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If CGMs existed when you were diagnosed with T1D and you wanted to use one, did you have to wait to get a CGM for any reason? Select all of the below options that apply to you.
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Endo doc recommended on first visit in September, and immediately submitted the Rx, but it took until December to go through all the nonsense of approvals and actually get it.
It took over a year for me to see an endocrinologist, so it started out that I didn’t know such a thing existed. Then when I got to see an endo, they jumped through all the necessary hoops with my insurance company to get me one, which took a while. This was around 2006-2007.
I had to pay $800 for diabetes education that my insurance wouldn’t cover, but then I switched to an endocrinologist that provided an educator that was covered and I got a CGM.
When my endo called to tell me my antibody test came back positive (taken at hospital when I went in with DKA), she offered me a free-trial CGM from the stock she keeps at her office. I went in, got it right away and by the time the sensor needed replacement, insurance had approved my use of a CGM. The was one year ago.
Clinitest urine analysis (reagent tablets/test tubes) was the state of the art.
I answered No in error. CGM was not available in 1966.
I learned about CGMs in an online forum a few months after diagnosis and requested one. I had to provide a log of fingerstick BG data documenting highs and lows in order to get it. Fortunately I had been keeping a log and had it ready to submit. No training other than printed documents and a short video but I did have a very informative chat with a Dexcom rep who used it himself.
I had to send in an appeal to my insurer. They kept delaying an answer, took me close to a year to get coverage for CGM. This was 8 yrs ago or so.
Whoops! Answered incorrectly. Missed the part that said “when you were diagnosed “. CGMs did not exist when I was diagnosed 66 yrs ago.
CGM’s did not exist for many years when I was diagnosed in 1977. However, there is a story to tell here.
I drove an hour and 15 minutes to work each morning. One morning, approximately 2008, upon arrival at work, I started my usual routine, went to the men’s room, and collapsed from a low blood sugar. Consequently, I broke my right ankle.
At the time, CGM’s were just coming out ( or I just became aware of them). They were not yet approved by my health insurance company, so I could not get a CGM. While out of work, sitting at home with my broken ankle, I telephoned the insurance company and told them that if I had a CGM, I probably would not have had the low blood sugar, broken my ankle, and be sitting at home losing time at work and costing the insurance company the expense of my medical care. Very soon afterward, the insurance company approved my CGM. I may have been the first approved by my insurance company.
Yes. You have to hit them where it hurts, and it isn’t always in the pocket book. They didn’t want to cover the amount of my test strips until I told the pharmacist: OK but it means when I go low, I won’t always test because I don’t want to run out is strips. The pharmacist said, hold on a minute. When they came back in, I had slow the strips I needed.
CGMs existed but were not widely in use when I was diagnosed. I had to wait about 15 years (until around 2015) for them to be covered by insurance.
1969
A whole lot of “maintenance tech”did not exist and IMV/IMHE as a culture we were all less terrified because of it….. IMHV
They did not exist in 1968. Fingersticks were also not available. I started on a home CGM as soon as they becoem availble commercially in my area, in Aug 2006. At first I had to pay out of pocket due to not being covered. I was fortunate I could afford to pay out of pocket but I felt like my life was in danger without one. I don’t know if I would be alive today if I had not- it has kept me from having any severe low blood reactions where I was not able to correct detect or intervene. I had 40 + in 38 years prior to CGM. None in 16 years since. Fortunately, they re now regarded as standard of care for T1D, even by Medicare.
I am with you similar journey 1961 for me.
I was part of a trial for platinum glucose sensors in 1978. It took almost 30 years for it to be commercialized.
Heck, home glucose monitoring didn’t exist! I still used the Clinitest test tube method of measuring the glucose in your urine. How things have changed. Thank goodness!
My insurance company automatically rejected my first request for a CGM and appealing that decision was arduous. I still must continuously prove that I am worthy. My doctors’ offices are happy to have Medtronic deal with maintaining authorization for their CGM, but discourage use of Dexcom: paperwork doesn’t get filed and they barely glance at the data. One CDE told me I would never get a Dexcom, as I was told I would never get an endocrinologist, because I wasn’t one of the Chosen. As someone diagnosed well after childhood, I continually battle for my right to insulin and CGM against doctors who can’t accept that an adult can develop autoimmune diabetes.
I am so sorry to hear that. It should have nothing to do with you age and everything to do with labs results and medical necessity. Frustrating!
Are you seeing an Endocrinologist? I would think and Endocrinologist would be happy to do the necessary paperwork. Insurance companies, and supply companies can just be difficult. I would think that Dexcom would be easier to get because it is currently the gold standard for CGM’s.
Mine was a 2 fold answer. Dx in 1988 CGM didn’t exist. But, even when pumps and CGM became available I was still restricted due to affordability due to Insurance companies not covering these therapies right away.
I have typically used physicians who are “out of network” for my health plan. In my case, this means the in;insurance will pay some of the costs but a much lower amount. However, these endocrinologists are not hampered by the insurance companies in their choice of treatments. So, I had been offered a cgm long before I decided to go for it. The reason for my initial reluctance was that the early dexcom required 2 calibrations daily. At the time I was only using 5 finge3rsticks a day (yes, the test strips were limit4dd then), so it didn’t seem to be worth all the bother to eliminate 2 fingersticks. I had not anticipated how frequently I would be getting readings and making good use of the cgm readings. I am very glad that I was not pushed, but I really wish I had seen the light sooner.
Took two years to get one at Kaiser because I had no ER visits and A1C was to low.
We received a CGM 2 weeks after diagnosis so we knew how to count carbs and dose in the event that the CGM failed or waiting for a delivery, etc.
Our son was diagnosed at 18 mos of age, and Endo prescribed pump/Cgm immediately. He started pumping two mos post dx, but insurance would not cover Cgm due to our son’s age. Shortly after he turned two, we sent proof (with help from Dex rep) that cgm was FDA approved for kiddos two and up. Took a few months, but we won our appeal!
Complicated – In 1966 at diagnosis they did not exist. When they became commonly available, there were criteria (hypoglycemia unawareness) for them. 2008 – 43 years in, 10 years after I began pump therapy.
I coose Other. I waited about about a year mostly due to a number of medical issues that came along with the t1d diagnosis.
Did not exist