A study showed that non-insulin-dependent diabetics (meaning about 80% of them) do not benefit from daily blood glucose checks. These checks have no impact on HbA1c’s or quality of life. The specific wording: People who tested their blood sugar levels daily had slightly lower blood sugar levels in the middle of the study than those who didn’t test. But this difference didn’t last until the end of the study. Among people who checked their blood sugar levels, there were no differences in blood sugar levels or quality of life between those who did and didn’t receive text messages.

Conclusion: the inconvenience, discomfort and expense of daily monitoring – estimated at $1630/diabetic employee – is not merited. This result matches a study by the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (available through Freedom of Information Act request) showing that making drugs, supplies, and strips free to diabetics had no impact on admissions or ER visits for diabetes, over a two-year period.