The Frustration of Getting Diabetes Supplies

You need to test your blood sugar daily, up to 15 times a day with Type 1 diabetes. In order to do this you need to have the test strips, and lancets to do so right? Unfortunately, for many with diabetes of all types it isn't as easy as it sounds. Instead, you spend over a month back and forth between a mail order diabetes supply company, and your insurance. I've battled before to get the supplies my son needed, but this time it was for my 4-year-old daughter, newly diagnosed in March. And this time it wasn't the insurance who was causing the holdup, instead is was the mail order company, who was not doing their job properly. I'd advise you if you are looking for a new D supplier, or are looking to sign up with one for the first time to stay away from EdgePark Medical.

For over a month I have talked to numerous representatives, many of who were quite rude with me and refused to listen to what I was saying. To say their customer service is horrible is an understatement. Our insurance said, they will cover 100% under the DME coverage for whatever her doctor prescribed. So I double checked with EdgePark, her doctor prescribed 27 boxes of (50 strips) and 14 boxes of (100) lancets for a 3-month period. Should be a piece of cake to get these sent right? WRONG!

Instead, they try to bill me for almost $800 for her first order, and insist that they can only send 6 boxes of strips (300 strips), and 3 boxes of lancets (300 lancets) for a 3 month period. That doesn't add up if you do the math at 15x testing a day right? After over a month and a half, our insurance calls and let's them know they are to submit documentation (prescription) with the claim when they put it through, otherwise without documentation from the doctor she is to test this many times a day,  guess what, it's going to get denied, which is what they did time after time after time, for over 1 month. No matter how much I told them they need to talk to the insurance, they stated no they didn't, in fact, they only needed to submit the claim and can't help if it's denied. But apparently, from the beginning if they were doing their job correctly, it would have gone through. No matter how much I told them that my 4-year-old was running dangerously low on her supplies, they could care less.

When I expressed to them I would have NO WAY of testing her blood sugar soon when we run out, short of pricking her finger and tasting her blood to see if it's sweet, they could care less. In my experience when it comes to EdgePark Medical Supplies, patient, and customer care is not of their upmost priority. Instead, they argue with the patient, or caregiver, insist they are doing everything they can to get their supplies to them when they are not, and get downright rude.

So now, I have a choice to make, to stick with a company that has treated us horribly, and lacked empathy to understand our situation, and the competence to realize it has been their fault all along. If they would have listened to me initially and contacted our insurance, this would have been fixed, well before she was dangerously low. Or I can change and go with one of the other 4 our insurance has suggested. The question is, what is EdgePark going to do to rectify the situation. Not once throughout the entire process have I heard an apology of any sorts, only from our insurance, who was not at fault. I guess for the brief time being, while I look around at the others, the ball is in EdgePark's court.

Learn the Symptoms to Prevent a Misdiagnosis

Type 1 diabetes can  be fatal if you do not understand the symptoms associated with the disease. Leaving it up to your doctor to diagnosis you child isn't always a fail proof method, because recently, there have been multiple cases of children misdiagnosed with the flu or another illness such as strep, that have fallen victim to the fatality of the disease. This should not happen, period! We should not be loosing happy, otherwise healthy children like Kycie Terry, or 4 year old David Michael Brown to this disease. A simple urine test, a quick finger stick could give you and your physician that vital information to save your child's life. 

During a sick visit, when a child exhibits ANY symptoms of Type 1 diabetes, this should be a mandatory test. During a child's well visit/ check up this should be a mandatory test! 40,000 people each year are being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the United States, this includes children. The increase in the prevalence of Type 1 is increasing each and every year, yet we are failing to diagnose many precious children before it's too late, and that is unacceptable. Until it's mandatory for pediatricians to test your sick child for Type 1 or at their well visit/ check up, learn the symptoms and signs, educate your friends and family what to look for, you could very well save a child's life. While Type 1 can be fatal, it is extremely treatable. Kids with Type 1 can go on to live long, healthy lives with proper treatment, management and diligence. 

These symptoms are just the most common, recognizable ones, if your gut is telling you it's NOT the flu, or it's NOT strep throat, speak up, advocate for your child, and get them the proper testing and treatment they deserve!