Hi Everybody, Due to a change in insurance last year, my CGM supplies are no longer a ‘pharmacy’ item and instead are a ‘durable medical equipment’ item- that requires I order through a medical supply company. I’ve been using Solara Medical Supplies and I’ve had problems with them. I’d like to try a new medical supply company and am looking for recommendations- please advise if you have a good one. I realize that I’ll need to make sure they’re in the insurer’s network, and check that that once I have recommendations. Thanks all, Joanne
I’ve used Edgepark for years - decades even. I did have an issue a few years ago and tried someone else, but any back. That was my only issue.
Experiences vary widely and I have read some very negative reviews about Edgepark but I can only go by my experience. Whoever you choose you should be able to switch if you’re not happy - just be prepared for the authorization process to add a little time to your start up.
Joanne @Jophilly, I’ve had good service from Byram [ byramhealthcare.com ] for both Dexcom and Tandem supplies and for pump.
Dexcom originally set up my account when I began using the G5 and Tandem had my pump delivered through Byram; both companies took care of having the stuff covered by my insurance.
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Hi, I have NOT had good luck with Edgepark. I wish I had a recommendation for another place, but wanted to let you know my experience with them has not been good. Of course, it’s always hard to tell where the problems lie, it seems they blame the doctor’s office or insurance company, and the other two point the finger at Edgepark. I am not sure I have another choice, but will look into it.
Jess
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Thanks to all who replied. I had read a few negative reviews of Edgepark. Dennis’ recommendation of Byram is good to know and I’m hoping to hear from a few more people with either good or bad opinions on medical supply companies - including, but not limited to Byram.
Thanks all !
I’ve put together a list of DME suppliers that sell Dexcom. I run them through my insurance companies lookup tool once a year to see if any new options are available to me.
| Name | Zip | Web |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Diabetes Supply | 92009 | https://www.northcoastmed.com/ |
| Better Living Now Inc. (Rotech) | 11788 | https://www.betterlivingnow.com/ |
| Byram | 10605 | https://www.byramhealthcare.com/ |
| CCSMed | 75234 | https://ccsmed.com/ |
| Diabetes Supply Center of the Midlands (Adapthealth) | 68134 | https://diabetes-supply.com/ |
| Edgepark | 44087 | https://www.edgepark.com/ |
| Edwards | 44236 | https://myehcs.com/ |
| Healthy Living Medical Supplies | 48216 | https://www.myhlms.com/ |
| Heart Medical Equipment | 48439 | https://hartmedical.org/ |
| Minipharmacy | 90021 | https://minipharmacy.com/ |
| Pinnacle Medical Solutions (Adapthealth) | 90074, 38125, 35630, 38672 | https://www.pinnaclemedicalsolutions.com/ |
| Solara (Adapthealth) | 91913 | https://www.solara.com/ |
| US Med | 33122 | https://www.usmed.com/ |
| Wellstart Medical | 34952 | https://wellstartmedical.com/ |
I use Minipharmacy. They make occasional mistakes but because they are a small company you can speak to people who are doing the work instead of contracted call center reps. I have had bad experiences with Edgepark, Byram and ADS so I recommend trying other options first.
Edit: Added Heart Medical. Thanks @MarkCK
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I have used the Byram company for many years, without a problem. They have sent me CGM sensors and transmitters for the Dexcom G5 and G6.
I’ve cycled through many of them over the years, mostly with Medtronic supplies (although I am now on Tandem), and I’ve nearly always had some problems requiring multiple phone calls to get them straightened out. (Solara was by FAR the worst, though. Terrible at working through issues and follow up.)
Among those I’ve used: Edgepark (not bad, did not deal well with an unexpected issue, however), Healthy Living (good until they dropped my sensors and wouldn’t supply them), Edwards (no major problems, a little slow on reorders) and I am currently with Hart Medical (so far, so good). The only real reason I switched from Edwards was because Hart Medical was the ‘preferred’ supplier for my insurance company and I could get supplies at 80 days out instead of 90.
To be honest, though, I think the insurance companies are the biggest problem for me when it comes to dealing with most DMEs (other than Solara, who are absolutely wretched in my experience). The DMEs MUST have certain documents to fill an order and anything out of what the insurer consider an ordinary prescription (like changing sites every 2 days instead of 3) requires a special letter of explanation be on file every year. Plus my insurer is merciless about that 90 day rule, which is absolutely crazy. Clearly none of the people at my insurance company making the rules have T1, because if I followed their rules strictly, I would run out of supplies before receiving my next order. Hopefully, your insurer is not as bad.
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I use byram - haven’t had any issues. They mail my pump supplies and dexcom g6 sensors/transmitters once a month. We were happy when dexcom was able to be picked up through Walgreens instead because how they’ve set up the prescription refills is more convenient. With Byram you have to call/log into their website and fill in a bunch of information. Our Walgreens has an automated testing system that texts once a month asking if you want to refill a prescription and you text back yes or no. The Walgreens pharmacist also knows who we are since we stop there at least once a week for something, so that helps too when we’re on the phone with her or having issues!
I have to agree with @MarkCK, most of the issues we’ve run up against are due to insurance pickyness. Or insurance not communicating (seemingly at all) with suppliers or vice versa. They’re the cause of pretty much all the headaches and hours/days spent on the phone- most of the time because of simple stuff like the fact that dexcom requires a sensor AND a transmitter, not just one or the other.
One of the ways my endo has helped us get around vacation overrides is prescribing the max amount possible for each month- for example, while in reality I only use 2 vials of humalog a month, she prescribes 3-4. Or 15 pump sets a month instead of the 10 I really use. By the time a vacation comes around or there’s a prescription issue we’ve got a good stockpile of of everything and we don’t always have to sit on the phone for hours and hours asking for an override.
For example, My family is on vacation right now and while the insurance did give us 3 months of CGMs, they refused to give us 3 months of pump supplies. If I hadn’t stockpiled all of the extra supplies, I’d have to go back to injections for the vacation.
Sometimes this becomes an issue in January when my insurance has my endo represcribe everything (ridiculous since it’s not like I’ve been cured). Sometimes they’re slow/don’t like how it’s written/etc and we don’t get supplies for a week or two. Then those stockpiled supplies really come in handy!
(Sorry about the tangent)
@6yGodsGr said> Sometimes this becomes an issue in January when my insurance has my endo represcribe everything (ridiculous since it’s not like I’ve been cured). Sometimes they’re slow/don’t like how it’s written/etc and we don’t get supplies for a week or two. Then those stockpiled supplies really come in handy!
Absolutely. I was worried when I switched from Medtronic to Tandem last year because I wouldn’t have a stockpile. Fortunately the new pump had a problem (I can’t believe I just wrote that) and I had to switch back to the Medtronic. Once on the old pump, it occurred to me that if I stayed on it for a while, cleaning out part of my old stockpile, I’d have an extra month of pump supplies. So I did.
It’s easy to stockpile insulin with the help of your endocrinologist, but not so much with pump supplies, particularly infusion sets. (I go for 4-5 days on a reservoir rather than changing them every 3 days with almost no detrimental effects, so I end up stockpiling them fairly easily.) I usually have to change my infusion sets every 2 days, but sometimes I get a good one that will last me 3 days… 1/2 an infusion set gained. 
You know what’s really sad about this? In the insurance companies’ attempts to force us to adhere to a strict amount of supplies to prevent cheaters (who I presume sell off their extra supplies), they are either forcing people to cheat to prevent anxiety (and poor control when the pump supplies run out) or punishing people who won’t.
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I also use my cartridges for far longer than officially “allowed” but those infusion sets are harder to stockpile! Sometimes I use them for 4 days instead of 3 without issues but not often. At least if you have everything else stockpiled, it shouldn’t cost too much to buy an extra box of infusion sets vs insulin&CGMs&pump supplies.
Also yeah- the system is bad. Not much we can do to change it unfortunately, as has been seen in the insulin pricing crisis- we can’t strike, we’ll die.
Lise @6yGodsGr, I’ve used Byram for several years, both for Tandem and Dexcom supplies and also for my t-Slim. For supplies, I use the automatic text refill option; when my time for refill on supplies rolls around, Byram sends me a text message with 3 reply options. I just need to enter “1” and my previous order is duplicated - about a week later, I receive a delivery with 90 days’ supply.
also Lise, the only restriction on the length of time for cartridge use is seven (7) days. This restriction is on the information sheet packaged with insulin that states that insulin should be discarded after it has been in a cartridge for seven days. When using AutoSoft 30 insulin sets which I change every three days, my cartridge often has insulin left even when I fill it with the minimum ended to effectively begin a new cartridge. I often have an extra box of cartridges which I bring to our monthly JDRF meeting - someone there can always use them.
Wow Chris this list is SO helpful- thanks to you & everybody who responded with their experiences. My problem with Solara is they’ve overbilled me several times- they require that I pay their estimated co-pay when placing an order, and then they double bill me the co-pay for that same order when the claim has been processed by my insurer. After spending 30+minutes on the phone with their billing department it gets resolved, but what a hassle. Everything was far easier with my old insurance where CGM supplies were a pharmacy item, but I’m stuck with the current system of DME/mail order now. I’ll check with my insurer to see which DME companies in Chris’ list are “in-network” and then choose based upon everybody’s feedback here. Thanks again !!
Hi, I’m the parent of a now adult with T1D. We’ve spent years frustrated with medical distributors - including Liberty, Edgepark and most recently Better Living Now. We were pretty happy with BLN for years, but this year they were bought by Rotech and it’s awful. Each order involves several rounds of call backs, additional documentation from the doctors office, and delays. Even though we start the reorder process a month before his supplies run out, he currently has no sensors and is on his last inserter. Nobody at Rotech can tell me what the status of the order is, and although they claim to have been in touch with the doctor the office says they haven’t heard anything. Rotech is awful. Is there any advocacy around this issue that I could join? Also, has anyone tried the Amazon pharmacy yet?
@ashanigh Welcome Elizabeth to the TypeOneNation Community Forum!
I haven’t used Amazon, and I’m not aware of a group particularly advocating for/against medical supply institutions. If you read some of the prior postings in this Topic, you will find several recommendations for supply companies that provide excellent service and easy reordering.
Based on what you have written, your first step is to contact his medical provider and ask that response for new prescription be made immediately. The supplies you mention are released in the USA only with current [less than one year old] prescription.
Hi @ashanigh . I’ve used Edgepark almost exclusively for many years (I briefly switched to another supplier but went back). I’m in their continuing care program - I get a reminder that an order is coming up and once I confirm they get authorizion etc from my insurance. They let me know the expected processing time (it takes about 10 days) and based on that when they expect to ship my supplies.
I believe they need new orders from my physician once a year - I wonder if there is an issue with the way your doctor wrote them?
Hi Elizabeth. You aren’t alone having bad experiences with BLN. I tried to get a BGM and supplies from them this year and gave up after 3 months. Since they already have your sons paperwork it would be fastest for them to ship the order than starting over at a new company. Try having your doctors office call them. When I was trying to solve the problems with my order I picked the “calling from a doctors office” phone menu item and got a real person with access to everything, unlike their outsourced call center who can access nothing. The person I spoke to looked me up, saw the order, the SWO, DWOPD, prescription and PA then got me the answer in less than 10 minutes.
If the doctor’s office can get the order shipped then start looking for a replacement company and again have the doc send the prescription to the new company as soon as possible.
I’ve looked and have not found a federal or state regulator that DME companies have to report to. There is the usual HHS for HIPAA violations and your state department of pharmacy if they violate your particular state’s pharmacy law. I’m hoping JDRF or KFF Health News will shed some light on the trouble with DME companies but nothing yet.
Amazon, as far as I can tell, doesn’t do DME yet. If your son is paying cash it doesn’t matter. If he has insurance it might matter. For my Dexcom supplies I look for a company with a customer service that can actually provide service and solve any problem I’m having with my order. Amazon’s service is limited to refunds and replacements.