[beefy]

So far I'm very happy with it.

I'd been using the regular Contour (this one...)

... but decided to try the newer USB model:

... which is just totally cool.

Although there's things I'd love to see done with the software, It's so much quicker and easier to use than my old hand-written charting system...

And maybe I'm a techno-weenie, but I love having a nice colour screen too, lol.

So far, so good... I like it!

The only downside I've encountered so far was that my insurance didn't cover it... and it's pricey up here... The pharmacy had it priced at $89.99 , Walmart had it priced at $64.97 here (yes, we get ripped off in Canada... $29bucks for this item at Walmart in the US) .... The pharmacy manager said he'd match the Walmart price... BUT being the negotiator I am, I talked him into giving it to me for $49.99 with an additional 100 test strips... (The strips only cost me $13 because insurance covers most of that)...

So my new toy cost me $50 ... As a bonus I now have a backup meter should anything ever go wrong...

 

[jwags]

I got a freebie a few months ago, too. I love how quick it is. So far I have been very happy with the consistency of readings.

 

[nursedude]

I got my USB contour free from my pharmacist who is a certified diabetes educator. With any device there are pros and cons. PROS for me are: USB, rechargable battery, portable software that I can use anywhere, Easy to read display. CONS: Case is a little cramped, I don't really like the lancet that comes with it and test strips are more expensive. In my case I decided that the pros outweigh the cons. My previous meter was a One-Touch ultra smart which I also highly recommend.

ND

 

[dkyle]

Interesting, I just picked up a freestyle lite an accucheck aviva to see where i wanted to go for my next meter ( i currently use one touch ) I didnt try the contour, but thought it looked cool, Let me know what you think as you work with it

Don

 

[ThoseBackPages]

ive only used a freestyle lite, no complaints

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

So far I'm very happy with it.

I'd been using the regular Contour (this one...)

... but decided to try the newer USB model:

... which is just totally cool.

Although there's things I'd love to see done with the software, It's so much quicker and easier to use than my old hand-written charting system...

And maybe I'm a techno-weenie, but I love having a nice colour screen too, lol.

So far, so good... I like it!

The only downside I've encountered so far was that my insurance didn't cover it... and it's pricey up here... The pharmacy had it priced at $89.99 , Walmart had it priced at $64.97 here (yes, we get ripped off in Canada... $29bucks for this item at Walmart in the US) .... The pharmacy manager said he'd match the Walmart price... BUT being the negotiator I am, I talked him into giving it to me for $49.99 with an additional 100 test strips... (The strips only cost me $13 because insurance covers most of that)...

So my new toy cost me $50 ... As a bonus I now have a backup meter should anything ever go wrong...

____________________

Aww, man, are you kidding - 50 bucks?? You should have tried ebay - I got the same one today for $10 including shipping.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

I got my USB contour free from my pharmacist who is a certified diabetes educator. With any device there are pros and cons. PROS for me are: USB, rechargable battery, portable software that I can use anywhere, Easy to read display. CONS: Case is a little cramped, I don't really like the lancet that comes with it and test strips are more expensive. In my case I decided that the pros outweigh the cons. My previous meter was a One-Touch ultra smart which I also highly recommend.

ND

I got mine today from ebay but haven't received it yet. I like it because it uses the same test strips as my current Contour and my insurance pays for the strips. I would also suggest using ebay to buy strips - you can get them so much cheaper than in stores.

 

[beefy]

I got mine today from ebay but haven't received it yet. I like it because it uses the same test strips as my current Contour and my insurance pays for the strips. I would also suggest using ebay to buy strips - you can get them so much cheaper than in stores.

I'm lucky in that my insurance covers 90% of my strips. So even at the pharmacy full-price 100 usually ends up costing me about $13 Canadian. Amazingly, they WONT cover it if I buy from e-bay or amazon... they want a pharmacy receipt. Go figure.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

I'm lucky in that my insurance covers 90% of my strips. So even at the pharmacy full-price 100 usually ends up costing me about $13 Canadian. Amazingly, they WONT cover it if I buy from e-bay or amazon... they want a pharmacy receipt. Go figure.

Man, you guys got it made over there in Canada. I had planned on moving to Canada and then I got dx'ed and that pretty much shot that plan to hell. I don't think Canada would let me in as a diabetic, so I'm stuck here in America.

 

[beefy]

Man, you guys got it made over there in Canada. I had planned on moving to Canada and then I got dx'ed and that pretty much shot that plan to hell. I don't think Canada would let me in as a diabetic, so I'm stuck here in America.

That has nothing to do with being Canadian. Canadian health care does NOT cover the cost of diabetic testing supplies, medication, glasses, dental, or many other things. It pretty much just covers the cost of doctors/non-elective surgery, etc. I have additional insurance through my employer's health care insurance plan. Different coverage levels cost different amounts.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

That has nothing to do with being Canadian. Canadian health care does NOT cover the cost of diabetic testing supplies, medication, glasses, dental, or many other things. It pretty much just covers the cost of doctors/non-elective surgery, etc. I have additional insurance through my employer's health care insurance plan. Different coverage levels cost different amounts.

Wow, I didn't realize that. Still better than what we have here, though. We're all led by Michael Moore to believe that Canadians get everything for free.

 

[beefy]

Wow, I didn't realize that. Still better than what we have here, though. We're all led by Michael Moore to believe that Canadians get everything for free.

Yeah, he's full of it. He'll lie through his teeth to get people to rally behind whatever political cause he believes in...

In Calgary (which is a decent size city of around a million people) it takes 6-12 months of waiting to get an MRI, and we've had people literally DIE in emergency rooms because they were waiting to be seen... (granted that doesn't happen very often, but that it happens at all is VERY disturbing.)

For my back problems, I could benefit greatly from surgical implant of devices that are regularly done in the USA, but my country has classified as "experimental" so they don't have to cover the cost. Even though both the surgery and the devices are shown to be safe.

Many Canadians go to the USA for surgery they simply cannot get in Canada, paying for it out of their own pocket...

Not the picture Moore painted in his documentary... Though we've got some good things here, health care is still a primary concern to most Canadians, and can still bankrupt many.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Yeah, he's full of it. He'll lie through his teeth to get people to rally behind whatever political cause he believes in...

In Calgary (which is a decent size city of around a million people) it takes 6-12 months of waiting to get an MRI, and we've had people literally DIE in emergency rooms because they were waiting to be seen... (granted that doesn't happen very often, but that it happens at all is VERY disturbing.)

For my back problems, I could benefit greatly from surgical implant of devices that are regularly done in the USA, but my country has classified as "experimental" so they don't have to cover the cost. Even though both the surgery and the devices are shown to be safe.

Many Canadians go to the USA for surgery they simply cannot get in Canada, paying for it out of their own pocket...

Not the picture Moore painted in his documentary... Though we've got some good things here, health care is still a primary concern to most Canadians, and can still bankrupt many.

Isn't that something? You guys come here for your surgery, we go there for meds! It seems like we're both pretty screwed. I am a Michael Moore fan, but he does seem to stretch the truth sometimes.

 

[jwags]

We order a lot of our meds from an online pharmacy in British Columbia. We save at least 60% on our expensive meds. They don't carry strips, though. They do carry insulins which are quite cheaper than insulin here in the US. We have insurance but have high deductible ( real high) so we basically pay for everything out of pocket. That is why I totally obsessive about my weight and bgs. I need to stay healthy because I can't afford being sick.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

We order a lot of our meds from an online pharmacy in British Columbia. We save at least 60% on our expensive meds. They don't carry strips, though. They do carry insulins which are quite cheaper than insulin here in the US. We have insurance but have high deductible ( real high) so we basically pay for everything out of pocket. That is why I totally obsessive about my weight and bgs. I need to stay healthy because I can't afford being sick.

___________________________
Hi Jwags,

Can you share the website for this pharmacy, and do you have any problems ordering, being an American? Thanks!

 

[laca310]

Didn't work for me

I really wanted this to work. Im a 44 year old type 1 diagnosed a year ago. Thought the meter was neat, liked the look, the technology, and more, but - and it's a big but - the readings didn't work for me.

Not sure why, but it seemed it liked low standard deviations, and would slightly elevate the lows and clip off the highs. Seemed more accurate at the 150 range, but was way too high under 90. I would multiple test and got readings all over the place. Finally decided to test for a month with both a OneTouch Ultra and the Bayer USB. About 6-8 tests a day for an entire month confirmed my feelings. Given that I am more worried about going low, especially when exercising, I have given up on the USB. Got a few free with a coupon, and even used another meter after seeing that people somtimes got a bad one. Neighbor is borderline type 2 so I gave one to him. Think for type 2s it is a great product, but after confirming that a 75 and 80 on a USB corresponded to 55 and 60 with my OneTouch once while out running, that was it for me. Insurance was also more of a hassle as it wasn't preferred, but I would have shelled out had it worked for me.