There are many ways to buy diabetic supplies without insurance. Many Americans cannot afford the high cost of insurance and find themselves paying for their supplies out of pocket. It can be expensive, but there are ways to save money on all the things you need to keep yourself healthy and monitor or lower your blood-sugar levels.
Go to your local pharmacy. Pharmacies carry all of the most-popular diabetic supplies. Buy test strips, lancets and insulin at your local pharmacy. They have most of the major brands including Accu-chek, Bayer and Abbott. You can also get support socks, glucose tablets and diabetic snacks especially made for diabetics at your local pharmacy. Although many of your supplies would be covered under your insurance plan, these items can also be purchased without insurance.
Check online at specialty diabetic stores. These stores usually only carry diabetic supplies, and two of the more popular websites are americandiabeteswholesale.com and diabeticdrugstore.com.They have some items that you cannot find at your local pharmacy such as insulin-pump accessories, A1c-testing supplies and impotence devices. These stores often have good sales, as well as shipping discounts based on amounts spent. They do bill insurance companies for some items, but you can buy anything they offer without insurance.
Search Ebay for diabetic supplies. Many sellers have online auctions and have stores for the sale of diabetic supplies. This is the most cost-effective way to buy supplies without insurance. You can find just about anything you need for your diabetes from reputable sellers on Ebay. Test strips cost much less at eBay than at your local pharmacy. Ebay sellers do not take insurance, but their prices are often much lower than specialty stores or pharmacies.
Buy insulin at your local pharmacy or online. Certain insulin is available over the counter, such as N, R and 70/30. There are also more advanced types such as 75/25 and Lantus that do need a prescription, but can be purchased without insurance. You can also buy insulin online, but make sure the company ships it in a mini-cooler as it needs to remain cold at all times.