If you are living with diabetes, managing your blood glucose levels on a daily basis is the most important thing you can do to keep your diabetes under control.

Having your own glucose meter allows you to check your blood glucose levels at home. That way you’ll know if you need to take or adjust your medication, have some quick-acting carbohydrates, or even get medical care.

When choosing a blood glucose meter, think about the following:

• Is the meter reasonably priced? Or better yet, is it covered by your insurance?

The cost of meters and test strips can vary from one insurance to another. Find out what your insurance covers before you go shopping. If your insurance company has a recommended or “preferred” meter and test strip brand, getting that will save you money.

• Easy to read display numbers: your results should be large enough for you to read.

• Easy to use buttons: “OK,” “Up” and “Down” buttons allow you to scroll easily through monitor features.

• Easy to use: look for a ‘no code’ meter with an easy to use lancing device and test strips that allow easy blood collection.

• Meters come in many sizes and shapes, so you can find one that’s easy for you to handle. Some are even designed to be carried with you so you can test your blood glucose levels even if you’re away from home.

• Special features that fit your lifestyle:
  • Bluetooth and a USB port connection so you can sent your results to a smart phone or personal computer.
  • A meter that clearly shows your results as normal, high or low.
  • Insulin calculator
  • “Talking” results for people who have bad vision.

Your new meter will come with an owner’s manual, or you can ask your health care provider to help you set it up before you use it.

If you’ve looked at the costs, features and other considerations and are still unsure which meter to buy, ask your healthcare team for a recommendation.

One easy-use-option is the OneTouch Verio Flex glucose monitor. This meter is covered by most major insurances and has large display numbers and only three buttons. This meter has a lot to offer at a very reasonable price (usually $20 or less).

People with diabetes should monitor their blood glucose every day. For more information on glucose monitoring, talk to your healthcare team or find a credentialed diabetes educator at: www.diabeteseducator.org/patient-resources/find-a-diabetes-educator.

For more information about the OneTouch Verio Flex meter, please visit?www.onetouch.com/verioFlex

To?get a OneTouch Verio Flex meter at no charge, please click here.