Accu-Chek Guide BGM Available in the US, Including Cheaper Strips
By Ben Pallant and Adam Brown
The new blood glucose meter features less expensive strips, uploads readings to smartphones, and integrates with mySugr
The Accu-Chek Guide blood glucose meter (BGM) from Roche is now available in the US, featuring Bluetooth integration with smartphone apps, new highly accurate strips, and a new SimplePay savings card to save money and get a free meter.
Most notably, Roche has significantly dropped the price of strips for those paying cash (without insurance): the first vial of 50 strips costs $19.99, and each additional 50 strips cost an extra $10. That means $29.99 for 100 strips and $39.99 for 150 strips, all the way up to $129.99 for 600 strips. For US readers, even for people with insurance, this SimplePay program could be a better deal than dealing with insurance hassles and copays. Those covered by Medicare or Medicaid can’t use SimplePay, though Medicare Part B and several major Medicare Advantage plans do cover Accu-Chek Guide strips.
The strips are also highly accurate, as 95% of measured glucose values fall within 10% or 10 mg/dl of the lab reference value – far better than many meters. Blood can be applied anywhere on the end of the strip, rather than only to a narrow fill window. Last, the strips come in an interesting “SmartPack” vial designed to be spill-resistant. diaTribe has given these a try and we think they’re a big improvement over previous Roche strips.
On the design front, the no frills Bluetooth-enabled meter uploads readings to the Accu-Chek Connect smartphone app (available for iOS and Android devices), which features a built-in bolus advisor once activated by a healthcare provider (see diaTribe’s Test Drive of the app here). The meter also has a port light that comes on automatically for nighttime testing, something many meters still don’t do.
In addition to syncing with the Accu-Chek Connect app, Accu-Chek Guide also integrates with the popular diabetes app, mySugr. For US users, mySugr offers a voucher for a free Accu-Chek Guide meter and a free upgrade to mySugr Pro – this can be done within the app. Glooko is also in the process of integrating with Accu-Chek Guide, and Roche has established an exclusive partnership with Medtronic to supply a version of Accu-Chek Guide to future Bluetooth-enabled Medtronic pumps.
[Photo Credit: Roche]