Glucose meter

#1

I’m not diabetic and my insurance won’t pay for one (I researched it today). Is it worth it to get one anyway to monitor my progress? Just curious. The only free monitor I could find online required a prescription from a doctor.

(matt ) #2

You can get them at any drugstore for 10-20 dollars. The strips are what cost you. I used to get mine on eBay before I got them free from my work insurance.

(Tom) #3

I personally don’t use one and just monitor my progress via pictures, tape measurements, and weight tracking. There are a lot of various store brands that can be had from drug stores that are about 20 bucks for the machine, then another 20 for a bottle of strips. I believe these monitors are cheap because they aren’t intended to be billed to insurance. The brand name ones like accucheck can be had for cheaper, sometimes free, but then their strips are way more expensive if not paid for by insurance.

#4

Thanks. I might pick one up, but I’m not one for needles no matter how small…so maybe pictures and measurements are the better option…lol I just feel an intense need for lots n’ lots of data…

(Karen Fricke) #5

Go to the store and price the strips, then buy the machine that has the cheapest strips. Or if you think you might buy ketone strips in the future get the precision Xtra, it also uses the ketone strips, then you only need 1 machine

(Craig) #6

Imagine that addition of ketone measurement ability might also be beneficial.

In Oz known as Freestyle Optium Neo. Looks similar to Precision Xtra, and also made by Abbott.

#7

Excellent advice since the real cost is in the strips and not the meter.

I’d also recommend the dual-use meter that tests blood glucose (BG) and blood ketones (BK) even if you don’t intend to test BK because the strips are so expensive at the current time.

#8

Can you get an A1c test instead reasonably regularly? That should be covered by your doc?

#9

If you’re in the US, go to Walmart and purchase the Relion Prime Meter and strips. Accurate, reliable and cheap.

#10

I have an appt on Monday, I can ask! Thanks.

(Murray Stromberg) #11

You can also buy the A1c test lit over the counter (usually about $25-30 for set of 2 tests)… Saves the cost & time of a healthcare professional visit and the possible argument, “You don’t need that test”.

(David K) #12

I use the Bayer Contour Next. I am Type II but it is cheaper to buy my own strips (~$40 for 100) than to use what my insurance will pay for (~$35 for 50).

(Tom) #13

Agreed. One caveat, keep using the same brand if you’re going to track your A1C. According to an endocrinologist I once shadowed, the different brands may have slightly different measures of precision (as opposed to accuracy), and jumping from brand to brand can create falsely skewed trends.