Just wanted to crow a little.
LOO has a new developer (dev) branch that now works with the new Omnipod DASSH pods which don’t require the intermediary rileylink/orangelink bluetooth translator box.
It’s not even beta, so they asked for people to give it a try and report bugs.
I am pleased to report that I’ve done like 4 pods already and absolutely LOVE it! And I haven’t had one problem downloading and installing it either.
I’m LUVIN’ IT!
That’s a big plus! 
It really is. It also pairs faster and you don’t have to have the pod inches away from the phone. Definitely not for the faint of heart though as this code is a work in progress. But so far so good.
I’m very curious about this. I’ve always been interested in looping, but have never tried Omnipod and carrying so many components seemed like a deal breaker. And the pods seem HUGE! I’m not even quite five foot tall, and just don’t want to be burdened with so much stuff.
Do you need the PDM at all, or is it all done through your cell phone now? I believe you’re doing an Apple variant, correct? Is there an Android APS branch like this?
I’m really wanting the Tandem Mobi, I think. It’s hard to tell for SURE without any data on it yet. And they haven’t even filed on it yet! But I’m really worried about being out-of-warranty on my current pump…
I’m also terrified about starting with Omnipod because I don’t want to get stuck in a warranty hole if I don’t like it. I know it’s SUPPOSED to be “no warranty”, but I have really weird insurance. It’s a county-level program for those of us in the “too much money for Medicaid but can’t afford private insurance” hole, mostly farmers/ranchers and the self-employed, who look like they have money on paper but it’s really tied up in expensive assets. It’s highly informed by Medicaid and Medicare policy for prescription stuff, and DME everything seems to need special permission by the board.
I’m kinda hoping maybe I can get some pods to try looping through the pharmacy channel without ever getting a PDM through insurance.
You may wish to contact Insulet. You can buy an EROS PDM directly from them on a cash-pay basis for $200, and I think sometimes for the DASH system they’ll give you a PDM for free. Insulet can also check your insurance to see if you can get the pods through pharmacy benefit rather than DME, which should avoid any “pump warranty” issues.
I just spoke with my endo and she forwarded my information to Omnipod who will do a coverage check then arrange for training. I guess they are insisting I be trained on the new PDM, which is included with your starter kit of pods throught he pharmacy, before they will order more pods. I found someone online to swap my eros pods for dash pods just to try it out first to see if I liked the new loop dev software before committing. I’m currently on the old original pods but those are only covered under my insurance for DME which has a deductable and coinsurance. The new pods through pharmacy are covered at 100% so that will save me a ton of money.
Thank you for this lead. Please provide information on how to get started with looping for Omnipod Dash.
Please watch this video very carefully at least twice and pay attention to the warnings. That being said, I’ve done about 5 pods so far with zero issues, but that’s just me:
Thanks for the info, I wanted to try using pods as I am on a tslim. Actually, it would be nice to be able to switch back and forth. I called Bayshore here in Canada and seems like I can order the pods without prescription but cost $300 for 10 but I will probably go for it even though it won’t be covered by insurance since they cover my tslim right now.
You are most welcome. I went through about 8 DASH pods so far and haven’t had to rebuld yet. Got my endo to switch me to DASH pods and order a PDM (that I hopefully won’t have to use but will keep just in case) which are in the mail and should be here early next week.
I found a kind gentleman on FB that was willing to swap me 10 DASH pods for 10 of my EROS pods so I could see if I liked them and the testing version of loop dev and all I can say is that I LOVE it and can’t wait for the stable version to come out so everyone could build it!
Thank you for all the info. I just started my first dash pod with Loop this evening. So excited to be PFM free and have auto correction. For those interested, it does require a $99/year Apple developers license to build the loop app and install it on your phone. They cannot deliver via App Store as that would require FDA regulation. As noted, it is still in dev mode, but it appears that an official release is only a few months away. Official release will still require developers license.
That’s correct. There will NEVER be an “official” release as LOOP itself is DIY - Do It Yourself. The next version will be part of the MAIN branch vs DEV branch and will be a bit easier to install and update via a script.
Now don’t get all of this confused with Omnipod 5, which is due out very soon as well, where it will be sold AND SUPPORTED by Omnipod. That’s a completely different animal.
What I like about Omnipod 5 is that it will eliminate the PHONE for everything except changes/boluses! In other words, you can leave your phone on a charger and the pod and Dexcom will talk to each other DIRECTLY without first going through the phone. You only need the phone for changes and boluses. At first you have to use either THEIR PDM or a Samsung Galaxy S10 as a pdm, but eventually it will be on the phone of your choice like an iPhone.
I’ve also heard RUMMORS that there may be a loop version of the Omnipod 5 but that’s all I’ve heard. It’s too new. Right now it’s in limited release, meaning only those who are on the medical trial get to keep using it. It was supposed to only last a while, but COVID19 made the trial last 2+ years! SO they got way more data than they were hoping for and what they did get back is nothing short of amazing! But I’m not trying to hijack this thread and change it to Omnipod 5.
Just wanted to crow.
So today I finally got my MD prescribed 90 day supply of pods through Caremark at ZERO COPAY! I’m considered high insulin dosing so my MD wrote the script for a pod a DAY so that I will never run out! It’s really more like 48 hours but shhhhhhhhhhhh, don’t tell anyone! 
Didn’t even need prior auth for that quantity!
My job itself may SUCK, but their health insurance is the best for us diabetics. Anything related to diabetes is 100% FREE NO COPAY for all meds and supplies. I guess a big wig over at corporate must have been diabetic to demand such a carve out and make it stay even when we switch carriers! We now use WebTPA which uses Aetna as their network but bills through them and CVS/Caremark for the PBM. Our insurance went up a whole $10/paycheck when they moved from UHC to WebTPA.
So, I contacted my diabetes trainer and she told me of a clinic here in Canada that helps you loop. I guess they build the app and share with you so no need create yourself with Android Studio or Apple Developer license. I was first just searching for some Dash pods that I could buy off another one of her patients but she told me to get my GP to do a referral to this Endo. (I already have an Endo but this will be #2) I got off the phone with the clinic a little while ago and I have my first appointment set for May 10th where they will go over the options but I think I will get an Android and go the Dash route. (I have an iPhone now) I am currently on a Tslim x2 but also want the option of using a pod but the tech in me just wants to play. Apparently I can probably get the pods covered as well.
That’s awesome Dave! Good luck and let us know what they hook you up with and how it goes.
@BradP It’s great that Loop dev branch is working for you, but I think your post needs some stronger disclaimers.
The developers did NOT “ask for people to give it a try”. In fact they STRONGLY caution that only people who are already experienced loopers with good Loop troubleshooting skills should even consider using this branch.
Even then, you should only do so if you’re prepared to monitor the developer channel daily, and rebuild at least weekly, and are aware that the app may fail at any time, and are prepared with alternative insulin delivery methods in case that happens. If the app fails and you are using pods, the pod will continue to deliver programmed basal, but you will NOT be able to bolus, suspend etc, and cannot revert to the PDM without ditching the pod and starting a new one.
@Dylan_Sutton you are so very correct. Even in the video it warns you several times. One definitely needs to be very, very careful as this is testing software and not even at the BETA stages yet.
I’ve been using loop with Omnipod dash for about a month now and it is so nice to wake every morning to a normal BG level. I’ve been using a target BG of 100. I now understand why TSlim Connect IQ uses 110 and Medtronic 770G has a target of 120, though I think those are a bit to high. If I were to set loop to a target of 85, it would not have much “room” for low BG corrections where it temporarily reduces/halts basal when BG is dropping, which would result in low BG. It needs some time for those changes to take place. So while 100 seems high, the fact that it takes care of highs much better than I was doing manually ends up in an overall lower BG average for me.
I am getting my dash pods tomorrow or Thursday. I am an iPhone user but got myself a Galaxy 10 phone to use just for looping. What is everyone else using for a phone?
