I did not make an endo appointment in the last 6 months (I care for my mother-in-law who has been running me in circles and I’ve been working). My cgm supplier US med has paused my order until they get doctors notes from the last 6 months (of course there are none!). I called the doctor and can’t get an appointment until October 5th…I have one cgm left and it is on the middle of summer which usually means I decrease my insulin because of the heat (increases sensitivity). I am terrified of lows and I don’t feel them until they creep up on me so my cgm is a life saver. I literally just broke up from school and was looking forward to relaxing, but this is a huge stress. It is not like my TD1 is going to disappear. Now I have to concentrate on staying alive until October. At night I’m terrified of going to sleep as my pump will wake me up if I’m low…This is annoying and just putting it out there. Any advice?
Welcome back, @jm1977 !
I’m not aware that prescriptions for CGM and other devices and medication used for diabetes must come from a Endocrine Society Member, I.e., n endocrinologist. Any competent and licensed physician may write a CGM prescription and provide physician’s visit notes. Such as the GP, GYN, or other doctor you may see.
My “doctor” for my Type 1 is a Physician Assistant. She gives me a prescription for a year. If my CGM prescription runs out before I see her, I contact the Doctor office and they send in another prescription (3 months of refills) until I can get an appointment.
Another option is to ask for a telehealth visit. I receive my insulin directly from the Pharmaceutical company. When my PA accidentally sent in the wrong amount for my Triseba prescription, she had to do a brief telehealth visit to note that she met with me and discussed my insulin needs.
You can also go to an urgent care. It is urgent and they can write you a prescription. You would have to use a regular pharmacy, but at least you would have a CGM.
I am so sorry this is happening to you. My husband is helping his mom care for his dad and the stress is difficult. You don’t need this on top of everything else.
Insurances require periodic documentation. My primary care doctor has ordered prescriptions for me if was unable to reach my regular prescriber for some reason so you could try that: I’ve discovered some orders need to be written or documented a certain way that they may not be aware of so it may not go through the first time around.
While you’re unaware of hypos keep in mind you can still do fingersticks. Your primary can write a scrip for a meter and strips - I think orders for those are written to test 4 times a day but they could write it for so you could test more frequently. They are also available over the counter.
Dexcom Stelo is available without prescription. It is not for Type1s so gives you numbers but no alerts and does not work with a closed loop pump, but it might do in a pinch. I’m sure my very knowledgeable forum friends will weigh in on whether it’s an advisable option under the circumstances - I defer to them with thanks.
In the meantime, ask your endo’s office to notify you of cancellations and call daily in case they forget - the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
The see a doc every six months is a Medicare requirement. Other insurance plans can have different requirements. The phone reps can’t tell what the actual requirements are. Try asking your doc’s office to take a look at your CGM data and update your chart. Might be enough. If not ask if you can do a virtual visit with a nurse sooner.
Couple of alternatives, if money isn’t a problem just pay out of pocket for the CGMs. I think US Med is the one DME company that makes that easy. See if Blue Circle Health - Now available in 20 states and Washington, D.C is available in your state. Check your health plan’s drug formulary for CGM coverage from your pharmacy. If money is an issue the cash price at a pharmacy is usually less then the DME companies, let us know if you want help finding the best price. A doc will still need to send a prescription.
GoodRx is also an option for comparing prices at local pharmacies.