If you have diabetes than you already know the financial burden test strips, lancets, monitors and control solution can leave on you. Monthly you shell out a few hundred dollars for all your test supplies and they just do not seem to last long enough before it is time to shell out another hundred dollars or so. It can be quite a pain in the bank but that does not mean it has to be.
If you have diabetes, there is a chance that you can apply for Medicare. Medicare will not only help you afford your supplies every month, it can also help with other supplies that could be needed in the future, such as a therapeutic shoe to prevent foot disease. There are several parts to Medicare, which you must understand before applying for it. Here they are:
Medicare Part A aka Hospital Insurance is helpful when you are a patient within a hospital; it can also be helpful in times of home health care, hospice care or to cover the expenses of a nursing facility.
Medicare Part B aka Medical Insurance is helpful in covering expenses toward doctor’s bills or outpatient care bills. It can also be helpful to make sure that illnesses do not become worse than they are.
Medicare Part C aka Medicare Advantage Plans such as HMO or PPO, this is health coverage that is setup through private companies and assesses both Part A and Part B in order to cover the costs of prescription drugs.
Medicare Part D aka Prescription Drug Coverage is helpful in covering the high costs of prescription drugs. It can lower the cost of your prescription drugs and keep those high costs at bay in the future.
You can get many different supplies from Medicare. You may already qualify for these supplies if you are on Medicare or have a blood test showing you are a diabetic.
Here is a list of supplies covered by Medicare:
- Test Strips
- Glucose monitors and batteries
- Control Solution
- Lancets and lancing devices
- Hemoglobin A1c tests
- Insulin Pump Supplies
Most likely, you are thinking this all seems like a pretty good idea to save some money, but you may be asking yourself, “How do I get my supplies?” The answer is simple really; you can get your supplies a couple of different ways. One of those ways is through a Medicare participating provider such as a medical supply store or a local pharmacy. Another convenient way to obtain your supplies is by setting up a monthly delivery order, to your doorstep via the internet or snail mail through a diabetic supply company.
You should keep in mind when you order your supplies that you will need to ask for refills monthly, you will need a new prescription from your doctor to obtain additional lancets, and test strips yearly.
Becoming a diabetic and living with diabetes is hard as it is but knowing that you have full coverage when it comes to doctor visits, high cost drug prescriptions, hospital visits and even long-term nursing facility care, can make things a little better. Diabetes is a lot less of a struggle when you can afford the supplies you need to take care of yourself, look into Medicare today.
