Is it worth it to buy the omnipod without insurance?

I ask this because my doc wants me to get on a pump system since i’m very active and since my insurance company dropped me the omnipod seems like the only reasonably priced solution… of course if i’m going to have to throw my savings account out the window to buy it i’m a little hesitant. especially after reading some of the reviews…so any podders out there want to weigh in on this for me? I could definitely use the benefits of your experiences!

Ryan,

the omnipod is by FAR the cheapest pump out there. you’ll spend less than $1,000 for the PDM and starter kit (comes with 2 pods) vs. $6,000+ for other pumps. The omnipod is such a good way to control diabetes… that I would recommend it. I love my omnipod, and wouldn’t go back to shots for anything!

I absolutely love my omnipod. It has completely changed my life. I’ve never tried another pump, and procrastinated getting a pump due to the tubes but when I found out about the omnipod- it seemed perfect for my lifestyle. With the pod, it’s so discreet and no one ever knows I’m wearing it. I’ve had little issues here and there but I figure that sort of thing happens with any piece of technology. I highly reccommend it and if my insurnace didn’t cover the pod, I’d find a way to make it work. Good luck!

how much are the pods individually? A box of 10 (or however they come)?

The Omnipod system is great. The Omnipof system has a cheaper up front cost which is under 1,000 dollars. The pod is just as expensive in the long run as a regular pump. The pods are 30.00 a piece without insurance. You are suppose to change the pod every 3 days. I’m not sure how many pods come in a box, I never count them. I can tell you I get a 3 month supply.

To find the answer to your question you need to ask yourself if getting insurance would be possible in the near future. Six months or so may not be so long to wait if you are be stuck with the system you choose for years. When I chose my pump, I was working under the premise that although the start-up costs of the Omnipod were less, the ongoing costs of the pods would make up the difference over time. (My CDE stated this, I did not do the math myself)

I liked the pod and almost went with it before settling on the Cozmo when I got my most recent new pump. The Omnipod has a lot of great features, but in the end, I went in a different direction.

I won’t sway you for or against it, but I know our members here are right when they advise you that, while the PDM is a sixth of the price of a pump, you are paying a much higher rate for your three month supply of pods (i.e. your pumps) than you are for a three month supply of tubing and reservoir cartridges on the other pumps. Where a pod is $30 every 3 days, an infusion set averages about $12 every 3 days. If you had insurance with great DME (durable medical equipment) coverage, either might be feasible for you. If you’re on hard times economically, that’s a call you’ll have to make based on your budget.

One of my husband’s concerns about the system is that, in hard times, if you could not afford supply orders, at least on a traditional pump, the device is still a working pump in your hands and you can get a hold of cheaper infusion sets, make them last longer, and reuse reservoir cartridges. On the pod, he was concerned that I would be almost renting the pump system from them because a PDM I own isn’t worth much if I’m unable to afford a new box of pods. So I suppose that’s something to consider. But then again, they’re able to upgrade and make advancements to the pods as they ship each new shipment out to you, so you’re also getting the latest technologies without having to wait for a new pump.

All that being said, MOST pod users wouldn’t give their pods up for the whole world. So if it’s the right system for you and you got a good vibe about it from your endo or CDE or the omnipod rep, I say leap and go for it. We have about 200 podders here who will all tell you it’s the way to go…and I think that’s saying something. My endo is very pro pod.

But I think every pumper is different. If you haven’t met with the pump reps from the different companies, you’re missing an opportunity to play with the buttons, get a feel for each system’s strengths and weaknesses, and really see what’s out there.

I have a medtronic minimed 522; drawback is that there are infusion sets including tubing; great features include a sensor which reads into my pump 24/7; I calibrate 4 times a day which is usually when I am getting ready for a meal. Also, Medtronic provides a internet tracking link system that provides print outs so there is no need to record manually any data. The omnipod has no such features. I would consider many options. insurance did not cover my upgrade to 24 hour sensor, but does pay for the expensive soft sensors that are made with gold. I hope this is helpful --kwlawson

You know, I never got to review other pumps nor did I get to choose the one that I did get. The only thing I got to choose is the purple color. That did it for me … a MiniMed Paradigm 722 pump with no CGM as Medicare wouldn’t pay for that! I don’t feel cheated because I was familiar with Medtronic from before. and, silly as it sound, the purple color did make it worth my while!!

Lois (the Purple Lady) La Rose
(Notice my picture. I’m in what? purrrrrppppllllleee! )

haha that’s pretty sweet my gf loves anything that’s purple as well :slight_smile:

which MM model do you use?

true true, how much training did they give you when you first received the pump?

i’d love to try out just about any of the pumps to be honest, but until i find some reasonable insurance the pod seems like the least costly scenario, I do know that I’m getting pretty tired of carrying around supplies all day!

i’m not even really sure how to get in touch with alot of the reps, the only ones who i’ve spoken to work for insulet and they’ve been pretty cool about answering questions and such, i suppose i should check out the websites for the other manufacturers before my doc appt on the 26th – thanks for your input! :slight_smile:

yeah I’ve done some of the math too, I don’t know if I can afford the pumps start up cost without insurance though :frowning: maybe the bank will give me a loan to buy a pump?

the only insurance I can get is through my college, that doesn’t start until spring qaurter an it only covers things like insulin and syringes if they’re prescribed by the health center’s useless physicians…they don’t even have an endo! and you can only go to an outside dr, and have it covered if one of their dr’s refers you…grrrr.

my parent’s have told me they would help me cover the cost of pods “every once in a while” but i don’t want to count on them too much they’ve got a lot of other kids haha (no one else is diabetic though) so I might go for it anyway, but it looks like I’m going to have to cover the up front costs either way, so…

yeah, I’ve looked at all the literature and it looks good, I’m probably going to ask my dr. to prescribe it and hopefully it’ll work out :wink:

Here are the links to the four other major companies. Best of luck with your quest! I hope you manage to get a pump!

Cozmo
Minimed
Animas
Accu-Check Spirit

I agree, I have a 722 and use the Sure-T as well. I love them!