I recently found out that Blue Cross of MA will not be covering Dexcom sensors or transmitters via prescription drug benefit after July 1st and it will be DME of course with deductible in play now. I’ve been ordering sensors from mail in pharmacy for 3 months supply at a time. I get a minimum of 2 1/2 - 3 weeks out of the sensor with changing the Grifgrip once sometimes twice during this period. I’ve accumulated 9 full boxes of sensors and seeing the expiration date on the bags I have to wonder what could possibly go bad a on a sensor to cause it to expire?
The only thing I can think of is the adhesive. The rest is just plastic and 2 contact points.
Can these sensors be used after expiration and be accurate?
I am also fighting to stay on the G5 and not go to the G6 because of the 10 day hard cutoff. Now with my insurance doing what they are doing switching to the G6 will be a costly endeavor, my receiver also died awhile ago and I’m not replacing it because the app loads all data to Clarity anyway so why spend the quoted $1,156 to get a new receiver.
Anyway, any input on the expiration of sensors would be appreciated.
I’m also now supposed to be starting Omni Pods on Tuesday but I still don’t have vials of Humalog…
BTW it’s been quite a circus waiting to get everything I need to start with Omni Pods and still don’t have everything.
My Dr put in the wrong script for Contour test strips when it should have been Freestyle (I’m going to buy a vial at local Rite Aid/Walgreens today) but I still don’t have his script for Pods or vials of insulin.
The reps at Insulet said that insulin from pens can be used to fill the Pods obviously not the most cost effective way to go but… The woman at Joslins said she never heard anyone doing that and it couldn’t be done. I have my class to get started and only 1 bx of Pods direct from Insulet.
I’m getting ready to change endocrinologists if he doesn’t get it together soon. It’s been weeks and me sending 3 messages.
It sounds like you have a 2-year supply of sensors, don’t care about using the Dexcom Receiver and are concerned about potentially not being able to get new G5 Transmitters for as long going forward as you would prefer.
Potentially you could ping @docslotnick about the benefits of the xdrip app which also just happens to be compatible with previously used G5 transmitters which have had a low-cost battery replacement.
I have no insurance coverage for sensors (or any part of the CGM system) and use any and all I can get my hands on. I’ve used sensors which expired more than a year ago with no issues.
Thanks Jen that’s exactly what I thought. Just like you’re supposed to change it every 7 days the expiration date is just another way to sell more sensors to people too afraid to go against the directions…
I actually know someone who would never keep a sensor over 7 days and won’t try any other locations than the stomach because that’s what the instructions say.
@Thomas I think you need to have a Dexcom receiver for xDrip to share to Clarity? When I went to enter my Dexcom log in info they wanted the serial number to be entered.
I would love to get back to using xDrip, I liked it much better than the Dexcom app.
Eventually those sensors will go bad. The basis of the sensor is a stabilized enzyme in the sensor matrix. Clearly there is some time past expiration that is fine, but they won’t last forever. Once enough of the enzyme dies, the signal from the sensor will no longer be in “good” range for the Dexcom, whatever they set their limits to.
That makes sense. Right now I only have 1 expired and the date is 6/5/18 so I’m pretty sure this one will be OK. The rest are still in date and I have time to use them.
My current is one of the 6/5 lot and this is week 3.my readings are more accurate the longer the sensor is in.
@John_T1D, I wanted to use the G4 in 2015, but my insurance would not cover a CGM. Friends who were switching to the G5 sent me G4 equipment and sensors. Many of those sensors had expired a year or more before I received them. The old sensors worked very well. just like they were new. I am now covered for the G5, but I have kept those old G4 sensors. If something happens and I am no longer covered for the G5, I know those old sensors will still be good.
I have some expired sensors, a receiver and transmitter…anyone interested? They’re pretty expired…from 2018. Well, not sure if that’s the expiration date or the manufactured date…probably the expiration.
