Comment by Bradford on September 30, 2010 at 11:25am

Hey Chase I definitely think the Omnipod is worth it. I would definitely check out the Omnipod group here on TuD. They can be a very valuable resource for sharing info and ideas about what has worked (and what doesn't work) when it comes to wearing the pods, bolusing, etc.

Your insurance may not cover all of your diabetic supplies now but it could potentially be different for a pump (because it is what's referred to as "durable medical equipment" or DME). Some insurance plans will pay more for DME than other supplies (like test strips, syringes, etc), so I would definitely urge you to get some information about the Omnipod and then get with your insurance provider to talk about the details.

I believe (don't quote me on this) that the cheapest a box of 10 pods runs is about $300, so about $30 a pod. My insurance has an 80/20 split for me, so I never see a bill that reflects this (so that's why I'm not positive).

Typically a "start up" kit from the company is $1700 (again, I think). It's $500 for the PDM (the personal diabetes manager, as they call it, which is the "brain" of the pump and is the handheld portion) and and then the start up kit also includes a 90 day supply of pods (which is covered by the rest of that start-up fee. Depending on your insurance plan and the deductible you may have already met, most of this might be covered (for the remainder of this year). So my advice would be if you're interested in trying it out, get the ball rolling prior to Dec 31 (b/c then your deductible would start over and it may cost you more out of pocket up front).

I will say I have pumped the pod for nearly 2 years and I LOVE it. There are pros and cons with any pump, but I definitely think the pros outweigh the cons (and have no plan of going back to shots or a tubed pump any time soon!).

I'd call Insulet and see if you can speak with a local rep about the pump (probably find out more at the Omnipod Web site. They will be able to give you some more accurate numbers than I have.

Hope some of that information is helpful for you. Good luck!

Comment by chase simonton on September 30, 2010 at 1:44pm

Thank you very much! That was very helpful information! Ill get ahold of my insurance company!

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