Everytime I say the word “PING” - I think of a Monty Python episode. I wonder what the P I N G stands for?
Anyway, the PING has arrived in Canada - around October time they are saying. I’ve just called up Animas Canada - to ask how much it will be to upgrade - and it’s going to cost $899 CDN. I am coming to you for advise on how I should approach my private insurance company to perhaps “donate” some money to me to upgrade to the PING - not expecting full amount - but anything will be nice.
Let’s see-
I’m not sure how much this will help, but a big selling point for me and my endo in getting the ping over other pumps is the very precise and small insulin amounts you can deliver either in basal or bolus. I think it is as small as 0.025U. Perhaps you could say that you are very insulin sensitive and that this will help with your overall control?
also, I am told that onetouch strips are the cheapest of the major brands, if you are not using a one touch meter currently, would it save your insurance company money to switch you? have you had your current pump for more than 4 years?
Perhaps simply saying, it is has been XXX years since the approval of my previous pump which I have used responsibly and effetively to manage my blood glucose. Since the warranty is now expired, I would like to upgrade to a newer pump which additionally has the XXX advantages.
But I suspect that none of this is what you are looking for- when in doubt, just the facts and probably keep it under one page. something like:
I am petitioning for the approval of the animas ping insulin pump.
Approval of this pump model will allow me to:
reduce the overall cost of blood glucose testing
more precisely and accurately adminster insulin doses
simplify administration with the available remote/ glucometer /and nutrition calulator.
or some such nonsense.
its late- maybe i am just blathering.
Good luck-
Lane
Lane - No you are not blathering (I tend to be the Queen of Blathering - just check out some of my posts here and at other forums ).
I’ve only had the pump for 1 1/2 years - the Ping only came out a few months later - but we’ve had to wait for it to get approved here in Canada - we Canadians are soooooooooooooooo patient .
So, have cut/pasted your comments into Word as I think it will look very good in the eyes of the insurance rep going over my request. Do you think I should add in that " in order for me to preserve my skin during our cold Canadian winters (e.g. -35C) - that a PING would be more advantageous?". ONLY JOKING!!!
Though the PING would have come in handy this past winter - when I was outside with some Sibs racing in the snow. Here I am layered in multitudes of clothing - and trying to reach a pump that is buried way way deep below (I wasn’t doing the mushing - I was just a passenger)!
Anna from Montreal aka FatCatAnna http://www.diabetes1.org/blogs/Annas_Blog
What pump are you upgrading from?
One thing that you have to rember is that when you upgrade your pump you do not get a brand new worinty. so if you pump is 3 years old you will still only have 2 years of coverage on it. this is some thing you need to watch out for.
Yes - I found that out when I asked about the warranty. Though if I’m lucky - the pump will hold up for many yeas past the warranty. Have friends that have had the same pump for 7 years - and no problems. That’s what I hope for my own pump !
Upgrading from Animas 2020 (purchased it April 2008). I live in Canada by the way. When the PING did come out in your country abit later that year - I wanted to upgrade - but because here in Canada we have more stringent testing on medical stuff - it only got approval much later for use by the Canadian population. We are only able to get this October - and there is quite the backlog of people wanting one (both new users and ones such as myself wanting to upgrade) - as I’d be on a waiting list. Let’s hope they don’t push them out of the assembly line without proper QA inspection!!!
hmm. since your pump is not that old, perhaps you should start by contacting animas to determine what the cost would be to upgrade. perhaps they can advise you on the best course of action- maybe to upgrade is not the full cost if you trade in your old pump?? I doubt that pumps are like cars, but you never know…