I have had diabetes for going on 2 years I started on insulin a few months ago. I hate using the pens and have been thinking about trying the pump but do not know about how to get one. Help please
The best place to start is to find out which pumps your insurance covers. Then start researching them and see which meets your needs best. Then contact that company and they will walk you through the process. I found it a lot easier to do it that way than to go through my doctor. They will contact your doctor, your insurance and do it all for you.
I agree with Zoe about going through the pump manufacturer of the one you want. They will do a lot of the legwork. It may also be useful to start thinking about a methodology you can make work for logging as, like with many computers, with a pump, it's a case of "garbage in/ garbage out" and the better you can be about using either a log or, once you have a pump, the data it will track, the better it can work for you!
One thing about the doctor comments from Zoe and acidrock - do be sure your doctor supports your decision. You will need prescriptions for the durables as well as the pump.
There are tons of discussions in the pump forum here and you can see what pumpers think, how they manage them, and the pros and cons of the products.
In my case the pump company got the prescriptions from the doctor for me. I'd never talked with my doctor about getting a pump as I didn't expect him to know anything about it. if he'd had concerns, I'm sure he would have asked me to come in. He trusts me to manage my D.
You should read Pumping Insulin by John Walsh. It will give you an idea of what is involved in using a pump, it is not as straightforward as pens, but most Pump Users would not go back to MDI.
I go to my first appointment next Thursday
I agree Annabella. Great book and will give you an idea of how it works.
Way back when I got my first pump, they gave me one to try out , I pumped saline, so I could practice changing basal and bolus. I was glad to have that to learn it.
I am not sure if they still do it, but that was Animas, now I have a MM pump though.
I was wondering the same thing! I currently see a family doctor who doesn't know anything about pumps, so she referred me to an endocrinologist that I can find no information or references on. I don't know if he is "pump friendly" or not. I am well managed by my current doctor and don't really want a new one, I just want a pump. I have been in contact with a company and they just explained to me that they will do the majority of the work. I did find out that companies pump is covered and they sent me a packet of stuff about their pump and it looks like I will like it, so I'm faxing the forms back to them tomorrow to get the process started!
I agree Zoe, that's exactly how I got my Medtronic. My Dr. every visit was we'll talk about it more. I was getting ready to switch insurance, and had already met my deductible, and I'm like I'm calling Medtronic myself. It was great, within about two days I was approved for my pump and CGM, and they were on the way.
You can get John's book from the Diasbetes Mall (that's his company website - I like supporting him directly rather than Amazon). There are also some really good pump comparisons that he's done, along with some "lecures" you can view.
Agree with all that everyone has said..Would only add that instead of asking your insurance company what pump they cover, ask a more open-ended question like what DME's are in-network provider's? Then call the DME to see what pumps or range of pumps they typically provide via that insurance company. You may be surprised to find out that it's not so much the pump that is covered (though some manufacturer's are in-network too) but who is actually providing the pump that matters. That opens the door to you having a choice.
No one told me this except for one of the pump reps for the particular model that I wanted (for various reasons) explained it too me. Worked out really well and ended up paying out-of-pocket less for that one then the one from the in-network manufacturer.
The pump companies themselves are often the best resource to evaluate your insurance coverage. Just go to the websites of each of the major players and request more info. They’ll have sales reps contact you and look into your insurance and explain it to you-- I bet you’ll be amazed how easy it is
Good luck, Steven!
I switched doctors when mine refused to support me getting an insulin pump :) I always try to listen to my doctors, but in the end, get on my side or get out of my way! lol...Anyway, good luck. Hope it all works out for you, because I've never regretted it!
That's what the pump reps get paid the big bucks for. To make getting you your insulin pump and/or CGM as easy as possible and navigate all the hoops and hurdles that can sometimes be involved. Do your research, and then let the pump company handle your request.
Thanks I am going to look into it tomorrow this was my first post on here and glad a found such a good support group
IMO the first and most important thing you can do, is what you've started here, and need to take further: Research on-line about pumps, different models, features, how they work, how people use them, issues people have, benefits, etc.
Get better informed than your doctor. It's not hard. I was in the same place as a T2 3 months ago. Took me a week to get hyperinformed after participation on TuD inspired me to pump.
Start a file folder. Print out brochures, articles, papers. Learn learn learn.
Then, you will be able to make a good decision, and will have as smooth a process as possible getting approved. Also, when you get your new device, you'll be ready to launch.
To qualify for a pump through my insurance I had to have a c-peptide test show that I no longer produced insulin. After that I had a pump within a month!