CGM Supplies

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Now Shipping: Medtronic Guardian Connect CGM System

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Medtronic's Guardian Connect is composed of three key components: the sensor, a bluetooth transmitter that lasts a year, and a mobile app

Medtronic's Guardian Connect is composed of three key components: the sensor, a bluetooth transmitter that lasts a year, and a mobile app

We're excited to share that Healthy Living Medical Supply is now shipping the Medtronic Guardian Connect CGM system! This is a great technology option for any patient who is taking insulin via injections and who isn't quite ready for an insulin pump. Read more about the Guardian Connect CGM system at the Medtronic website. 

What is CGM? CGM stands for Continuous Glucose Monitoring and is a small, half dollar sized device that goes on your body and measures blood sugar levels every five minutes or roughly 288 times per day. 

What are the benefits of CGM? We've written about this here on our blog before, but in short CGM reduces the number of daily finger sticks while giving patients much greater insight into what is happening with their body's sugar levels. Medtronic Guardian Connect's stand alone CGM system takes readings every five minutes or 288 times throughout the day and night - this is significantly more information than is yielded through finger sticks alone.

What are the top benefits of Medtronic's Guardian Connect CGM System?

1. The data is automatically uploaded directly to the physician's office via Medtronic's CareLink platform. 

2. Predictive alerts for highs and lows are sent out 60 minutes in advance. Predictive alerts are sent out 40 minutes faster than the competition.

3. IBM Watson integration creates actionable trends from user CGM data.

4. Last but not least, Medtronic's Guardian Connect CGM system is significantly less expensive for the patient and health plan in comparison to the competition. Why? Because the transmitter lasts for one year, no receiver is needed, and a month's supply comes with five sensors for a total of 35 days of wear time. This means lower copays for patients, longer sensor wear time and a lower spend for the health plan. 

Most major commercial insurances, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Health Alliance Plan of Michigan (HAP), will pay for CGM. Contact Healthy Living Medical Supply today at 866-779-8512 to learn more and to begin the easy enrollment process.

Michigan Residents: Keep your business local! Healthy Living Medical Supply is the only locally owned and operated diabetes speciality provider in the state of Michigan...and we provide world class customer service!

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What We’re Reading: The Health Alliance Plan of Michigan’s Balanced Living Blog

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The Health Alliance Plan of Michigan's Balanced Living is filled with tips and suggestions on increasing your wellness and leading a more active and healthy lifestyle

The Health Alliance Plan of Michigan's Balanced Living is filled with tips and suggestions on increasing your wellness and leading a more active and healthy lifestyle

One of our regular features on the Healthy Living Medical Supply Blog is our “What We’re Reading” segment where we shine the spotlight on resources that we find particularly relevant to our employees and customers. One such resource is Health Alliance Plan of Michigan’s “Balanced Living Blog,” which is routinely updated with excellent ideas and suggestions for maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle. Subscribe to blog updates by visiting the site and clicking the email subscribe link. 

Below you’ll find links to four articles that we found particularly interesting, all of which relate to diabetes, which is our specialty.

Walking it Back: Reversing Prediabetes

Facing Diabetes On Her Own Terms: How One Woman Took Control of Her Life

Diabetes Doesn’t Define Me: Overcoming Type 1 at 21

How Former U-M Football Star Marc Ramirez Tackled Diabetes

Healthy Living Medical Supply is in network with Health Alliance Plan of Michigan for diabetes testing supplies, insulin pumps, insulin pump supplies, continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGM) – if you are a Health Alliance Plan of Michigan member and are looking for diabetes related supplies delivered to your doorstep with great customer care, give us a call at 866.779.8512 or send us a text message at 248.577.9903 to start the easy enrollment process.

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Are You Ready for CGM?

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A continuous glucose monitor is a small wearable device system that tracks your glucose throughout the day and night, notifying you of highs and lows so you can take action when needed. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) helps many people with diabetes obtain greater insight into what is happening with their blood sugar levels and trends.

Benefits of CGM  

  • The CGM system monitors blood glucose levels in the interstitial tissue every five minutes, offering much more information than four to eight finger sticks per day.
  • CGM is very useful when you are struggling with nighttime lows, providing alarms and alerts.
  • Continuous glucose monitoring is great for pediatrics because their parents and caregivers can remotely monitor the CGM data from their smartphones.
  • Both Medtronic and Dexcom sensors and transmitters are water-resistant, if not waterproof. They are both relatively small and discreet to wear.

CGM & Insurance Coverage

  • Most commercial insurances cover CGM, and the end of the year is a good time to consider CGM since at this time deductibles are often satisfied.
  • Most insurances require a prior authorization on file, so it is essential that patients meet with their endocrinologist to discuss CGM. This is a good first step for obtaining a CGM system. 
  • Currently, no Michigan Medicaid plans consistently approve CGM, and plans will require a pre-authorization if the CGM is covered.

Starting with CGM

  • It is easy to begin using CGM, and you don’t have to commit to an insulin pump. Many patients using multiple daily injections (MDI) report that they get tighter blood glucose through the combination of MDI and CGM.
  • From start to finish, a CGM enrollment will take commercial members roughly 1-14 days and Medicaid members 2-4 weeks.

Get in Touch

Healthy Living’s Insulin Pump & CGM Therapy Team can help guide you through the process of starting with CGM and will work with your insurance company. You can reach us at 866.779.8512 (Option 2). Learn more about CGM on our website.

We love to help!