[livingla]

In a local newspaper (Southern California) I saw a classified ad that reads:

WANTED DIABETES TEST STRIPS
Any Kind/Any Brand.
Unexpired. Pay up to $18.00 Per Box.
Call 1-800-xxx-xxx or [website]

Certainly this encourages insurance fraud where a diabetes patient obtains strips for free from (or subsidized through) their insurance or benefits and then instead of using those strips turns around and resells them to this online outfit.

I know insurance fraud is illegal, but this outfit probably gets by doing this as they wouldn't know how the seller came into acquiring the strips. But just like a pawn shop isn't free to fence stolen goods, shouldn't this outfit have similar restrictions? Their website shows references that include numerous resellers from California.

Any fraud such as this increases my medical insurance rates so I am curious if the industry has addressed this issue at all.

 

[breezeonby]

In a local newspaper (Southern California) I saw a classified ad that reads:

WANTED DIABETES TEST STRIPS
Any Kind/Any Brand.
Unexpired. Pay up to $18.00 Per Box.
Call 1-800-xxx-xxx or [website]

Certainly this encourages insurance fraud where a diabetes patient obtains strips for free from (or subsidized through) their insurance or benefits and then instead of using those strips turns around and resells them to this online outfit.

I know insurance fraud is illegal, but this outfit probably gets by doing this as they wouldn't know how the seller came into acquiring the strips. But just like a pawn shop isn't free to fence stolen goods, shouldn't this outfit have similar restrictions? Their website shows references that include numerous resellers from California.

Any fraud such as this increases my medical insurance rates so I am curious if the industry has addressed this issue at all.

Good point. I ran into a situation where I got my test strips from a mail order company. They sent me a free meter and their version of a premium test strip. I got a 3 month supply. I paid my portion in advance. It was the worst meter and test strip that I have used. The company would not trade the strips for a different brand. I ended up buying another test strip at retail price. I thought about selling the unwanted strips on ebay but I am not sure I want to go through the hassle.

 

[sixsierra]

The selling of overstock test strips has been going on for years that I know of. One can go on ebay and find many who are selling. In the old days you could actually go there and sell your own excess strips but I guess now you have to be some sort of certified seller to do so.

 

[jwags]

It may be illegal to sell your strips that you got through insurance but many of us who have to buy our own strips buy ours on the internet. Personally I think the glucose strip industry is criminal. Because most people don't pay the full price at the pharmacy, these companies are gouging us. My pharmacy charges $115 per 100 strips or more. Online I pay $45 per 100. We also buy our expensive meds in Canada.

 

[Richard157]

I would never buy strips from ebay, I do not trust them. I know a man who lives in northern Maine. He drives across the Canadian border and buys his drugs , insulin, and other supplies in Canada. He saves so much money!!!

 

[tony eugene]

The complement supplies from our insurance company that we received had been accounted as consumed. It does not change the cost then. What matters is the quantity it releases. So. if you have excess, you can return, donate, or sell it when it is still useful(before expirations). I think the insurance company would conduct some kind of consumer usage survey before they would implement premium increase. Although, supplies is one factors of its cost but there are several other influence that matter most. However, I would suggest an invitation of insurance personnel to enlighten on the facts. By the way, insurance company could easily demands security markings from manufacturers, if it comes to worst. I would like to thank you for the post of awareness.