Frequent testing is a vital part of any diabetes management program, but 20 years after the invention of home testing, costs remain high and the need to measure blood sugar cheaply has led people to look for deals on eBay.
Why is this so?
By cutting out competitors, four medical companies now command about 90 percent of the market, keeping prices high. These companies are in the game to make money, and since the markup on test strips is so high (cost to manufacture is typically around 5 cents each, versus 85 cents on the dollar at retail ), represents an opportunity for extraordinary earnings.
At the same time, the growing number of diabetics, identified by a greater number of medical exams, will generate a greater demand for glucose strips in North America, which means that more people will pay inflated prices. This is fine if a patient has health insurance, but if they don’t, it can burden them financially and make testing that much harder to justify. They are torn between the dire need to get tested and the fiscal need to save money. A diabetic needs to try without worrying too much about the price.
How to lower the cost.
It is highly desirable to reduce the cost of glucose test strips. New companies are emerging that have reduced the cost of testing to about 60 cents a strip, but that price is still a bit high.
One method that has been shown to reduce the cost of my own blood sugar testing supplies is to purchase them online on EBay. Glucose test strips are ending up on eBay for a variety of reasons.
Test strips typically cost at least 50 percent less than retail, which can lower your cost by as much as 25 to 30 cents, depending on the make and model of blood sugar monitor you buy. use.
EBay offers many deals, but you should be careful and do your research thoroughly before bidding on anything. Before you buy test strips on eBay, there are a few things to keep in mind to shop safely.
It is possible to buy cheap test strips on eBay and so far I have personally had a good experience.
But unsuspecting shoppers could get more than they bargained for. They could expose themselves to eye damage or unnecessary surgery if they don’t know how to buy glucose strips safely. Counterfeit strips are also a possibility, so being informed is a good idea.
So go ahead and buy. But before you do, take a few minutes and get some solid information before you commit and make a mistake you might regret.