[Diabetes-Talk] Dexcom and Medicare.

Mon Mar 11 19:57:22 UTC 2019

Dexcom wants to cover people who don't have smart phones and considers the
receiver to be a backup. I do know sighted people who use the phone during
the day and the receiver at night so they don't have to have the phone near
them during those hours.
Having said that, I now have two receivers that have never come out of their
package. Way to go, cheapskates. But Dexcom is still telling me that April
is quite likely and they are doing this slow roll-out right now. Of course,
the real answer is it will happen when it happens. But I would advise
anyone, especially if it's time to replace a transmitter, to press hard on
Dexcom to find out whether or not it's happened yet. Of course, if you're a
cash paying customer, you should ask every time because you can get what you
want.
As for the changing the reservoir every three days, I've always heard that
from Medtronic, not from anyone else. Their stuff costs more as well.
Veronica

"Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now available on
iTunes, along with other music from her and from the Guide Dog Glee Club. 
To learn more, visit:
http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
                Veronica Elsea, Owner
Laurel Creek Music Designs
Santa Cruz, California
Phone: 831-429-6407

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2019 11:07 AM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind'
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Dexcom and Medicare.

The funny thing is that all the sighted people I know using Dexcom don't
even use the receiver. So, I don't know why Dexcom or any insurance provider
makes such a big deal about it.

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tamera
via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2019 12:34 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Tamera <fidano at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Dexcom and Medicare.

I have been held up for a couple weeks, my transmitter expired and  there
was a glitch with Medicare wanting a new  letter of necessity. My Doc  had
only updated the old one!
So, I should be getting my supplies again  soon.. I hope! I've been using
the Dexcom for a few years now, and it truly has made a difference,
realizing now that I have been without it!
But I was told Medicare would not start fulfilling  The G6 until late this
year.
My doctor sent a RX back in the fall, for the G6.. but Medicare has its own
control.
The saying yes to using both the receiver and smart phone, well.. when this
all first started with Medicare covering the G5, one had to indicate they
absolutely would not use a smart  phone/device. All Red tape and BS.
But thankfully, from all I know.. my receiver is plugged into a outlet in
the kitchen, synchronizes with my phone app.. and I was told by Dexcom, that
was good enough for Medicare, should they ever want to check on my use of
the receiver. Which is BS, living alone and independently, totally blind.. I
was on BlueCross when I first got my G5, receiver and all.. and never used
that receiver. This is all Medicare wasting dollars.
	Tamera

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Diane
via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2019 6:47 AM
To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: dianefilipe at comcast.net
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Dexcom and Medicare.

Thanks for the info Veronica!
Diane

Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 10, 2019, at 11:11 AM, Veronica Elsea via Diabetes-Talk
<diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi everyone.
> Well, Dexcom is slowly beginning the roll-out of Medicare coverage for 
> the G6. I managed to get myself on the VIP list and just received my 
> first Medicare kit.
> When you place your order, they ask you 8 questions. Most of them are 
> kind of stupid, but that's Medicare. But question 8 is whether or not 
> you'd be willing to use the receiver in conjunction with your phone. I 
> said no, and the Dexcom guy said I'd need to say yes here. I then 
> asked if this was being enforced. He said it wasn't. So I lied. I sent 
> a note to Dexcom's Medicare representative about this because I was 
> concerned that other blind people may not know this.
> I did receive my first shipment. Boy is the packaging cheaper. The 
> print manual is a bunch of pages in a bag rather than a nicely bound 
> manual. The transmitter box fell apart when I was trying to figure out 
> where the serial number was and how to read it. And everything says 
> all over it, Medicare Medicare Medicare. For use only by Medicare 
> recipients. Boy that's saving money all right. Why do they have to 
> have their name all over everything and make companies package things 
> in
separate boxes just because it's Medicare?
> Dumb!
> And on Friday night, my first two sensors failed. After I called, 
> Dexcom said, we'll send out Medicare sensors. I couldn't help myself.
> I want Dexcom sensors. I asked if the sensors were different. The guy 
> kind of tripped all over his words and said they weren't. I'm 
> beginning to wonder. I hope they are. In the meantime, good thing this 
> last sensor managed to work. Sheesh! I can't believe I paid cash for 5 
> months while they negotiated this for a contract. Our government could 
> have saved a ton of money if they'd just let the coverage of the G6 
> begin when it was approved by Medicare last July. My previous sensors 
> didn't say Anthem all over them so why does Medicare have to do this?
> Anyway, please help spread the word about question 8. I'm trying to 
> get people to work on fixing this but in the meantime, I don't want 
> any blind person to be discouraged from, or denied using the Dexcom 
> for this stupid reason. Thanks.
> Veronica
> 
> 
> "Guide Dogs, First Hand", Veronica Elsea's classic album is now 
> available on iTunes, along with other music from her and from the 
> Guide
Dog Glee Club.
> To learn more, visit:
> http://www.laurelcreekmusic.com
>                 Veronica Elsea, Owner
> Laurel Creek Music Designs
> Santa Cruz, California
> Phone: 831-429-6407
> 
> 
> 
> 
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Diabetes-Talk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/dianefilipe
> %40comcast.net

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