Have you asked the companies if they have a intrest free payment option? It wouldn’t be so bad if you could pay it over a year. I agree with Diana that if you get it changed out before your waranty expires you have a better chance of it lasting longer. And they actualy send the replacement before you send in yours so you have it and hook it up and if all is well you send the other right back.
Heard from the rep, she said to do this so this is where I am headed at least for now.
It’s too bad they dont try a little harder to keep a customer, and it’s too bad they dont give options before you fill out the insurance paperwork.
All I know is, Cozmo offered me one price, and Animas was higher (four years ago) so I took the Cozmo. I guess I may have to play that game again.
I just dont want to be forced into a pump because I spent money on the loaner.
Thanks for the input!
I got my refurbished pump today, cashing in on the warranty while I have some left.
At least now I have buttons you can actually read, and the new film protection for the screen (which I never heard of).
Animas said my HMO works with a supplier, and that agreement prevents me from being able to get any trade in value if I purchase a new pump. Which is totally frustrating. Still dont know what I will do in August, maybe just use my Ping and 1250 until they totally die. Anything but injections!
That film is really cool and the one they just sent me is soo much brighter than the one I had before;. I’m in the same boat ( minus the 50% copay) But my pump actually has to be broken to get a new one. I’ll just use mine till something is off.
Thanks for letting my know.
I’ll try to fire it up this weekend.
Yeah, I may just end up using my Animas 1250 and Ping until they die.
Lots of promsing patch pumps and cell phone type remotes on the horizon.
I almost think it isnt wise to pay $6k for a Ping when it’s old news…
I wouldnt totally mind being back on shots for a month or so, except for the fact that you cannot turn the insulin down once injected. The best thing the pump has done for me is to give me that ability.
curious, was the emphasis of the appt. about the pump, the new software, etc., or about you and your care, checking your numbers, discussing your health, etc. etc. If it was the former, I would not have paid for the visit, as you were doing them a favor. They should have paid no matter what. I’d be surprised if the doctor wasn’t charging them a fee for allowing them to be in his/her office, especially if it’s a MM shop…
I have been told it is totally a regular visit, but they are trying to get all the pumpers there on the same day so they are available to answer questions and I guess explain the new software. I dont want to really bother even hooking up to it, as the very little amount of time I get with my doctor is spent on Thyroid and Diabetes and as it is, he barely has enough time for that. We never go over my numbers. My situation is so un-textbook, it would take all day to explain them anyway.
OK, feeling grumblely and when I get to this meeting I hope I can express myself well.
Not bad enough that my copay is 50 percent, and I’ve been told it is very hard to get a CGMS out of my HMO.
That’s not good for me or anyone.
But just trying to make some calls this week to find out if there are options for lower income folks like myself, whose warranty is up…well, it didnt do a whole lot of good. Animas said they would look into a way to take a trade. Friday they left a message that they had found it. Well, it turns out the message said a way for you to upgrade to a Ping.
I already have a Ping and they said no you cant ‘upgrade’ to a Ping again (or trade in anything, or do anything to save money). Then a rather giggling over zealous person called from a medical supply house and tried to tell me my pump is 100 percent paid. No, I told her, no it isnt.
Right now, I am feeling there are very few options in the pumping world. I wish I could maintain on MDI, because it would be cheaper and less involved.
I’m going to use my Ping and 1200plus until they dont work anymore, but no one has earned my loyalty as a customer.
And I am not doing the Diasend thing…(yeah, I am venting)…
Venting is good. I can’t believe they won’t atleast give you a 500 trade in. It’s gotten rediculous. Used to you could buy a new waranty for VERY CHEAP (Disetronic) and now a days unless you jump brand they won’t give you anything. When is your waranty over? Mine is next month. Can MM do something for you if you traded in the Ping?
Or you could just keep going and pay for service if something goes wrong. I’m going to not even worry about it till something goes wrong with mine. Animas always lets you upgrade for very reasonable once they bring out a new one. The Vibe from what I hear is just around the corner and Im’ sure you can use it without having to connect the sensors. So maybe at that point you can just upgrade for 500. Of course you won’t have waranty either but it’s going to be a new pump obviously. Keep at it. There is “someone” that can make a deal for you. You just have to find them.
Sandy, I think, not sure but think, you have to be in warranty to pay the money to trade up if a new pump is released.
You might want to find out, but I think so.
MM has been doing a bit of research and been nice, but I let the girl know I cannot buy in August when my warranty is up and dont want her to work too hard for me.
Yes Animas said today that at the point of “out of waranty” they would then go through insurance. He didn’t flat out say no but I def got the message. lol It’s 299 when you upgrade from a new one and at the point of new release of course you get a new one and not refurb. He said they currently are thinking 1 to 1.5yrs for the Vibe to be released.
They would not fix the pump if something broke when out of waranty but at that point they would go through insurance to get a new one.
OK, I just ran this all past my local rep and I tend to write too much and confuse people so I lost her.
If, you have a ping under warranty and they come out with the Vibe, you can pay 299 and get it.
If your pump is out of warranty and you use it until it is dead or dying, you can get a loaner from Animas.
At that point you have to begin paperwork for a new pump with them and you dont pay for the loaner.
But, if you choose not to go with them and get a loaner, you pay for use of it (I heard three months tops/500$).
Does that sound accurate?
Really having diabetes for 40 years doesnt bother me, except when I really start dealing with stuff like this. Then it bothers me…
Here’s a new contender http://www.asantesolutions.com/index.cfm?langid=1
Two local CDE’s on this board that I know and have used in the past…
There will be things to hold out for, I think…
Just wanted to chime in here… IN December when I was going through the process in getting my pump, I did not have the hassle that you or others went through, or continue to go through. I had hope it was just a freak thing but everytime I log in there is a new thread where Animas has dropped the ball. So they say replace it under warranty, perhaps you have a ding on the screen, weird I know but hey I cant see anyone having to pay for a pump!!!
Unfortunately, the HMO plan which allowed me to have better coverage became unaffordable. My husband and I are self employed and I dont have an insurance broker…it became easier to study the plans in the state and select my own. Brokers didnt always know what they were dealing with with pumps.
So, my copay is hefty for any kind of durable medical, but this year I notice they added some kind of wording to make sure people knew it included Diabetic Durable Medical.
They dont take kindly to letting people have CGMS either, according to what I have heard. I just traded mine in because the buttons were faded out. That was bad enough to them to exchange it overnight. But unless things go really wrong, I guess that will be the last time I can do that!
I paid to swap out mine when I went from Cozmo to the Animas ping but it was that deal where they changed the Cozmo pts over. I love Animas and everything about the pump / customer service and all. Of course I don’t have all the insurance hassles so …
Disetronic used to use the pre filled insulin cartriges. That creates a problem though b/c it’s more expensive and most insurances will tell you that you have to get the vials and fill yourself. I’ve been there. Then in addition to that they will probably just come out with the most used insulins at first. I don’t see them pre filling all the insulins that we all use. This is actually a pretty old concept and I do believe the reason they don’t do this anymore is b/c of the cost and coverage. However it was pretty nice to be able to just pop it in and go.
Well, I heard from my rep confirming everything we discussed here as far as needing to be in warranty to be able to secure a newly released pump for a good price.
I finally heard from someone regarding any future trade in potential for me, sent another message back and now waiting on an answer once again.
All I am trying to find out is how much a trade in will get me (if it can be done as all through my HMO.) Unfortunately, my family thinks I will be just fine even if I have to go on shots for awhile if my pump should up and die. Having never been on the new long acting insulins, I dont know, but not having the ability to turn my dose down could be miserable for me.
Your pump won’t die. They are built to last. I bet you will get atleast another 2 years out of it as it was just replaced.
Forgot to mention, my rep says they dont do loaners, but you can get one from your doctor’s office if you need one and have no warranty. I think that’s what she meant.
Which is totally opposite of what I have heard…so I guess I heard wrong.