Western Diabetic Supplies Blog

Western Diabetic Supplies is pleased to announce that we are continuing our steady expansion of coverage by being included by Devon Health Service, Inc in their National Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) network.  The Devon Health PPO network serves over 3 million people.  This allows Western Diabetic Supplies to offer our Easy Home Delivery of Diabetic Supplies to 3 million more people, thereby allowing more people to more easily manage their diabetes and reduce their risk of dangerous complications.

To see if your insurance covers Easy Home Deliveries of your diabetic supplies, please see our partial list of insurance plans accepted by Western Diabetic Supplies.

Dear friends, customers, and anybody else with an interest in curing diabetes:

I recently accepted the challenge of cycling in the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure fund-raising event. The Tour de Cure is a series of cycling events held in over 80 cities nationwide. The Tour is a ride, not a race; it features different route lengths from a leisurely 10-mile course to a demanding 100-mile journey. I have joined thousands of others to pedal in support of the Association’s mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. I will be riding the 100-mile Century.

I am asking you to help by supporting my fund-raising efforts with a donation. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of more than 20 million Americans who suffer from diabetes and another 54 million people in the United States with pre-diabetes.

It’s fast and easy to support this great cause - you can make your donation online by selecting the “Click to Support Me” link below.

Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight against this deadly disease. I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress. If you want to do even more to help, please consider joining me in this great event. Our efforts will help set the pace in the fight against diabetes.

More information on the American Diabetes Association, its programs and diabetes in general can be found at the Association’s Web site: www.diabetes.org

For more information on Tour de Cure, please visit www.diabetes.org/tour.

Click here to visit my Tour de Cure personal page. This is where donations may be made

A sincere thanks to all of you.

Mike

Mike Walsh
President, Western Diabetic Supplies
www.WesternDiabetic.com

Western Diabetic Supplies proudly announces that we have been accepted for participation as a Beech Street PPO network provider.  The Beech Street PPO network is a preferred-provider organization (PPO) which serves over 16 Million people nationwide.

This allows Western Diabetic to significantly expand our Easy Home Delivery of Diabetic Supplies to help many more people manage their diabetes and improve their long-term health.

For information on receiving diabetes testing supplies through our Easy Home Delivery mail order program, please call us toll-free at (877) 937-8342, or e-mail us at customerservice@westerndiabetic.com.

About Western Diabetic Supplies: Western Diabetic Supplies provides Easy Home Delivery of Diabetes Testing and Management Supplies. Supplies are provided through insurance coverage or cash. Experience Customer Service with no call-centers. Western Diabetic may be reached at pr@westerndiabetic.com; Ph (877) 937-8342; Fax (866) 808-3418. Please visit at http://www.westerndiabetic.com

I just got feedback on the Prodigy Voice from two blind diabetic customers who test 5-7 times per day and are Type I diabetics.

One called me explicitly to tell me that her new meter is “Wonderful”, and is going to tell everyone about it and the other said it “was Christmas all over again.”

The much smaller size of the Prodigy Voice has allowed them to be significantly more mobile, given the number of times per day that they test.   Their former glucose meter had to be carried in a backpack!

Until now they have been using the Accu-chek VoiceMate.

I think the Prodigy Voice is going to take independence and compliance or blind people with diabetes to a new level.

Click here for a page which has a comparison between the Prodigy Voice and Accu-chek VoiceMate.

Thanks,

Mike

Talking Meter (Prodigy Voice) Gets an A+ in New NFB Program

Western Diabetic Supplies now proudly offers the Prodigy Voice meter, the first fully-accessible glucose meter designed in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). This meter is available for Easy Home Delivery. For information on obtaining a Prodigy Voice meter or strips, call (877) 937-8342. In my opinion, this meter is a substantial improvement over the previous Prodigy Autocode, even with respect to the look, feel, and substance of the meter.

We have just made our first several shipments to blind diabetic patients, so stay tuned for feedback.

Click on image, below, to enlarge and clarify. Text continues below the image.

The PRODIGY^® Voice is a totally audible blood glucose monitoring system specially designed for the blind. Our NEW features were developed with the help of National Blind Associations and Certified Diabetes Educators.

No Coding. You will never need to code the meter. Simply insert the test strip and the meter turns on automatically. You get safe accurate test results everytime.

Totally Audible Features. The Prodigy^® Voice will “talk” the user through all set-ups, step-by-step, including audible test results, audible meter status, audible averages, and memory records with date and time.

REPEAT Button. Allows the user to check and hear the last message or test result.

Set Button. Allows the user to audibly set up all the functions of the meter step-by-step.

Easy to Identify Buttons with Finger Touch. The buttons on the Prodigy^® Voice have raised imprints to allow the blind user to easily identify the buttons with gentile touch.

Eject Button. Safely ejects the used test strip with a push upward.

Fast Results. Accurate, fast, audible test results in just 6 seconds.

Greater Comfort. Prodigy^® Voice offers you the option to test with blood from your palms, forearms, upper-arms, thighs and calves, which have fewer nerve endings than your fingertips.

Audible Memory and Data Management. Prodigy^® Voice can store up to 450 audible test results with date and time, and gives 7, 14, 21, 28, 60, and 90 day audible averages. Prodigy’s FREE software allows simple downloading of test results to your computer helping you and your Diabetes healthcare professional to track changes in your blood glucose level over time.

Smaller Blood Sample Required. Prodigy^® Voice requires only 0.6 microliter drop of blood – smaller then most meters available today. This allows you to use extra fine gauge lancets and significantly reduce your pain and discomfor.

This meter and test strips have very reasonable retail cash prices and are covered by insurance the same as other diabetes testing supplies. The retail price for the meter is about $90 and the strips are about $40.

This meter is a vast improvement over the Accu-Chek VoiceMate, which has been discontinued.

Please click here to see the press release: http://www.prlog.org/10056454-prodigy-voice-talking-glucose-meter-for-blind-now-available-from-western-diabetic-supplies.html

We have received several inquiries regarding non-invasive glucose monitoring. The primary method I’ve been aware of is the Glucowatch. Based on a recent inquiry, I looked into the current status and found the following on Animas’ site:

GlucoWatch G2 (TM) Biographer Glucose Monitoring System Important Product News

In preparation for the development of future diabetes management products, Animas Corporation will no longer be selling the current model GlucoWatch G2 Biographer system, effective July 31, 2007. Animas will continue to sell AutoSensor and provide customer suport for the GlucoWatch system through July 31, 2008.

I have been informed of pain and accuracy issues related to the use of the GlucoWatch, so I expect those were factors in this decision.

I’ll keep you posted on new developments as I learn about them.

Unfortunately, at this point in time, there is still no non-invasive method to measure blood sugar.

We are very pleased to announce that Western Diabetic Supplies was added to all Regence BCBS networks effective January 15, 2008. This means we are in-network for ValueCare, HealthWise, Traditional, and MedAdvantage. These span the Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) Medicare Advanage, PPO, HMO, SCHIP, and FEP plans. We can also provide services to members of other BCBS plans nationwide, if they have the BlueCard benefit, as indicated by a suitcase logo on their card.

For a list of insurance companies accepted by Western Diabetic for Easy Home Delivery of Diabetic Supplies, visit:

http://www.westerndiabetic.com/Diabetic_supplies_Insurance_plans.html

Visit our press release for Regence BlueCross & BlueShield

Many people have a tough time knowing which type of insulin syringe they need. Here are a few facts to help with the selection:

It may be instructive to describe the two features which define the needle: length and thickness. The thickness is defined by the Gauge (G). The higher the number, the thinner the needle. 31G needles are thinner than 30G needles. The thinner the needle, the shorter the maximum length can be to maintain structural integrity.

Accordingly, the 31G needles are available only in 5/16 inch, whereas the 30G and 29G needles are available in both 5/16 inch and 1/2 inch.

The type of needle influences the efficiency/effectiveness of insulin delivery, as well as the amount of pain the patient experiences. Other factors include the amount of fatty tissue under the skin.

The amount of pain and efficiency a user experiences is dependent on insulin dosage, injection location, amount of fatty tissue under skin, and other factors.

A thin (therefore, short) needle might be preferred by some, whereas someone with more fatty tissue or larger dosage may require a longer/thicker needle. Thicker needles are also less flexible, which may be beneficial.

Patients should speak to their physician regarding the correct needle size. Changing from a one needle length or thickness to another may change a given injection dosage’s effect on blood glucose level.

Mike

Western Diabetic Supplies is proud to have been added to Evolutions Healthcare Systems’ Preferred Provider networks.

These networks include the Florida-focused Prime Network and Prime Plus Network, as well as the national Select and Select Plus Networks, and the Worker’s Comp Choice and SelectWC networks.

Together, these networks insure more than 1.5 million lives.

We are listed in the directory as a Diabetes Supply Center.

We look forward to helping these members manage their diabetes more effectively.

Mike

We have an acquaintance who has Type 1 diabetes and end-stage renal disease who now needs a kidney transplant. He has had significant difficulty managing his blood glucose levels, with very dangerous highs and lows. His medical care staff has recommended that he use a continuous glucose monitor to help him avoid the extreme levels and significantly increase his quality of life.

We (Western Diabetic) haven’t been involved in providing continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS), as the manufacturers are still handling these directly. However, here is what I have learned:

• The two devices I have looked at are the DexCom Seven and the Medtronic Guardian. Both consist of a transmitter which attaches to a subcutaneous needle. The needle is inserted by the wearer, and has a sensor imbedded which takes reading from interstitial fluid. This results in a bit of a delay between blood levels and CGMS readings.
• All of these meters still require finger (or alternate site) sticking for blood glucose testing several times a day with standard glucometers for calibration.
• The DexCom Seven has recently been approved to use each sensor for 7 days (hence, the name) vs. the previous three (as with the Guardian)
• Generally speaking, insurance companies are not reimbursing for these. There are some instances of some of the big insurers (Blue Cross and Blue Shield) in some states paying. What Medtronic and Dexcom tell me is that the patient typically pays directly for the devices, then these companies submit claims, along with Certificates of Medical Necessity and other supporting information to the insurance companies to try to obtain reimbursement.
  • They are launching information campaigns to support the position that these will ultimately benefit the patients and the insurance companies.
  • Medicare at this point will not pay
  • Update: I recently spoke with SelectHealth, the insurance company arm of Intermountain HealthCare, in Utah and Idaho.  Under specific instances (related to difficulty controlling glucose levels) - SelectHealth will cover the DexCom Seven Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor.  This is great news for some patients who can benefit from much more frequent glucose readings.
• Both companies (Medtronic and DexCom) require a prescription on file from a physician. They each have these forms on their websites. Medtronic calls it a prescription, while DexCom calls it a Certificate of Medical Necessity.
• The Medtronic Guardian costs $999 for the monitor and the first 10 sensors. Then $350 for each subsequent box of 10 (remember, they are supposed to be change every three days, so the official cost of $350/month, although I understand most people extend this).
• The DexCom Seven costs $450 for the system, and $250 for each box of 4 sensors. Each sensor is good for 7 days, so this equates to about $270/month on average. I’m not sure if the initial $450 includes a startup set of sensors, but I do not think it includes a full box
• Both companies will provide training.
• The DexCom customer service number is 877-339-2664, and the Medtronic number is 866-948-6633.

There is some good info on DiabetesHealth.com - search on Continuous Glucose Monitors.

Also, check out their 5th Annual Product Reference Guide, where we are listed in the Diabetes Health Mail-Order Reference Guide.

Mike

www.westerndiabetic.com