T:slim...super inexpensive?

I have only been a type 1 since October. Lost a pregnancy 2 weeks after being diagnosed. Got my a1c down to 6.4 in January and was given the go to get pregnant. Endo and I think a pump and cgm will help with control.

So, I started on the 6 week free trial with the medtronic 530g and enlite sensors. Enlite sucks. Horrible. Frustrating. Hated them. Pump is fine though. Sooo I decided to start looking at other companies since I want to get the dexcom g5 anyway.

The local rep from Tandem calls me back and says itā€™s only going to be $150 for the pump and $25 per month for supplies. I spoke with him again today and told him it sounds too good to be true. He says it is billed through my express scripts and would come from a medical supplier.

Had anyone else had this happen? I am still waiting for them to call me back to order the pump, but my doctor has already given them a prescription for it. I just donā€™t want to get my hopes up!

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my sister have, it, & my mom,only had to pay, $160, for it, & the supplies, are $26 ever month, for supplies,.
but if, you want to know for sure, call them back to make sure, hope this helps,.

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I am waiting on a call back from them, hopefully today. That does help, thanks!

Welcome to TuD, @Dana925! Iā€™m not a T-Slim user, but just FYI, I use a Medtronic Minimed and Dexcom G5ā€“you donā€™t have to use Enlights if you donā€™t care about integration with the pump, and I donā€™t, particularly since G5 Bluetooths to my iPhone, which I prefer anyway. But that T:slim cost does seem very reasonable.

And really sorry to hear about you losing your pregnancy just after being dx-ed. Either one would be bad enough on its own. But this is a very supportive placeā€“really glad you found us!

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For your sake I hope the info is correct. In Dec 2014 we paid a little over $1500 for the t:slim & 3 months supply of infusion sets & cartridges, & that was with deductible met.

I can pay $25/box of cartridges if I pay cash. Through my insurance, itā€™s $36.45/box.

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I hope so too! The minimed pump would be about 2100 that I would pay over 3 years. So if I can get the tslim at that price I will be over the moon!

Thank you!

I am receiving mine tomorrow and it went through my prescription coverage. Since I have no
deductible, it was $45 for the pump and initial supplies and then $30 per 3 month supplies there after.

Thatā€™s wonderful! They werenā€™t lying for me either! I ordered it last night and it should be her by the end of next week!!! It still seems too good to be true!

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Mine came in the mail today. The invoice read $15 for the pump. Iā€™m still having trouble believing it too.

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Well, clearly there is more going on under the covers here in terms of payment than what is currently being billed to you. I truly wonder what it might be.

I think it could be helpful if you could give more insight into what insurance coverage you have. Itā€™s nice to know that others have had good fortune. It would be even nicer to know if anyone else might also be able to participate, no?

So when I asked the medical distribution company about how this is possible, she replied, because Tandem is smart. I laughed and said how so? She basically said they code their pumps, cartridges and infusion sets as medicine and dme. Like how syringes go through prescription coverage, that is how a pump is considered. So it can be covered either through prescription or medical insurance. I have express scripts though my husbandā€™s work as prescription coverage .

I think this surely has something to do with which insurance you have.

I wonder if it might explain the trouble Iā€™ve been having getting cartridges covered. Medical keeps denying payment, saying theyā€™re supposed to go through Rx. Rx says theyā€™re not a covered benefit. Iā€™ve had to go through written appeal for every order Iā€™ve placed. The last order in Dec was billed as home health. Insurance paid 100%, even though I paid Tandem the remaining deductible + coinsurance.

4 years ago, my Minimed pump was $40 copay, under my prescription plan. It really all depends on the how your insurance plans are set up. At that time, if I ordered my diabetes supply via mail order, 90 day supply all in one order (ā€œdiabetic kitā€ rule), there was a single $40 co-pay. This included BG strips, pump supplies. Insulin pump, Dexcom Rcvr, Trans, Sensors were all covered under my prescription benefit, all with $40 copay. I know others that mentioned variations on "diabetic kitā€™ pricing in their plans, sometimes relating to when insulin was purchased at the same time.

Unfortunately, my insurance plans have changed, and donā€™t offer that any more. It was my employer that changed the ā€˜plan optionsā€™ they contracted for. So now I can only get the pump, CGMS and supplies under my Medical planā€™s DME coverage. Now that my MM pump is out of warranty, my next pump will be 20% co-insurance (approx $1200-1500), since my deductible has already been met this year. It would be similar if I was choosing T-Slim.

I was considering the T-slim, but think I will stay with Minimed (and Dexcom CGMS as separate receiver). I was able to test out the T-slim menu/interface by downloading the app, and found it would be too cumbersome for me since I generally determine my bolus without using the wizard or entering BG/carbs, etc. I also prefer to have the CGMS receiver not be integrated with the pump. The T-slim with integrated CGMS was the only other option I considered.

Good luck to you. If the T-slim representative confirmed the benefit, specifically after contacting your insurance, then it should be accurate. You may find documentation in your health insurance plan that would show diabetes related ā€˜durable equipmentā€™ is covered under your Prescription plan. The amounts you listed sound like ā€˜co-payā€™ amounts, rather than co-insurance. RX co-pays typically have a max amount, which may be the $150 you were quoted.

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welcome to tud,.

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As far as I know It was billed under my prescription coverage. I am in NY where diabetes supplies are usually billed at the same rate as you would pay for a primary care visit. It is a special ā€œdiabetesā€ prescription package. I was expecting it to be billed under DME and then I would have paid 10%. I have marketplace insurance on the NYS Health Exchange.

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I donā€™t know how you managed that. I paid $1800 with a 50 percent DME and trade. The pump is listed for $7000 or soā€¦There was not ever any offer to run it through in a different way. Too bad too, because this pump is not working for me at all.

My son had Medical Mutual in 2014 when he got his Tslim and didnā€™t pay anything out of pocket for his pump and all supplies. They have a disease management program. Then his employer changed to Aetna last year and now he has to pay for some, not sure how much. Itā€™s not a huge amount though.

I also have Medical Mutual and just got a pump in November and didnā€™t pay anything out of pocket. Mineā€™s a Minimed 523. My insurance uses CCS to supply my stuff. They have always been great to deal with.