Rest assured, Accu-Chek products are still covered by Medicare Part B.1 To preserve your choice and ensure you're not switched to a low-quality product, ask your healthcare provider to always write a branded prescription for Accu-Chek test strips. Click here for more details. 1Coverage may vary based on your condition and other factors.

Be sure to clean the areas around slots and openings, while being careful not to get any moisture in them. You should also wipe down the entire meter surface, including the meter display.

Super Sani-Cloth® disposable, pop-up wipes are a convenient way to kill germs, and have been approved for cleaning and disinfecting the meter. You can buy them online from Amazon.com, Office Depot, Walmart and other retailers.

Cleaning is simply removing dirt from the meter, while disinfecting refers to removing as much of the disease-causing microorganisms and other germs as possible.

Clean and disinfect your meter once a week, or any time blood gets on the meter. You should also clean the meter before allowing anyone else to handle it.

Don't worry—your information will be saved when you change the batteries.

To replace the batteries: Open the battery door on the back of the meter by pushing the tab in the direction of the arrow and pulling the door up. Release the old batteries by pressing the indicated button. Remove the old batteries. Slide the new batteries under the black tabs and indicated button, with + side facing up. Replace the battery door and snap it closed.

The meter uses 2 3-volt lithium coin cell batteries (type CR 2032) found in many stores.

The meter is compatible with all Accu-Chek data management tools, including the Accu-Chek Connect diabetes management app and online portal.

There are a few ways you can improve blood flow and make blood sugar checks easier: Warm your fingers by washing with warm, soapy water, then rinse and dry completely. Let your arm hang down at your side to increase blood flow to the fingertips. Grasp finger just below the joint closest to the fingertip and "milk" or massage gently toward tip of finger, then squeeze for 3 seconds. Use an Accu-Chek lancing device set to the right Comfort Dial setting for your skin type. Refer to your User's Guide for additional information.

It's a small sample—just 0.6 microliter.

A control test using your meter's specific control solution ensures that you are performing tests correctly and receiving accurate results. Testing with control solution is much like a blood sugar check, except you fill the window on the test strip with a drop of control solution instead of blood. Run a control test: Before using your meter for the first time When you open a new vial of test strips If you leave the cap off the vial of test strips If you drop the meter Whenever your result does not agree with the way you feel Whenever you want to check the way you are performing your blood sugar checks If you have repeated a test, and the blood sugar result is still lower or higher than expected When you want to check the performance of the meter or test strips