new endo, checking my thyroid, & ordering diabetes supplies | type 1 diabetes week in my life
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 18 апр 2022
- Hello friends! In today's vlog I take you along on a very "diabetes" week that includes getting my routine blood tests done for my diabetes and Hashimoto's disease, me going to my first appointment with my new endocrinologist, and ordering my diabetes supplies. I thought you might be interested in seeing what some of my insulin pump supplies cost here in Canada since I have received so many questions about it. There is a misconception that medical supplies are free in Canada, and that is far from the truth!
Links to the CareSens glucometer featured in this vlog:
Amazon: amzn.to/3uh8d8k
I-Sens Website: bit.ly/3KmKKbr
IG: bit.ly/3DN3Eps
music: www.epidemicsound.com
I'm glad to hear that Eden is doing well. I live in So Calif. T1D for 60yrs. Diabetes medication and supplies is very expensive. I was fortunate to work for Kaiser and retired with Kaiser insurance; so my supplies is covered 100%, 3 bottles of insulin cost me $4.85 .My heart goes out to those that pays hundreds of dollars for meds and treatment that we can't live without.
Thank you for sharing your life❤i bless God for using you to empower the diabetic community.
Enjoyed your blog, as usual. Here’s an economical tip. Smarties (Rockets in Canada) are a much cheaper alternative to glucose tablets. They’re dextrose, just like the tablets. A 5 pound bag costs $12.49 on Amazon. One roll is 6 grams of carbs. I like that they’re individually wrapped. Makes it easy to carry around in pockets.
This is why I hate glucose tablets. They taste just like Smarties and Sweet Tarts. I can’t tolerate tart flavors.
Nice to hear your having a good experience with your new endo! I moved from Toronto two years ago and have just been commuting back to see my endo every 3 months because I love her and after having a bad experience with the local endo while in university I’m terrified to change haha! All the best
That's smart to stick with your current endo - a good endo is hard to come by. I wasn't a big fan of my previous endo in Toronto, so I was excited to switch haha.
Thanks for talking about the cost where you are in Canada for pump supplies. In U.S. with my private insurance I pay a $1,000 deductible for medical expenses including pump supplies once that is paid I pay 20% of the cost of pump supplies so about $170 for a 90 day supply. Dexcom supplies and insulin are a pharmacy benefit. Currently on insulin aspart which is generic Novolog so I pay $20 for a 3 month supply of that with insurance. Dexcom supplies is not covered until a $600 pharmacy deductible is paid because of the tier that dexcom is categorized as. So I pay that $600 and then I pay 20% for dexcom supplies after the $600 is paid. Dexcom sensors ends up being about $350 for a 90 day supply and a transmitter is about $70(after the pharmacy deductible)
In New Brunswick Canada we don't have any provincial pump program at all unless you are low income (like really low income) and it is becoming VERY hard to find companies that offer good T1D health insurance coverage. Ours covers pump supplies but not the actual pump!! Ours also covers flash CGMs but not Dexcom. It is so crazy and arbitrary. We have our daughter on the federal disability tax credit and we started a RDSP savings which actually is fantastic, the Canadian government matches on the contributions you make to RDSP and the savings grow quickly.
So sorry to hear about Eden's allergic reaction. My youngest son sees an Allergist in Burl, that is really great.
Sad to hear about Eden! 😢 and yes, emergency visits and doctors visits are weird with all of the Covid restrictions! I also stopped Synthroid after birth, and then had to re-start. I hate that you have to pay the 250$ (for me it’s the plastic needles instead of steel and the cartridges) out of pocket, and then receive the money from ADP (but hey at least it helps!). Looking forward to your new video 😊 hope all is well!
Hi Michelle. Interesting that you showed the U.S. number before the Canadian in this video. I’m glad that you share your readings with us so don’t really care. Your videos are always informative. When I was pregnant, the opposite happened. Even though I was on Synthroid, I needed none. People’s bodies are very unique. Wishing you, Dada and Eden all the best:)
Hi Sydney! Yes, this particular meter only shows mg/dL since it's only available in the US. Luckily I'm familiar with both units thanks to having this RUclips channel :)
So interesting how you stopped taking synthroid when you were pregnant! I actually just had my TSH levels checked yesterday and it was high (5.24) so I will be going back on Synthroid. I'm sure that will be in a video soon. All the best to you 💕
I’m in bc. Dexcom before insurance it cost $299 for 3 months of one transmitter and $269 for one month sensors. So around 6000 a year to run dexcom. Now bc has type one coverage after you pay your pharmacare deductible. If not low income it’s around 2500-3500 plus a month. Pump coverage is covered once you meet your dedicate as well. So basically I pay 3500 and that gives me a year of dexcom, omnipod, insulin. How we insulin has a premium. Many meds have maximums that you pay extra on.
We were having problems with unisolve reaction and were introduced to Avon skin so soft- loads cheaper and much better on the skin.
I just started using Tandem Control IQ and ordered the Tru Steel and was told by my trainer that they need to be changed every 1-2 days whereas the Soft 90 are changed out every 3days.
Yes, I've been told this many times as well. However, I'm a bit of a rule breaker and do every 3 days😬. No time for a site change every 2 days with a baby haha. Hasn't been a problem so far!
nice vid , all the love from Quebec :)
Thank you 🥰
Hi
I enjoy your vlogs. I live in the US. I am a type 1. About to get on a dexcom G6, and possibly Tslim.
Any pointers for the tslim?
Thanks
Bonnie T
I pay about $100 for 90 days of tandem insulin pump infusion site supplies. $120 for 90 days of insulin. $179 per month for Dexcom sensors. My private insurance is considered very, very good in the U.S. The Dexcom sensors are definitely my biggest expense.
Sorry to hear eden had an allergic reaction to eggs! My son also had an allergic reaction to eggs as well as wheat and two other things around 1 years old! It's really scary to go through! They told us to keep feeding him food with egg baked into it so his body could build up a tolerance. They say , they tend to grow out of these allergies so hopefully this is the case for you!
Aww I'm sorry you dealt with allergies as well - they are scary, especially with babies. Interesting about building up a tolerance! We have yet to get into the allergist, so I'm curious what they will say. Thanks for sharing your experience 💕
Being able to order online is my dream. I have to phone my pharmacy EVERY MONTH. I haaaate phone calls. There is technically an option to email but it takes so much longer for them to Confirm your order. (I'm south African)
Glad to hear you like your new endo!!
To answer your question about cost of supplies in the US - it totally depends on your insurance, which is through your employer. I just changed jobs, and so my insurance changed, which means my costs changed.
Old insurance: DME (durable medical equipment) was covered 100%, and I didn’t have a deductible. I paid nothing for my pump supplies, pump, or Dexcom supplies. I only paid $35 for a 90 prescription of Humalog.
New insurance: DME covered at 80%, with a $250 deductible. Now, here’s where it gets tricky in the US. Each insurance company has negotiated prices/discounts with manufacturers. So, my old insurance was billed much more for my supplies, but they covered all of it. New insurance at least has lower starting cost, but I have to pay 20%. It runs me around $95 for 4 boxes of cartridges and infusions sets, $200 for 3 boxes of Dexcom sensors, and $100 for a Dexcom transmitter.
I also work in pharma, so I tend to have better coverage than most Americans. Still, it would be nice if they just made the prices public. That’s the really hard part. I had no idea how much my supplies would be until I was actually billed for them.
Thanks so much for sharing this! It's such a complicated system in the US 😵💫. I agree, it would be nice if they just made the prices public!
Oh yes, insurance in the US is SUPER complicated. First, it is usually offer through your place of employment. You do not get a choice in the insurance company, that is the decision for your employer, but typically they offer a couple of different plans. At my current job (I work for a bank) I have a choice between a deductable of $1,500 or $2,500. If I go with the deductable that is $1,500, they will take out more money from my paycheck to help cover the cost (I believe I am paying $115 each biweekly paycheck whereas the other plan is only around $80).
You have a deductable. This is the amount you have to pay before insurance will kick in. Each year, I have to pay at least $1,500 in medical expenses before I receive a break from my insurance company. Now this will vary depending on what the medical cost is (DME vs. doctors visit vs. filling a prescription), but typically after my deductable is met, I will only pay 20% of the medical expense.
There is also a total Out of Pocket expense of $3,000 dollars. This means, even after I have paid off my deductable and I am only paying my “share” of the medical cost (the 20%), if I meet $3,000 in total medical expenses, insurance finally becomes FREE!!!! It is the most exciting part of the year!!!
So what does this mean for my actually cost to be a diabetic? Well, right now my deductable is not met. My first order of Dexcom sensors and Tandem pump supplies for one month was $650. I was able to set up a payment plan with the company, however, I cannot get more supplies until I pay it off. Luckily, I had some leftover pump supplies from the previous year, but I am not able to afford the Dexcom sensors and am just testing with finger sticks. That is not going very well at this time.
Insulin, for a one month supply (three vials), was around $600. During this time when I am paying down my deductable, I get one vial at a time and (with a saving card from Novolog) it is just over $100. I try to save up my insulin for the previous year to help if I am not able to afford a vial. There are times when I have to take less insulin to make it last until my next paycheck.
After my deductable is paid for, it is usually $129 each month for my Dexcom sensors and tandem pump supplies and a little over $100 for a month supply of insulin, which for me is three vials. This does not include “my share” of any doctor visits.
However, this is not the case everywhere. When I worked at a doctors office, my deductable was only $500. I stilled pay 20% until I met my out of pocket max, however, meeting the detectable earlier in the year was such a relief. Here is the kicker though. The doctors office (I was a phone operator) paid me way less then the bank currently pays. I was making $10 an hour. I make nearly double at the bank. So, while the health insurance was so much better, I could not live off of my paycheck from the doctors office. I would have needed to get a second job to make up the difference and cover my living expenses.
ON TOP OF ALL OF THIS INSURANCE COMPANIES SUCK!!!! My currently company literally had someone call me to tell me that being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes was very uncommon for adults and they believed my doctors (my primary who diagnosed me and my endo who treats me) had misdiagnosed me!!! WHAT???? A person with literally no medical training is trying to convince me the doctors were wrong and put me on a treatment plan that is very dangerous since too much insulin can kill you?? So yeah, we also have to deal with stuff like that. And do not even get me started on pre-authorization....
Also, just to clarify, a one month supply of insulin for me is 3 vials of Novolog Fiasp. One month's supply of the other stuff is one box of Dexcom sensors, one box of infusion sites, and one box of cartridges. And, that is true about not knowing the actual cost of supplies not how much it cost to make them. When you call your insurance company, they tell you it all depends on the “code” the items have (there is a code for everything from my supplies to procedures at the doctor's office, surgeries, etc). When you call the manufacturer they tell you “well, it depends on your insurance” and “we have to check your insurance first.” we have been bamboozled!
There is a bill in Congress that will cap insulin co-pays at $35 for a month's supply. So, you would think our congress would be presented with the facts and make the best decision for the people they represent, right? Nope. There is something called a lobbyist. The job of this lobbyist (often hired by big companies to protect the interest of the company, such as Big Pharma), is to persuade congresspeople to vote or not vote for things that will help them. This persuasion is usually accompanied by nice meals, gifts, etc. So yeah. America sucks.
I am sorry for my rant. Thank you so much for making videos and for all of your content!!!! You have made my life with diabetes more manageable and have made me feel less alone through my journey. Thank you!!
Oh I didn’t even get into pre authorizations!! I started dealing. With this the instant I had my new information. Get new test strip prescription (because the “preferred brand” for my new insurance isn’t the same as it was for my old insurance…has to be OneTouch Verio, not Contour, not Freestyle, only OneTouch Verio….but I get 3 months worth for $25, so worth it), send to pharmacy, denied by insurance. Go back to the doctor, get prior authorization, get strips. Then there was Dexcom - because some insurance covers that through your pharmacy and some cover it through DME, and you’d better run it correctly. So, submit Dexcom. Denied. Have doctor submit prior authorization. DENIED. Have doctor call and file an appeal. Approved. And all of this takes time. Would you believe I was denied my insulin pump originally?
I actually have a pretty decent stockpile of supplies, and I’m pretty insurance savvy. I’ve considered starting my own channel to help American diabetics with a lot of the BS we deal and just…keeping enough supplies to LIVE. I’ve watched you and Daily Diabetics and Nerdabetic and She’s Diabetic ever since diagnosis, and I think it might be time to cover American insurance and how to get what you need.
@@BensonFan711 Amen!! I don't understand if a doctor prescribes something to you, why they have to call the insurance company to get a prior authorization! You learn quickly how to deal with insurance companies when you are a type one diabetic...but we should not have to learn how to deal with insurance companies. We should be focused on treating our disease. 😞
I view my pump and Dexcom as a privileged to have, so I don't mind the extra cost of them each month (well, at least when I am only paying 20%) but insulin? I should never have to ration or stock pile insulin for fear I might not be able to afford it. That is ridiculous.
My private insurance is equivalent to 450 USD per month. Most months I pay at least 100 USD extra bec it doesn't cover everything. And there are certain gaps in coverage. So this month I have to pay an extra 300 USD. 🙃 love that for me.
Question: I just started using Tru Steel infusion set and find it hard to keep sticking on. Do you use anything more than the Skin Tac to keep it on? I was going to try my old Fixic adhesive patch for Libre, any ideas with that. Thanks
Is it common in Ontario to be referred to an endo when you have T1D? Here in NB my daughter has never seen an endo only a pediatrician and a nurse educator for T1D.
Do you happen to use Pharmacare as well to cover insulin and dexcom sensors or is that not eligible in Ontario? For context I live in BC. And I get my supplies all from the pharmacy and I pay through my Pharmacare coverage
you are right each province does cover or does not cover pump supplies bc only covers omnipod or ypump fully but medtoric could be covered if your endo say it is the only that will work tamdem is not covered at all same as for onmipod i have to order pod from diabetes express and insulin from my phramacy did you find out about your pump and what cuased you to go low i hope tamdem could give you answers ?
Thanks for sharing what it is like in BC! Still no idea what caused me to go low! It may remain a mystery forever
@@MichelleLord hope you get answers let hope it does not happen agian
Hi Michelle I'm sorry that Eden had an allergic reaction how are u?
I just found out our health minister in BC has diabetes type 1 and has pushed for free insulin pumps once every 5 years. Our 6 year old daughter recently was diagnosed with type 1 and I’m not yet sure what will be covered or not? 💸
My kid randomly had hives and it was a virus. Full body hives and redness
Hi Michelle. I was hoping you could message me. I have been having low blood sugar. I was hoping I could get some advice since I live in canada as well!
@13:37 $15.000 $CD a year??? And that’s with insurance??!! U.K. Dexcom costs me £1908 ($2,406 $CD) a year (I’m not entitled to free FGM/CGM on prescription as I’m hypo aware and an adult) Insulin I can fill my boots with for free, pens too plus any other medication I’m prescribed whether it pertains to my T1 diagnosis or not. (I’m extremely fortunate the NHS provides so much free when you have certain chronic diseases) skin-tac maybe £20 per year, alcohol wipes I ‘procure’ from the hospital I work at for free (Don’t tell anyone!) I do pay for glucose drinks for hypo’s (again I can get glucogel free but I choose to pay for glucose drinks) My T1 costs me so much less in the U.K. than it does for you in Canada and I appreciate that absolutely. Excellent video as always Michelle.. very illuminating x
The $15,000 would be the approximate cost if an individual didn't have private insurance through their employer or didn't qualify for any government assistance. Crazy to think that some people have to pay that much 😞. Thanks so much for sharing how much supplies cost you in the UK. It's so interesting. And haha very smart to get the alcohol wipes from the hospital 😉
@@MichelleLord It’s crazy to think anyone would have to shell out for medication for a chronic disease that is no fault of our own but hey, we are actually really fortunate we are in a position to get treatment in the countries we live. I think about T1 diabetics born in countries where they have no healthcare where it’s still like 100 years ago before analogue insulin was available ie a death sentence, Thank Canada for Banting, Macleod, Collip & Best! 🇨🇦 Have a great Wednesday and love to all you great Canadians xx
How did you know your baby is allergic to eggs? Ty
She had eggs for dinner, then started vomiting uncontrollably and got very weak. It was terrifying. We are still waiting for an allergist appointment to confirm though.
It has been a month, how about an update?
I will have a new Vlog out sometime next week :)
Hope you are well ❤️
You no what i dont understand in canada.. things like a cgms and test strips are covered by disability if you are type 1 diabetic makes sence right.. well why isnt it covered for people who have hypoglycemia and have sever lows as it is dangerous to have low blood sugar. I go down to 1.9 and 2 a lot and i have to pay for my test stips which i cant afford so i dont check it like i should my doctors want me to check at least 5 times a day and i cant i have to just guess by how i am feeling. Its kind of silly to me that its not covered.. same as hyper, and type 2 diabeties..at least the test strips should be covered. Its just a thought i am truly curious about, i wonder who decides these things because they obviously need educating.
My comments are being deleted ! Don't know why ??
So weird! I can see this one at least 🤷🏼♀️
Fika!
Put it this way , as an adult , 1st you pay Federal then Provincial tax , then rent , food, person hygene etc . After working for weeks & fulfilling your obligations, what's left over yours supposed to pay for all of the things you need to stay alive, living with type 1 diabetes. A recipe to take a vow of poverty the rest of your life.
Great pressure needs to be applied to Governments around the world & the Corporations who profit. The Patent for insulin was sold for $1 , so that everyone could have access to this life saving drug. Insulin does not cure diabetes but it does prolong life. 0_o