New, smaller Omnipod arrived!

After trying for months to get the new system for my daughter, I finally (half jokingly) asked the rep at our supplier if I could just buy the darn thing. Sure, no problem! However, she suggested I buy it through Insulet as I could probably get a better price. I called Insulet and got the same story: Only for new existing customers, none are available for anyone else, but they could be released to everyone at any time, later this afternoon, tomorrow, or in the next few months. They just could not say when, but definitely not now. Huh? So, I called back my supplier (Better Living Now in NY) and bought the new PDM for $850 and new pods are covered by insurance. Go figure.

This whole situation is crazy. I feel like I’m waiting for a new video game system.

Congrats though! You’ll have to keep us updated on if you guys like it!

Again crazy that we all know insulet has some PDMS on hand but refuses to allow them to help any existing customers. I think those of us that dont get PODS through Insulet should be shipped our PDM to get us out of the way. If "supply" for pods is an issue, then let those of us that dont rely on Insulet for pods have the PDM since our supply is just fine.

Haven't made my daily phone call today to them to hear the latest round of BS....haha

What sense does this make? They have PDMs for people who pay cash, but not for those paying via insurance?

Totally agreed. This is a very logical solution to their issue. Your supplier clearly doesn’t have a pod supply problem - don’t deprive you the ability to use what you’ve been given from them.

I do think it’s kinda strange how that worked out… Maybe she was out of warranty abs her insurance didn’t want to cover it??

Thats what Ive been saying all along. Thinking about calling them again today just to reinforce the fact that I DONT buy their BS...they HAVE PDMS and have to start transitioning with someone..so why not ME

Sorry being greedy ....anxious to see what pods I get in the mail today from Medco...The assured me its the smaller ones but Medco sucks almost as much as Insulet at customer service :)

We are out of warranty. We have insurance approval - just waiting to pay. All set. Done deal. Why the differentiation? This is upsetting.

I heard the same thing from Insulet. That the new pdm and pods are going to new customers and the rest of us have to wait. I was first told we would get them at the end of March 2013. I wish we could afford to buy the new one. What is sad is that my husband just retired from the military and we have to copay now. I dont know if we can afford to buy the pods....I will get my new pdm but cant afford the pods...sad..sad...sad...

Yeah I dont have an extra $660 laying around (to buy a PDM through an outside company)

Extremely irritating that not even one of the higher ups at Insulet would send my PDM, after admitting that yes they have some in a warehouse somewhere.

Im going to try to go even higher than him...maybe even the president of the entire company who somehow nobody knows when I call.....haha

Don't worry to much. They'll be here soon enough. Just be thankful for what we have already. That'll put a lot more years on your life.

I can't believe no one else has figured out what they are doing!!! I think they realized how much it was really going to cost them to just swap out everyone's pdm, so they are waiting until enough warranties expire so that they get paid for the new ones. Think about it. If you are new you get the new ones, we all know they have them, but you can only get it if you are a new customer! It's the same thing cable and satellite companies have been doing forever. And if they hold out long enough, everyone's warranty will be gone and they will get paid for every single one of them!!!!!!!!!!!

That doesn't explain why they aren't dealing with customers who are already out of warranty though.

Thats what ive been saying on here for weeks

sure it does, they want to make sure they are able to sell all of their old inventory too! So they need us to be on the old one for a little while.

Oh. Yes, indeed. I agree with that. Sorry - I was focusing on the PDM issue - holding out unit warranties expire.

Nope, still doesn't make sense. The earnings call indicated that their profit margin is much higher with the new pods. They had to continue to make the old pods as they had an error with one of the two lines.

It's definitely frustrating that they are not in our hands, but I'm not sure I'd chalk it up to a conspiracy to milk the diabetics for all they're worth...

I was also told that since the new pods were cheaper to make that the cost to us would go down. I checked on that two weeks ago with them...nope, the price is the same. I am going to see how much longer I can afford them before I have to switch back to needles.

I received a letter from Insulet a YEAR after my warranty ran out. I didnt even know it and my insurance denied it.

They always said the new pod is cheaper to manufacture, but the street price would stay the same.
Insulet has NEVER had since 2005 a profit, they can't survive that way. The reduced cost (and increased customer base) are letting insulet to earn money only this year.