# The best BG glucose meter that your insurance will pay for
**URL:** https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083
**Category:** Tipwiki
**Tags:** glucose-meter
**Created:** [January 4, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083 "2018-01-04T03:24:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Beacher](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Beacher)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2018, 11:14pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/21 "2018-01-05T23:14:31Z")
> [@MaryPat](#):
>
> The rep thoroughly checked her info, and told me that:
>
> Insulet Canada recommends both the Freestyle Freedom and the Freestyle Lite strips for use in the PDM
True, but not quite up to date, because, in my province at least, Freedom strips are no longer sold, and are no longer covered under public insurance. Omnipod no longer directly ships its supplies, which are now ordered through Diabetes Express ([https://omnipod.diabetesexpress.ca/](https://omnipod.diabetesexpress.ca/)), which operates in every province. This is their page for “OmniPod Approved Test Strips”:
---
### Author:  [@docslotnick](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/docslotnick)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/22 "2018-01-06T00:16:32Z")
My BCBS plan covers only Freestyle, and the copay is per 100 strips, but they’ll cover as many as the doc prescribes.
I found it less expensive to buy Contour Next strips from Amazon, and the bonus is that the meter connects automatically to xDrip+.
---
### Author:  [@Chris](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Chris)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/23 "2018-01-06T00:37:23Z")
DM, we use the Ultra2, we don’t love it, we don’t hate it. The extra blood required to get a reading is a pain, but the strips are very forgiving if you have to add more blood. All in all, not a bad experience, but not a good one either. I get jealous when one of my physician friends with T1 sticks in the pad of his thumb and with a tiny tiny blood drop gets a reading. He is using one of the Freestyle meters.
---
### Author:  [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/24 "2018-01-06T02:08:01Z")
> [@Chris](#):
>
> we use the Ultra2
@Chris, I am curious. Why do you not switch to the Verio? I am assuming your insurance will allow you either. The Verio will take a 0.4ml drop.
I am sure you have a good reason.
---
### Author:  [@Thomas](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Thomas)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2018, 4:24am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/25 "2018-01-06T04:24:11Z")
> [@Eric](#):
>
> The Contour Next One (not the Contour Next USB) is about $5-$10 on Amazon. It uses the same strips. It is basically the same meter, except uploading BG’s requires a phone instead of a USB connection. Much cheaper though.
This is the one we purchased on Amazon. Bought 2 of them for $9.50 each. They have a USB port on the end that I use to upload into Diasend. It uploads really fast.
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W53ZLTK/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06W53ZLTK/)
---
### Author:  [@Sam](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Sam)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2018, 12:45pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/26 "2018-01-06T12:45:41Z")
> [@Katers87](#):
>
> I really don’t like how the Verio has to be recharged every two weeks whereas meters I had in the past required a battery replacement every 1-2 years.
The verio flex uses a replaceable battery. Same strips.
---
### Author:  [@Chris](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Chris)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/27 "2018-01-06T17:41:29Z")
Yes, because it was not an option on our old insurance. They limit all diabetics to one meter and those particular strips. That was it.
---
### Author:  [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/28 "2018-01-07T03:48:23Z")
> [@Thomas](#):
>
> This is the one we purchased on Amazon. Bought 2 of them for $9.50 each. They have a USB port on the end that I use to upload into Diasend. It uploads really fast.
I just looked at mine. I didn’t realize they had the micro-connector on it.
The old one had the bigger USB connector, but I thought the new one only used bluetooth for uploading because they advertised a phone app for it and mentioned bluetooth compatibility.
Thanks for the correction. It’s funny because I’ve never uploaded anything from any of my meters! 😃
---
### Author:  [@ned](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ned)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/29 "2018-01-07T14:36:53Z")
A couple years ago I had a high-deductible insurance plan that covered a wide range of strips. Because of the high deductible, I ended up paying the full price of the strips for the first half of the year so I looked around for the cheapest strips.
But then I discovered that my insurance company had a deal with one of the expensive brands that brought the price down to $45 for 250 strips.
I guess the moral of the story is that insurance is weird and if you look around you might find some unusually good pricing on some things.
---
### Author:  [@Jen](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Jen)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2018, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/30 "2018-01-07T14:49:30Z")
> [@Beacher](#):
>
> I haven’t done any in-depth investigation, but with several private plans in several provinces over nearly three decades, I have never been told which meters I could or could not purchase.
This has been my experience as well. Sometimes strips for a new meter take six months or a year to get covered by the provincial healthcare plan, so you may not be able to jump on a new meter right away if you don’t have private insurance. But aside from that, I’ve never been restricted in what meter brand I can use.
> [@Eric](#):
>
> The Contour Next One (not the Contour Next USB) is about $5-$10 on Amazon. It uses the same strips. It is basically the same meter, except uploading BG’s requires a phone instead of a USB connection. Much cheaper though.
My understanding is that hte Contour Next USB was discontinued in Canada a year ago. So the Next One is all that’s available (other than leftover stock).
---
### Author:  [@MaryPat](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/MaryPat)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2018, 6:04am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/31 "2018-01-08T06:04:42Z")
> [@ned](#):
>
> a deal with one of the expensive brands that brought the price down to $45 for 250 strips.
@ned, I had never thought of even asking, great tip!
I am realizing that have have never read one of your post, so a belated welcome to the forum! I look forward to reading your posts more often.
There is a [welcome thread](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/welcome-introduce-yourself-here/145/) if you wish to introduce yourself!
---
### Author:  [@Tony](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Tony)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/32 "2018-02-04T02:21:27Z")
Don’t forget about the fact that the Relion prime is Bluetooth 😀
---
### Author:  [@MaryPat](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/MaryPat)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/33 "2018-02-04T02:33:23Z")
> [@Tony](#):
>
> Don’t forget about the fact that the Relion prime is Bluetooth 😀
@Tony, how do you interface a ReliOn Prime meter to Bluetooth?
The only way I have to upload the content of the meter is to connect it by cable. I just checked the manual but cannot find anything referring to Bluetooth:
> **[ReliOn Prime Blood Glucose Monitoring System, Blue - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Prime-Blood-Glucose-Monitoring-System-Blue/20752266#read-more)**
>
> Not available Buy ReliOn Prime Blood Glucose Monitoring System, Blue at Walmart.com
---
### Author:  [@MaryPat](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/MaryPat)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 2:39am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/34 "2018-02-04T02:39:43Z")
I finally figured out how to make this thread a wiki!
---
### Author:  [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/35 "2018-02-04T03:55:20Z")
> [@Tony](#):
>
> Don’t forget about the fact that the Relion prime is Bluetooth 😀
> [@MaryPat](#):
>
> @Tony, how do you interface a ReliOn meter to Bluetooth?
I think @Tony means the Contour One. is that correct, Tony?
---
### Author:  [@MaryPat](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/MaryPat)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 3:59am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/36 "2018-02-04T03:59:48Z")
> [@Michel](#):
>
> I think @Tony means the Contour One. is that correct, Tony?
@Tony, do you use the One with Bluetooth? Do you happen to wear a Dexcom as well? If so, I wonder if you have seen any Bluetooth problems with the Dexcom (signal lost).
---
### Author:  [@Tony](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Tony)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 4:51am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/37 "2018-02-04T04:51:56Z")
The Relion Premier is Bluetooth enabled
---
### Author:  [@Tony](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Tony)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/38 "2018-02-04T04:52:44Z")
> **[ReliOn Premier BLU Blood Glucose Monitoring System - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Premier-BLU-Blood-Glucose-Monitoring-System/535063483?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=2795&adid=22222222228000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=42423897272&wl4=pla-51320962143&wl5=9008380&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=535063483&wl13=2795&veh=sem)**
>
> Buy ReliOn Premier BLU Blood Glucose Monitoring System at Walmart.com
---
### Author:  [@kmichel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/kmichel)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 4:57am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/39 "2018-02-04T04:57:14Z")
> [@MaryPat](#):
>
> you use the One with Bluetooth? Do you happen to wear a Dexcom as well? If so, I wonder if you have seen any Bluetooth problems with the Dexcom (signal lost).
I use the Onetouch Flex and wear a Dexcom G5. There’s no problem with G5 signal caused by the Onetouch. The G5 can just be flakey with an iPhone, for a number of technical reasons that I won’t get into here.
---
### Author:  [@Tony](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Tony)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2018, 5:37am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083/40 "2018-02-04T05:37:16Z")
How do you quote here?
[Previous page](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083.md?page=1)
[Next page](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/the-best-bg-glucose-meter-that-your-insurance-will-pay-for/3083.md?page=3)