I also posted this in the Type 1 forum, but wanted to post it here specifically for Animas users.
Hi all
I just got some good news I wanted to share. I got my ping in January 2011 and so I will be out of warranty this coming January and due for a new Ping. However.....I started Medicare last November (I have Medicare plus my old insurance Anthem-full coverage). I have read on here about Medicare only allowing new pumps every 5 years so I was wondering which rule I came under.
I just got off the phone with Animas sales. They said that because I bought my Ping under my private insurance (pre-Medicare coverage) I will be eligible for one this coming January at the regular 4 years.
The second thing they told me that is good news is that since I will be on the Medicare rule of 5 years when I get my new pump in January, my warranty will also be five years. I had heard people on here say that the warranties were four years while Medicare only allows one every five. Which is not good! So, I now know that at least for Animas your warranty lasts five years when you are on Medicare.
I'm not sure if you were given the correct information. My private insurance company purchased my Animas pump for me in July, 2011. Since then, I turned 65 and went on Medicare. I checked with both Medicare and Animas about the length of my warranty and when I would be eligible for a new pump. I was told that my pump warranty would be extended to 5 years, and that that I wouldn't become eligible for a new pump until July, 2016. This was confirmed to me again this past summer when I needed a warranty replacement of my Animas Ping. The papers that were sent to me stated that the warranty would expire in 2016. The Animas warranty replacement service was chaotic. It took them 3 weeks to get me a new pump and then I received two of them in a week. It seems that the 1st replacement got lost in their warehouse and, once it was found, was sent to me 2 days after I received a 2nd replacement pump.
The process of having Medicare take over the shipment of pump supplies was also chaotic. Even though Medicare (the Medicare approved supplier) received all of the documentation that they required (letters from endo, C Peptide test, 30 day BG log), Medicare kept rejecting my claims for 7 months. Even, now, my supplier often has to submit claims several times before they are approved.
On the plus side, Medicare Part B, once you meet the Medicare Part B deductible, pays 80% for Insulin. Your Medicare Supplemental should pay the remaining 20%. This is much better than having Part D paying for Insulin.
Wow, Dave, I'm sorry you had this experience! Sounds very frustrating! I'm hoping mine will go smoother! One never knows with organizations but the sales rep I spoke with sounded pretty sure of his answers to my questions, saying it is a question they get frequently. He is also the one who will be dealing with the order. He is sending me something in the mail (I think the official notice that I will be out of warranty) and then I am to call him directly to place my order for my new pump. I will let you know if it happens, since I come off warranty at the end of this year. Then you can raise hell and ask why yours is different.
I actually get 100% coverage for both my insulin and my test strips on Part B. My insurance is a little different as technically it is an integrated system (CalPers Medicare) rather than a supplemental. I guess it could be that Medicare is paying 80% and Anthem is paying the other 20% all I know is CVS doesn't charge me anything!
