Diabetes is a lifelong disease that affects millions of people each year according to the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 23.6 million or 7.8% percent of the entire population of the United States is diagnosed with either Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. And if you are one of millions who are suffering from diabetes, then you are probably aware of the numerous lifestyle changes you need to take, the most evident of which being the constant purchase and use of diabetic testing supplies such as blood glucose meters, lancets and blood sample test strips. In this article, we will discuss tips on how to purchase diabetic supplies as well as how to find and avail of free diabetic supplies.

By now you already know that in order to purchase diabetic supplies, you need to have a prescription from your doctor. But did you know that you can also avail of free diabetic supplies with your prescription? Some diabetes testing supply manufacturers, in an effort to boost sales of their test strips, often give away free glucose meters in pharmacies. You should also try to look for deals and discounts on meters, though keep in mind that what you purchase must be comply with what is written in your prescription.

If you are eligible for Medicaid, Medicare or for other types of medical assistance programs by the government, do not hesitate to make use of it as it can greatly cut the amount of money you will spend on diabetic supplies and prescription medicines. Generally, Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries are entitled a wide array of free diabetic supplies, ranging from basic testing supplies like glucometers to therapeutic custom-molded shoes and inserts. However, these programs only provide a limited number of supplies and medicines and will not cover anything that is not prescribed by the doctor.

On the other hand, if you are unable to secure health insurance and have difficulty purchasing enough diabetic supplies, you might want to try asking for help from patient assistance program clearinghouses like Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA). PPA helps diabetics who are uninsured or come from low-income households find programs that can provide free diabetic supplies or reduce the costs of diabetic supply purchases.

Another way that you can save on diabetic supplies is by minimizing the number of test strips you use per month. Although they only cost 50 cents to a dollar apiece, you can rack up as much as 0 in test strips a month. In fact, the total price of a blood glucose meter is based on the amount of test strips used on it (which is why they are often given away for free). Talk with your doctor on whether it is possible for you to reduce the amount of test strips you use and, in turn, purchase.

Instead of purchasing in a pharmacy, you can further save money on diabetic supplies by buying from a home delivery service and supplier like Liberty Medical or Freedom Medical. These services often give away free diabetic supplies, especially if you have health insurance. Some even help in filing health insurance claims and find programs which would further reduce the costs of purchasing supplies in the future. However, when purchasing supplies through these delivery services, make sure to check if they work first and return those that are defective. This is because there are instances where glucose meters are dropped and damaged during shipping, which can severely affect your health if it is continued to be used.

If you are willing to spend some time browsing the web, you might want to try hunting down coupons and vouchers online. Pharmaceutical such Lilly’s and GlaxoSmithKline often distribute coupons for free diabetic supplies on their websites as well as on affiliated diabetes resource websites.

When purchasing blood glucose meters, test strips, lancets as well as additional insulin supplies such as an insulin pump or insulin syringes, take into consideration the fact that as of writing there is no cure for diabetes. And until the day comes that a cure is available, it is important that you have adequate diabetic supplies every day, whether you are at home, at work, or on vacation. It is also for this reason that you should not just rely on free diabetic supplies alone to manage your condition, as they are often limited in supply. You need to incorporate diabetes monitoring and management in your day-to-day routine if you want to remain healthy and prevent any life-threatening conditions brought about by diabetes.