Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) Practice Exam

Which suggestion is NOT an appropriate strategy to address financial barriers to self-monitoring blood glucose?

1. Obtain a generic meter with lower-cost strips

2. Backdating a meter to accept expired test strips

3. Select a monitoring schedule that conserves strips

4. Contact insurance to check for preferred meters

The correct answer is: Backdating a meter to accept expired test strips

The suggestion to backdate a meter to accept expired test strips is not an appropriate strategy for addressing financial barriers to self-monitoring blood glucose. This approach is unsafe and unethical, as using expired test strips can lead to inaccurate blood glucose readings. Relying on these readings could result in inappropriate management of diabetes, potentially leading to serious health consequences. On the other hand, obtaining a generic meter with lower-cost strips is a practical solution that can help to reduce out-of-pocket expenses without compromising safety or effectiveness. Selecting a monitoring schedule that conserves strips allows individuals to use their resources more efficiently, enabling regular monitoring while controlling costs. Additionally, contacting insurance to check for preferred meters can lead to the identification of options that are covered or subsidized, further minimizing financial burden on the patient. Overall, these alternatives promote both effective diabetes management and financial responsibility.