I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a pump and my doctor and I talked about it today and I finally decided that I want to go on the pump. She told me to come home and research the different ones and figure out what ones I would be interested in. I attended a diabetes seminar this weekend and met the Animas pump representative and she was very much willing to do whatever she could to get me a pump. I am not familiar with Animas pumps and have only looked into Medtronic’s new pump, but the cost is way out of my price range as I am paying cash for this (I don’t have insurance). I was also wondering if you can purchase a refurbished pump at a lower cost? I have looked online and the only site I’ve found, and I haven’t really looked, was ipump.org and that was for children and I’m a little past that age!
I’m really considering the Ping and would like to know what experiences that people have had with it as it is quite an investment for me!
hi Elizabeth. I think all US pump sale numbers are inflated, because the insurance companies negotiate prices with the pump manufacturers. I would be VERY aggressive with the pump sales people, ask them if they would take half for a new pump (the negotiated price for my minimed was thousands less than the list price)
once they agree to a price for a new pump, then ask about interest free payments. You may be able to stretch out pump payments for a year or more. If the pump will ship for just a down payment, then you may be able to make payments at your discretion - without interest (ask someone who knows better before you do this - you don’t want to end up in arrears) Once you get payment options then ask about refurbished pumps - the strategy would be then - that the refurb pump should be the lowest price/best plan of all.
also, ask about the price of consumables - some infusion sets cost a fortune and you have to change sets every 3 days. In a year it could be more than the negotiated price of the pump!. Some sets are less expensive, some sets are WAY less expensive.
How are you paying for insulin? and are you using humalog/novolog/apidra? these are generally the only insulins you use in a pump and cost $100 a bottle (list)
I think you will find that almost everybody loves the pump they picked - and most people will tell you they wished they changed sooner. good luck!!!
Talk with the pump companies. Some of the pump companies have loaners that you can use to see which pump you prefer. They have payment plans and they also charge a lot less for people that do not have insurance. Some of the pump companies do not even charge interest on the payment plan. Have a pump rep come see you they will be more than happy to show you all of the features of their pumps.
I agree with this… even when you discount the initial purchase price of the pump, pumping is expensive… around $150-200 a month for pump supplies, plus the cost of insulin (you can pump regular, which would save money, but it doesn’t work as well as rapid).
Animas will ship for 20% down and let you do the rest on an interest-free payment plan. Some companies may also offer some financial assistance. I think it’s more than reasonable to try to negotiate if you are paying cash.
I am in the process of getting a Ping (should be here Friday, actually) and I don’t have any experience with it, obviously, but I was on a Paradigm before and what sold me on the Animas was the smaller basal increment and the meter/remote.
Because of the deductible on my insurance, after this year (since I jsut met my deductible with my pump order) I will basically be paying out of pocket for my pump supplies (you can bet I"ll be putting in a supply order in December though!)… however my insulin is covered under my RX benefits for a modest co-pay (currently $30/month, when our insurance changes next year it will be $10). So some of us WITH insurance aren’t necessarily in a better position to pump… it still ends up costing a LOT.
I have been toying with the idea of a pump for about a year!! I bouht the pumpng insulin book and am tryng to decide!! What made you choose animas over medtronic?
Joe- I am actually paying only for my novolog now and I am able to get that for $10 a bottle through the health clinic here in Atlanta. I don’t have a job due to school so I qualify for it. I just, thankfully, got my Lantus approved for the assistance program so I don’t have to pay for that anymore!
Sarah- Hey girl! I met the Animas rep this weekend and she was really willing to do whatever it takes to get me a pump and as she said “will bend over backwards!” Hopefully, she lives up to her words! Let me know how you like the Ping over Medtronic.
Ron- I too have that book and it’s been great! I actually got my endo to switch my insulin regimen to take of pumpers so that I wouldn’t have a huge issue with it when I switched over. I’ve looked into both companies and feel that the Animas would be the best due to the fact that you can swim with it. I live in Florida, Atlanta’s where I go to school, and know that my friend who has the Medtronic detaches his as, from my understanding, isn’t water proof like the Animas.
Unicornzzz- I’m definitely talking to the reps from several companies and have narrowed it down to the Medtronic and Animas as they have great customer service. I will ask and see if they have loaner pumps, as that’s a great suggestion!
Kenneth- I looked into www.ipump.org and from all I can see it’s only for children. Am I wrong?
Thanks guys for the suggestions! I really appreciate it!
I have an Animas 1250, just about to wear out it’s warranty, but I don’t wear it when swimming even if it IS waterproof. What I’ve found over the years (53 to be precise) is that when I swim I really don’t need to pump any insulin since the exercise clears out the glucose very effectively. I’d hate to have to get out to eat something just because I left my pump attached.
Maybe it’s just me. I will say though that I favor Animas since my experience with MiniMed customer service wasn’t really satisfactory for the years I had their pumps.
Ron,
I just went thru all this research on pumps and I picked the Animas Ping. It is a very personal choice but the biggest thing to help you determine the brand will be your lifestyle and how you feel with playing with the pump during your demo. You will know which you feel most comfortable with. They are both great pumps and there really are just a couple of main diferences in one over the other. They both get you to the same place and so since it boils down to personal choice, I recommend that you set up demos with both Medtronic and Animas and have a list of any questions prepared before your demo.
Thanks again guys! I made my decision and have a Animas Ping on order. I’m paying cash for it and it ends up being with a 20% discount right over 5k, but also comes with 3-4 months of supplies. The Animas lady is submitting my paperwork to my endo and hopefully I will have it in a couple of weeks… thanks to my AMEX card! Wow, the things that we will do to survive! LOL!!!
Oh, and FYI, if you’re paying cash for a pump, and I don’t understand this, but you’re not able to purchase a refurbished pump, it has to be brand new. I think it has something to do with the warranty??? Anyways, just thought i’d pass that along!
Elizabeth
Theodore- I won’t end up wearing while swimming either, as i too end up going low, but then end up with a “rebound” high within an hour. Plus I don’t want to chance losing it!
