I just received an insert with my Animas pump supplies from Medtronics pushing Animas clients towards their Minimed pumps. I have two comments:
The front of the insert says: "Did you know? Animas replacement pumps are not available once you are out-of-warranty."
Yes, Animas replacement pumps were NEVER available once you are out-of-warranty. No pumps are.
AND
Medtronics informed me via email last fall about a week before November 12, 2018 that on that date Medtronics would replace faulty Animas pumps with their own pumps. That was a change in their original agreement with Animas as communicated to the Animas pump users the year before.
On the reverse side of the promo, headed with the words "IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION," are several paragraphs printed in 2 point type that even my magnifier could not increase in size enough for me to read.
The top half of that page is very legibly printed with testimonials from former Animas users for their new Medtronics pumps.
And this is supposed to make me jump to their product?
No, I beg to differ. They did NOT contract to honor the balance of Animasā pump warrantiesā¦ only until Sept. 30, 2019, which was the original agreement. Then they shortened the period to November 12, 2018 (almost a year shorter). They are now in a concerted effort to herd the Animas pump users to their own products until the expiration of the original Animas warranty. In my case, that doesnāt happen until 2021. They are misleading in their product insert and if the information given is that important, why print it in such small type that defies reading!
I switched to Omnipod and am very happy. Have a pretty new Ping ( to 2021) and a Revel in warranty. I think I will just keep everything in my stash and not give away my nice Ping.
My Animas pump has been long out of warranty so I have no idea bout warranty replacements. My understanding was the September, 2019 date was the date at which Animas supplies might/will become unavailable. I just ordered Animas supplies through Medtronic last week and had no problems. I didnāt notice any poor motions mateirals in my shipment of pump supplies, but they have been calling and m=emailing me regularly.
Be warned that the screens on the Animas pumps dim to the point of usability after a while, even if theyāre just sitting around not being used. The screen dimming and the battery compartment cracking are the two big weaknesses of the pump and can be lethal to continued use once the pump is out of warranty.
I experienced much the same with Ping screens dimming. I owned two Animas Ping pumps from 2008 through 2016. Both of them saw the screen pixels dim in the years following their four year warranty expiration.
Itās a 2017 pump, and the Revel is a 2016 (yes, I managed to get two that close together). I suspect they will let me know when the Revel warranty is up, if they still do thatā¦
A former Animas user, I switched to Tandem a while back. I am on a t:slim.X2, which syncs with the Dexcom G6, a much more accurate CGM than Medtronicās. Their customer service is also stellar.
You donāt HAVE to go to a Medtronic pump. Call Tandem or Insulet for alternatives. They both would be happy to have you, and I suspect you will be happier with the customer and product experience.
I agree itās worth a try. But issue is the Animas pump is still in warranty. Medtronic will replace under warranty, others would consider it a new purchase. But agree itās worth a call to see if they would offer possible rental or loan, until end of warranty.
I have. I did. The Tandem rep told me, āMedicare patients are not allowed to be offered the price for $999 since that is the upgrade program price. The government calls it āenticementā if Tandem offers you this program.ā
Obviously, this is happening as a result of government controlling something they do not understand and an aggressive company (Medtronics) that seems to have free rein in the marketplace. I will wait until late spring, early summer of 2019 and then pay cash. I cannot wait 3 years until my now non-existing warranty expires. I may expire before it does. I do NOT want a Medtronics pump under any circumstances.
I appreciate TuD for allowing me to vent my frustration here.
Thanks to the original poster and for this comment confirming the screen dimming of older Animas pumps - I have 2 spare out of warranty Vibes & both have dimmed but I reckon still legible screens, I would use them if my current Vibe developed problems. Altho the screen is dim, they seem to otherwise function ok? My current warranty runs out June 2020 and Iād previously heard and assumed all consumables, back up services and REPLACEMENT ANIMAS pumps would still be honoured! But yes, here in the UK too, itās all very suddenly been passed over to Medtronic, something I wasnāt expecting. Iām still gutted, have only ever had and loved Animas pumps and when I do have to change, I certainly am not attracted to Medtronic pumps, never have been.
Yes - Animas left the insulin pump market world wide.
Approximately 90,000 customers in total between USA and International.
However the deal between Animas and Medtronic is not the same everywhere and seems to be country dependent.
We continued to use our Animas Ping two years past warranty. We had the (very) dim screen (to the point it could no longer be read while outside), the date/time would reset on a battery change, and the pump case was seriously cracked by the battery compartment. We did like the Ping but the case being badly cracked was when we decided it was time to switch. We had already been using the Dexcom cgm (non-integrated with the Ping) so a move to the Tandem t:slim made the most sense for us.
Yes. Tandem would be in serious legal trouble. Any provider for Medicare/Medicaid is well aware of this and will not put their company in jeopardy. This comes from Federal anti-kickback legislation. The reason this is considered (perhaps?) more serious than other sorts of Federal laws is that it is not so much the consumer on the hook (although perhaps they are also) but it is the provider who is on the hook. The Feds do go after providers for this sort of thing. This is not one of those (many?) laws that are on the books but not enforced. This one actually is a big deal.
Also note that this has little to do with ObamaCare (whether one is in favor or opposed to). This law was almost certainly modified with ObamaCare but the main concept absolutely existed in Federal legislation prior to ObamaCare.
(b)(1) Whoever knowingly and willfully solicits or receives any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate) directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kindā
(A) in return for referring an individual to a person for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a Federal health care program, or
(B) in return for purchasing, leasing, ordering, or arranging for or recommending purchasing, leasing, or ordering any good, facility, service, or item for which payment may be made in whole or in part under Federal health care program,shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $25,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.
(2) Whoever knowingly and willfully offers or pays any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or rebate) directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind to any person to induce such personā
(A) to refer an individual to a person for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a Federal health care program, or
(B) to purchase, lease, order, or arrange for or recommend purchasing, leasing, or ordering any good, facility, service, or item for which payment may be made in whole or in part under a Federal health care program,shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $25,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.
