The blood glucose meter is one tool that many people with diabetes can’t do without. Whether you prick your finger many times a day or less often, checking your glucose levels is an important part of managing your diabetes. And so choosing a meter that suits you and helps provide you and your health care team with vital information is a task for which a little preparation can pay big dividends.

Blood glucose meters have changed significantly, and for the better, since they first became available for home use 30 years ago. Those early meters required large drops of blood that were more painful to squeeze out than the tiny samples now typically needed (see next page). Today’s lancets, outfitted with spring-loaded lancing devices, can puncture the skin quickly and with minimal discomfort. Improved test strips wick up the blood sample easily, results are available within seconds, and meters have fewer testing errors than in the past. Yet meter accuracy has become a hot-button issue, and manufacturers may be forced to meet a higher standard (read more, here).

Despite the advances in self-monitoring of blood glucose, if you are newly diagnosed with diabetes, learning how to test yourself and how to deal with the results can still be daunting. If you’re buying your first meter, you’re probably considering all the ways your life will change now that you have diabetes, and now that you’re testing. Not all meters are created equal, and there can be many choices to make when selecting a model.

What Will It Cost?
The price tag on the meter itself isn’t the key. In fact, a lot of the time your meter will be free or reduced from its retail price, thanks to rebates and other discounts from the manufacturer, or because insurance will pay for it. You may even be able to get a free one from your doctor or educator. What does add up is the long-term cost of test strips: They can run anywhere from 50 cents to $1 per strip. Even if you test only twice a week, that could come to $104 a year in test strips. If you test five times a day, you may be looking at $1,820. If you have health insurance, it usually will cover some of the cost, but how much and how many strips are covered can vary by insurer and by the type of diabetes you have. Always check with your insurance provider before choosing a meter, because insurers often only cover test strips and meters manufactured by one particular company. And remember that when it’s time to buy new test strips, you’ll have to buy a brand that is compatible with your meter.

Keep in mind, too, that not all meters come with accessories. You may need to separately purchase a carrying case, a lancing device and lancets, control solution, containers for sharps disposal (though many household items, like plastic laundry detergent jugs, will work), a logbook, and computer software to go with your blood glucose meter. And you’ll also want to plan on periodically replenishing your supply of lancets and control solution.

Talk About It
Your doctor or diabetes educator may not know all the details of your insurance plan, but he or she will be able to help you select a meter. Discuss which brands are best and which components matter most to you: Do you want your meter to be very small? Do you want all the extras, including graphs of test results? Your pharmacist may be able to help, too: Ask about pharmacy discount cards and about saving by buying test strips in bulk. And then talk with friends who have diabetes—especially someone whose job or lifestyle is like yours. Ask them if you can try out their meters (using your own lancets, of course). You can also compare notes with others online at sites like the American Diabetes Association message boards.

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