the problem is fraud from people over-ordering and selling online. Messes it up for those of us who actually need it.

Later-

Twister212 · #13 (**permalink**) 10-27-2006, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2high

I spoke to my DE on the phone today, and she asked how often I am testing currently. When I told her 8-10 times per day, I was told that I'm "over testing" and using too many supplies. Now, here in Aus, we just buy whatever supplies we need through the NDSS, no script required, just an order form, so I don't know how she can say I'm using too many supplies. Surely I'm just tryin to gain better control by keeping track of my bgs more frequently?? Especially considering that a year ago I was testing only once a day, if that, and my hbA1c was 13.9!!

Has anyone else had this problem??

Don't walk....run...away from this DE. Get a new one! I have burned through a number of endo's...Many in the medical profession are idiots.

Two examples: One endo, Robert Bernstein, Endo in NYC, who said he wouldn't use the Medtronic CGMS Gold (few years ago) because he didn't get compensated well enough by insurance.

Second endo, Jeanine Albu, fancies herself a hotshot researcher at St Lukes in NYC. First available appointment was three months out. When appointment arrived, she kept me waiting for 1.5 hours with no apology or comment at all about it, she actually laughs when I tell her I have been taking Benfotiamine, and says there is no evidence regarding its efficacy. Benfotiamine has a long history of repairing/preventing diabetes complications in Germany, and solid research here from Dr Brownlee of Einstein Medical Center. After I mention Dr Brownlee's research, she simply went on to other topics. When I tried to set up a follow up, again, three months delay.

When I asked her about a script for the new Dexcom, she had never heard of it.

This woman was: 1. not up to date on current products or research, 2. rude, 3. clearly a researcher who just saw an appointment here or there to pad her pocketbook.

Anyway, get a new DE!

Tokyo Cate · #14 (**permalink**) 10-27-2006, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2high

Apparently, by testing so often, I am letting D rule my life. BULL S**T!! It takes about 10 seconds to set up my meter and test! Surely it's be much worse if I were testing only once a day again, having no idea of my bgs, my trends?

I got the same argument from my Doctor in Japan. On one visit she hadn't given me enough supplies so I had to go back to her between appointments to get more strips (they are only available through the hospital) and she told me I didn't need to test because I had a good A1C. I cried and got my way.

spike · #15 (**permalink**) 10-27-2006, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2high

I spoke to my DE on the phone today, and she asked how often I am testing currently. When I told her 8-10 times per day, I was told that I'm "over testing" and using too many supplies. Now, here in Aus, we just buy whatever supplies we need through the NDSS, no script required, just an order form, so I don't know how she can say I'm using too many supplies. Surely I'm just tryin to gain better control by keeping track of my bgs more frequently?? Especially considering that a year ago I was testing only once a day, if that, and my hbA1c was 13.9!!

Has anyone else had this problem??

My endos have all recognized the usefulness of frequent testing so I get my 600# strips each month with no static.

Kit, your DE is clueless, to say the least. Keep testing often.

Dad