| Glucose monitors are often given away free of | | | | forfend) you don't have insurance, then you have to |
| charge, but the manufacturers make their real money | | | | pony up. The one thing you must not do, obviously, is |
| on expensive test strips. If your insurance covers the | | | | cut back on necessary testing in order to save money. |
| cost of the strips, then you probably aren't concerned | | | | It isn't worth saving a few dollars to put your health at |
| about that. If on the other hand you pay for strips out | | | | risk. |
| of pocket -- and many people even with insurance | | | | If you are on any kind of budget and would like to |
| have to pay some or all of the cost for strips -- the | | | | save money on test strips, I heartily recommend (and |
| expense can mount up significantly. | | | | use) the ReliOn Micro meter. It is sold through |
| As for the monitors, there is a fairly wide range of | | | | Walmart stores for about twelve dollars. Fifty test |
| features available on different models. Most high-end | | | | strips run about $22.00 (as of July 2009), about |
| glucose monitors come with software that can collect | | | | forty-four cents a strip. That comes to about $36 a |
| and organize information ported from your glucose | | | | month if you test three times a day. That is a |
| monitor to your computer. They are available from | | | | significant difference, probably enough to pay your |
| LifeScan, Accu-Check, Bayer, and many others. These | | | | monthly electric bill. |
| and probably any other meter you want can be gotten | | | | There are also low-cost TrueTrack® meters and |
| free of charge either through the company that | | | | strips available at many drug stores such as |
| makes it or your doctor. | | | | Walgreen's, that can save you big on the expense of |
| However, the test strips are definitely not free of | | | | glucose monitor test strips. |
| charge. They can run anywhere from $100 to $125 | | | | When shopping for a glucose monitor of course you |
| per hundred. That means every time you test your | | | | want to look for features such as porting. The present |
| blood sugar with their monitor it's costing you about a | | | | version of the ReliOn Micro does not port data to the |
| dollar or more. If you test three times a day your | | | | computer like the high-end monitors do, but the next |
| monthly test strip expense is ninety to a hundred and | | | | version will include that feature. |
| twelve dollars or more. | | | | Whatever monitor you purchase, be aware of the |
| If your insurance doesn't pay for the strips or (heaven | | | | cost for strips before you buy. |