Omni pod verse MiniMed 670G

Technology & Management
1

Hi All,

I finally got the go ahead from my endo to get an insulin pump.

I’m excited, but I had no idea how expensive they would be be and I made a bad decision to be on a high deductible insurance plan this year. DOH!

The omni pod and MiniMed are the two systems that my endo recommended. It seems from my research that the omnipod is an ongoing expense and the MiniMed is more of a one time up front investment.

Also, from what I’ve been able to find, the omnipod is doesn’t have the tubes, but has to be replaced every 3 days, and the Minipod has tubes but is just attached once.

My insurance had me call each company and so far I am much more impressed with Omni pod’s customer service.

This will be my first pump and I feel overwhelmed with making this decision. These systems seem so different. I tried to look up other thread on this subject, but it seems like there hasn’t been a lot of posting on omnipods in a couple month. What I’ve read about the Minimed on here sound likes it’s a good product but that the company has some issues.

Any thoughts on this two products: the pros and cons, ongoing costs, how it effects your lifestyle, etc. - would be helpful and appreciated.

Also, can anyone tell me about how often the MiniMed needs to be replaced? I had heard or read they can last up to 4 years, which would make it a lot more cost effective over all then the omni pod. Does it have parts that need to be replaced more often?

Thanks!

2

@Snicketfan hi Amanda.

You also need to understand your consumables, the Medtronic uses a reservoir and an infusion set every 3 days. You need to know how your insurance will work with these consumables. A box of reservoirs and a box of sets may be $100 each.

Since the pod is a pump plus an infusion system, a box of pods may be DME or covered by pharmacy it matters because your copay or co-insurance may be different for drugs and DME.

Medtronic has a 3 year warranty but the pumps last longer than that.

the 670G depends on a CGM, which is a costly device - sensors last from 7-30 days (depends on brand and manufacturer in general) the 670G uses a 7-day sensor, meaning you will have to buy a box of sensors per month. The sensors will be covered by DME or by pharmacy depending. If you are not interested in the senors, there’s no need for the additional expense of a 670g. Your comparison is also skewed, because if you want to c ompare, you’ll have to add a CGM to the Omnipod system. The Dexcom integrates with either the Tslim or the Omnipod, but the system is not “closed loop” like the 670g

Make each rep (Insulet and Medtronic) give you a detailed yearly estimate, consumables included, based on your current actual insurance. It’s okay for the rep to have to work for your business.

as far as lifestyle; some find wearing a pump difficult, some do not. I happen to prefer a clip on pump so I can move it around at night, Omnipod will give you an empty pod so you can glue it to yourself and see if you like it.

the tslim and medtronic are removable, the thing left on your body resembles a band-aid. The omnipod is not, so the shower or the beach or at the party with fancy dress is stays stuck to you. All pumps are water resistant, only the medtronic is not rated as waterproof, so you disconnect for swimming.

all the manufacturers offer training and information online… have you looked?

I’ll close with this: choose the pump you want, they are all accurate, reliable, and have conveniences that, for me, sucks less than shots. good luck.

3

Thanks. That’s really helpful.

I was comparing this two devices because they were the two my doctor recommend.

The Omnipod representative was helpful, but I will ask her again about the consumables cost. They called me within a couple hours of my filling out an online inquiry and told me they would do all the work of looking up the insurance cost for me.

I called Metronics and was told they couldn’t tell me the cost unless they had an order from my doctor. They said it wouldn’t be processed until I had been given and approved the price, but it seemed a little fishy. I went ahead and filled out their online inquiry too, but haven’t heard back yet. It was also a lot less detailed then the one from omni pod.

I tried looking up information on how to use both the system online, but was having trouble finding anything about on going cost or how to attach the Minimed. I saw one on attaching the tslim which seemed simple enough, but I was wasn’t sure how close to the Minimed that would be. The Omni Pod representative said they would meet me in person to teach me how to use the pods and monitor.

Thanks for all your help and advice.

4

I suggest you also check the Tandem t:slim. I have heard it is less expensive than Medtronic, but can’t verify that. A key benefit of Tandem is that it is software upgradeable, sort of like a smartphone,. Medtronic users can get locked out of technology upgrades for years while they wait to become eligible for a new pump. Like Medtronic, you have to factor in costs of infusion sets and cartridges.

5

Thanks for the tip. I will look into that one as well.