Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by metheniac on December 12, 2012 at 1:15pm

It depends on your insurance. If your insurance paid for the first one, they most often will pay for subsequent ones. If you have a copay, it should be the same for subsequent ones.

Permalink Reply by Mary on December 12, 2012 at 1:27pm

Thanks. I have only had the 7+ since September and am addicted to it! After 45 years of T1 and being very brittle it has been a life saver. I do not have to pay for the first one because I started in September and the upgrade is free.
I do not think my husband is going to go for paying a copay every 6 months on top of the cost of the sensors.

Permalink Reply by DiabeticRadio.com on December 12, 2012 at 4:22pm

I was thinking that, since it's such a fairly new device still, I'm worried that not all insurances will pay for that second battery. I'm thinking that they may see it as a second unit, and they only usually pay one instance of a unit per year. Both the battery & sensors for the G4 are a little more than double the price as the +7. Maybe it will become one of those things we we'd have to ask for an approval/appeal? Hopefully maybe someone has insight in to this?

I asked a Dexcom rep, how come they can't put two batteries as part of the kit? She had no answer for me. Although the product is great, the company is no better than anybody else, they just want to make a s**t load of money off of us.

-Yogi

Permalink Reply by MegaMinxX on December 12, 2012 at 7:36pm

Since you got the Gen4 as a 'free' upgrade, your insurance doesn't know about it. Your insurance covered the Seven+, which has a 1 year warranty for the Receiver and Transmitter. So technically, your insurance company may say they won't cover another CGMS until the warranty is out for the Seven+ (Sept 2013).

However, the Gen4 transmitter has warranty for only 6 months, although it is expected to last longer, possibly up to a year. If the Gen4 transmitter fails within the first 6 months, Dexcom should replace it at no cost.

You could check with Dexcom regarding your situation with the free upgrade. Ask them what would happen if your Gen4 dies after 6 months, but before Sept 2013.
Would they honor your original Seven+ warranty, and give you a new Gen4 transmitter ?
Or would they tell you to go back to using your Seven+ (still under warranty) ?
Or would they say you have to purchase new Gen4 transmitter, with your insurance (which they may not cover prior to Sept 2013) ?
Or ???

The estimated price for Gen4 transmitter is $500-600, but everyone's insurance has different contracted prices and co-pays. If your co-pay is 20%, you might expect approx $100 for your portion. I hope on average the Gen4 transmitter will last 8-12 months, but we'll have to wait a year to hear from folks what their experience is.

Permalink Reply by Mary on December 12, 2012 at 8:33pm

Thank you so much for your response. Thia is exactly what I am worried about. Need to get with my rep. My insurance are real sticklers. :-;

Permalink Reply by Mary on December 12, 2012 at 8:36pm

Thank ypu. I know it is a waiting game on the insurance. I hope and pray it lasts 1 year. Other wise my husband is going to go crazy on me.

Permalink Reply by DiabeticRadio.com on December 13, 2012 at 2:46am

MegaMinxX,

I checked the billing for what my insurance paid for on the transmitter, and it was about $1500+ Not sure if that was a contract rate or the full price. The sensors were about 750 a box (something like that). Not sure if they would honor an old 7+ warranty, since the seven+ is not compatible with G4. If you still have warranty on a Seven+ they would most likely only honor that, for a Seven+ part.

I think it's kinda scary, that a company would put out a product, and not be sure how long these batteries would last? Why can't they make these darn things rechargeable? Or extend the warranty? For what they are charging, it's the least they should do!!

-Yogi

Permalink Reply by Mary on December 13, 2012 at 2:03pm

Thanks, I am waiting for my rep to respond to me. I think what will be best for me is to wait until the warranty on my 7+ is up in September 2013 to get the G4. Have to see if it will still be free then. I hope so.

Permalink Reply by MegaMinxX on December 13, 2012 at 5:52pm

Is it possible the $1500 was for the Receiver + Transmitter ?
$750 also seems high for a box of 4 sensors. So they may be the 'list' prices.

But every insurance is different.

Permalink Reply by DiabeticRadio.com on December 13, 2012 at 6:32pm

Permalink Reply by English lady on December 18, 2012 at 2:15am

Please excuse me interrupting but I just saw your insurance claim and am staggered by the mark-up! I have to self-fund G4 in UK as it's not available on our NHS yet but paid the equivalent of under $2,000 for exactly the same as you have (except readings given in mmols).

Permalink Reply by MikeU on February 11, 2013 at 11:43am

Such is life with healthcare in the US. I recently had blood work done - coded as 4 or 5 different tests. The "price" was listed as nearly $600. The cost to my insurance company was about $60. My 10% copay was about $6.

Healthcare "cost" in the US is comical - the reason that most of our bankruptcies are due to medical costs.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page