Apparently my insurance now contracts wirh solara for this sort of equipment… so when I tried to contact Dexcom for refills a few days ago they told me I have to go through solara to order now. “Great,” I thought; another dysfunctional middle man…
Was pleasantly surprised a couple days later when the phone rang and it was a rep for solara (who was their “Dexcom specialist”) had my order all lined out, copay info, details of my insurance coverage, options for g5 vs G6 etc etc… knowledgeable enough to explain that if I was considering a tandem pump at any point I should opt for the G6 to allow for the basal IQ features… she knew what she was talking about… very helpful. Within 15 minutes of ending the phone call I received a shipping confirmation in my email. Impressed so far.
Well, it feels really good to see good feedback for at least one Dexcom distributor! Our experience with 3rd parties for Dexcom distribution has been fairly mediocre so far.
@Sam Me, too. I called Dexcom to renew annual authorization and they said that my current insurance now requires a new order each month, rather than auto-shipment every 3 months. They said I could still get the 3-month orders of sensors/transmitters if I switched to Solera. So I did. Just got my first order yesterday. It took about +1 month for them to finally process the change and order. I’m hoping it will go smoother after this. I agree, they seem very knowledgable, explained the differences between G5/G6 and upgraded me to the G6. I think I will wait to switch to the G6 'til after my G5 transmitter dies!
Btw, were you able to get Dexcom Overpatches from Solera? I asked Solera and they said I would need a separate prescription for them!? I’ve read on the forum that Dexcom will just send them to any existing user who requests them, no need for an additional/separate prescription!??
I take back every nice thing I said about solara. My last refill, and the one I’ve been trying to get currently have both been absolutely nightmares. Countless no-response emails. Unanswered voicemails. Website ordering system useless. On hold for several hours to no avail. I could not be more frustrated. And as far as i know— dealing with them is my only option.! Could not be more frustrated at this point.
There is nothing lacking on my end. Current Rx, insurance coverage… my ducks are in a perfect row they are just not responding or meeting my needs at all.
It doesn’t sound like it… I called them to see if I can go back to ordering directly through them… they said solara is the sole distributor that works with my medical supply provisions…
I asked them to run my wife’s insurance policy and see what options are available through it, so hopefully will hear back on that in a couple days
I received an email from them at this email address. The email prompted me to “confirm your December order” which I did. I hesitated a bit, as this link took me to a https://www.123formbuilder.com/ site where I needed to fill in info. I hope it was a safe site!
@Sam Strange, but I just received the following text message, even though I DID place my order.
Our record show you may be due for supplies. Please
place your December order through our new TRACE by Solara Mobile App! Download today on the App Store or Google Play. [www.solara.com/trace](http://www.solara.com/trace)
They finally sent me some stuff. Wasn’t even remotely what I’d ordered… apparently was just whatever they had laying around, but I guess it’s the thought that counts.
I ordered 2 g5 transmitters — nothing else
They sent 1 transmitter and 3 boxes of sensors
I don’t really participate on forums for diabetes talk but I’m thinking I should start.
I just joined and saw your first post praising Solara and laughed to myself thinking oh boy he doesn’t know what he’s in for. They gave me the royal treatment when they signed me up for my G5 kit. Friendly rep assigned to me from my area, explained everything, smooth transaction. Then once you’re signed up you feel like you’re asking for tech support from someone in India. Stay far away from their TRACE app it’s total garbage and they’ll send you whatever supplies they feel like. In fact stay away from any and all tools that should make the ordering process easier (text, email, website). I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve sent me the wrong stuff and it’s usually such a hassle that I keep it and deal with the added cost of supplies that I don’t need at the moment.
Only deal one-on-one on the phone. That’s the best way I’ve found with this dumb company. I can’t wait until Amazon or someone else takes over all this nonsense. I know for my BCBS that this year they started accepting Dexcom as a pharmacy benefit but I think it’s pricier so I’ve avoided it.
I have had more nightmares with Solara then good experiences. They do not communicate within the company. Call 3 reps and they all give you different answers. I had to order new G6 sensors and transmitters in July. They said the RX for the sensors was current but not the transmitters??? I spent days talking with Solara and my doctor who insisted that the RX on the transmitters was current.
After a week, I finally got ahold of a rep who told me that it didn’t have anything to do with the RX from my doctor. They were waiting for authorization from my insurance company. I called the insurance company and the woman that I spoke to (a diabetic herself) said that this is normal behaviour for Solara. They consistently wait on authorization for transmitters when none is needed. She gave me a phone number that Solara could call and finally, after 2 weeks with no sensors, I got my refill.
On several occasions, I’ve literally ran out of pump supplies while solara waited for review of my order. On my most recent doctor visit, I asked if he could recommend a better supplier. He said that in spite of all the negative reviews of Solara, most of the other suppliers were even worse.
I wish someone could explain to me why Dexcom and Tandem can’t just sell direct like Medtronic does.
That’s the crux of the issue. I used to order direct from dexcom and it went generally ok… occasional hiccups but manageable.
Now my Cigna plan apparently contracted dme or whatever they’re calling this to carecentrix which apparently deals exclusively with solara. I have no choice other than to pay cash, which given the absurdity of this bs might end up being the more realistic option
ETA—- this is a perfect case study of why competition is absolutely critical in healthcare marketplace
