Hi All - I had quite a few comment on my first post about the approval of Dexcom G4 CGM approval by Canada health. Many people including myself were unsure about how to actually go about getting the system.  I moved up from the US last January and was disappointed that after having been on the system for half a year that I was not going to be able to continue using the system without sensors. To my surprise, the approval came a couple months ago.  So I have talked to pharmacists, nurses, endocrinologists, insurances and Dexcom to try and figure out how to get sensor refills.  So here is what I have learned. 

Animas is an insulin pump manufacturer that has teamed up with Dexcom to use their technology is a new pump coming out, so it looks like they have teamed up with them to distribute Dexcom G4 here in Canada.  That being said, I was able to get into contact with an Animas Canada inside sales representative. (1-866-406-4844).  The woman I talked to was very helpful since all of the other sources I mentioned above hadn't really ever heard of the system and/or really didn't know about how to go about it.  Still waiting on a call back from a pharmacist.  The good news is that the sensors should be available in their Canada warehouse by the end of November.  That being said, I give it a couple weeks into December, but am still in the process of how this will get paid.  

I have an email into my extended healthcare provider to see when and if my sensor will be covered.  Hopefully it will be covered and soon.  Diabetes is hard enough to manage, so chasing down insurances and supplies can be frustrating. Hope this helps.  Any questions, post in the comments below. 

I am not one to go to the doctor much, except to get my blood work done.  Well, mostly just to get my A1C checked but last year I still had money in my flex budget for healthcare expenses, so I thought I would try an at home A1C kit.  It comes with two tests and I think it was roughly $30, so depending on co-pays and lab fees, it might be well worth doing it at home.  Also, it is only a regular finger stick versus having blood drawn. 

So I have been behind on my posts since we have moved to Canada.  I will work on getting some more updates through the next week or so. My post tonight is to just give people some color on what I have learned about the healthcare system so far here in Canada.  I thought it would be interesting to share my first hand experience with learning about how insurance works.