Pump supplies through Medicare?

The thread on Facebook is mostly attracting CCS users and for the most part people with other suppliers are saying that they are not having the problem. But it is early enough in 2018 that they may not have placed a 2018 order. TBD.

1 Like

Certainly a valid choice is to wait for Sept of 2019 for the Tandem.

CCS does carry Tandem supplies.

I just checked with Sterling/McKesson and they still do not carry Tandem pump supplies.

@Amy2 - My suggestion is to wait however long as required on your Animas pump until you can get whichever pump it is that you decide you want the most and will work the best for you. You will have the next pump for 4 years, so waiting longer now to get your choice is (IMHO) the best approach.

@Laddie, no need to reply, I found the answer on the long Facebook Seniors with Sensors group thread. Two or three people commented that Medtronic was filling 90-day infusion set orders with quantities greater than 30 sets for those who need them.

1 Like

I’ve always gotten 5 boxes (10 ct) of infusion sets from MM, through any of my insurances, including Medicare. That is nothing special, ie, “not difficult”

O.k., so here’s the snag. I do have Medicare but my secondary, United
Healthcare requires all mail order supplies to be ordered through Edgepark.
That is a big problem as I am now out of supplies and Edgepark won’t part
with my supplies until 3/15. Of course, everytime they tell me when they
will be shipped it seems to be a lie. I’m wondering if I purchase them
through a local Pharmacy if I can still get them paid for, I know I’d have
to order every month but Maybe at least I would get them when I need them.

Maybe you need a greater quantity to cover the 90-day duration of the order. Was this an unusual event or dies it happen regularly? Many of us like to build up a little surplus to cushion these inevitable supply disruptions.

Perhaps you can lean on your doctor and see if they might have some supplies to bridge you to the the time that Edgepark will deliver. As if you don’t have enough to manage without doing part-time duty as a logistics supervisor!

Are you on a back-up MDI plan?

I also have UnitedHealthcare through AARP

Don’t know “mdi”. I just don’t like doing business with company’s that are so disorganized and show little respect. I’m writing a letter to United Healthcare to see if they can maybe step it up a little. I know how hard it is to be a large conglomerate insurance company these days (kidding).

MDI = Multiple Daily Injections. ie - pens or syringes

1 Like

Oh yes I have backup. But, why should I have to?

We consider MDI to be our primary backup plan.

Anything goes wrong with the pump, we can simply switch to MDI.

1 Like

Whenever I travel I take a pen and a few pen tips just in case my pump goes Haywire. It can take one to two days to get a replacement pump depending on what day of the week one calls for a replacement. As long as I am within about an hour’s Drive of my home I don’t have any extra anything with me. The only thing I carry is Skittles in case I Get Low

2 Likes

I also have a Medtronic pump and for the past 5 years got supplies thru Medtronic. When I got my new Medtronic pump last summer Medtronic said that Medicare now requires that my pump and supplies must come thru a if there is an approved distributor in my geographic area. I could no longer get a pump or supplies directly from Medtronic. Unfortunately my area was supplied by Liberty Medical (since purchased by Edgepark). I have had the same issues with Edgepark and their incompetence. In my frustration I 1st reached out to the Medtronic CEO. I appealed to the fact that their public face was Edgepark which should at least be an embarrassment. While they sympathized I was told they could do nothing. I then called the CEO of Cardinal Health, the parent company of Edgepark. It appears this is bringing results. I have the number of a representative of the Edgepark CEO’s office who will handle my future orders. Hopefully this will work for me and give you an avenue to peruse some form of performance from the incompetent staff do Edgepark.

Thanks for your efforts Bruce, I’ve just been told by Edgepark that they
can’t send my supplies until they recieve a D.W.O. form from the Doctor. I
also had to visit the doctor to prove my Diabetes wasn’t cured yet :slight_smile: the
last time. Now, they are telling me I need the same D.O.I. form again. I
can’t believe United Healthcare is putting up with this.

I would recommend calling Mike Kaufman, CEO of Cardinal Health. His number is (614)757-5000. I’ll bet you get some prompt results. Hope it works put.

Can you please decode DWO and DOI?

My wife uses https://ccsmed.com/ for tubing and cylinders (medtronic) it’s been years and they have done a fine job - not one problem - they do not do strips for medicare thou

Yes, but, does she have United Healthcare secondary?

If you are on medicare ALL PUMP SUPPLIES INCLUDING INSULIN AND STRIPS ARE FREE

Go to the medicare website

It takes a bit to get it done - some paperwork needs to be done for medicare

The local pharmacy helped my wife with the paperwork

I get the strips and insulin free at the pharmacy and the tubing and cylinders from ccsmed

I doubt the secondary matters

Like I said it took awhile but I got it done

I just got the FREESTYLE LIBRE CGM FOR NO COST

https://diatribe.org/medicare-now-covers-abbotts-freestyle-libre-cgm

My secondary insurance, UnitedHealthcare is what covers me 100%. Medicare doesn’t cover the whole thing