Open enrollment season and leftover diabetic supplies in Charlotte

Open enrollment season is one of the busiest times of year for Charlotte's diabetic community — and one of the most common reasons people contact us. When insurance plans change, formularies shift. And when formularies shift, people end up with sealed boxes of the wrong supplies.

The Charlotte open enrollment calendar for diabetics

There are multiple overlapping enrollment windows that affect Charlotte-area diabetics:

• ACA Marketplace (Healthcare.gov) — November 1 to January 15 each year. Insurers available in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Union counties include Ambetter, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Oscar. Formularies vary significantly between carriers and plan tiers.
• Medicare open enrollment — October 15 to December 7. Over 2.2 million North Carolinians are enrolled in Medicare. Changing Part D or Medicare Advantage plans changes which CGM brands and test strips are covered — and at what cost share.
• NC State Health Plan — Covers educators and state employees. Typically open in October. The plan has transitioned administrators in recent years, affecting covered supplies.
• Employer plans — Most Charlotte employers run annual enrollment in October or November, with changes effective January 1.

What happens to supplies when your formulary changes

Let's say you've been using Dexcom G7 on your current plan. Your new plan prefers FreeStyle Libre 3 — the cost difference between preferred and non-preferred tier can be $150+ per month. Many people make the switch and are left with 2–4 boxes of sealed G7 sensors they'll never use.

Or the reverse: you switch from Libre to Dexcom and have unopened Libre sensors from your last 90-day auto-ship sitting in a cabinet.

Both situations are extremely common in Charlotte every January. Both are fully legal to sell.

Timing matters more than anything

The moment you know your plan is changing, set aside any unopened supplies from your old regimen. Here's why timing is critical:

• Supplies with 12+ months to expiration get our best offers — see our Charlotte buyback page for full pricing guidance
• Supplies with 6–12 months still command solid value
• Supplies with 3–6 months are worth submitting — we'll tell you quickly
• Supplies with under 3 months typically cannot be accepted by reputable buyers

Most people contact us in January when their new plan has just started. If you contact us in October or November — when you first learn your plan is changing — you're usually in a much better position.

What to bring together before submitting

• Brand and model (e.g., Dexcom G7, FreeStyle Libre 3, OmniPod 5 DASH)
• Quantity (number of boxes)
• Expiration date on each box
• Quick photo of the front and exp date (optional but speeds things up)