Insulin Pump

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john62
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Insulin Pump

Post by john62 »

This is totally off topic. After 44 years of insulin injections, 5 times/day, I am now using a Medtronic MiniMed 640G pump, otherwise known as Harold. Here in Australia the cost of the unit was $9 025.00, Australian dollars, thankfully paid by the Health Fund. I am intrigued as to how much the company charges clients in the States or Britain or Europe for the same unit. Does any one know?

John
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Sinned
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by Sinned »

If glucose control is poor they are available on the NHS but I won't qualify as my control is good but I would like it to be better. According to the Head of our local Diabetic Clinic I get a bit too stringent at times and advises me to ease off. My HbA1c is 51. My average recorded glucose level is about 6.5. Googling it, it appears that the unit over here costs ~ £2995.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
john62
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by john62 »

That means a far bit cheaper than here. My control is good but the beauty of the pump is that it comes up with the dose and no more guessing and with an injection once it is done you can not take it back with a pump the rate of delivery can be changed easily.

John
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Fred in Skirts
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by Fred in Skirts »

Found this for the USA..
Patients will be charged $999 for the MiniMed 630G insulin pump (pump only, not the system). They are eligible for a $400 exchange credit when they send back their old pump. So the total out-of-pocket cost for this patient group with a trade-in is $599.
When available in the US it looks like it will be cheaper. Now this is for the 630G and not the 640G.
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john62
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by john62 »

$2 000(AUS) far less than $9 000. We are being ripped off as usual.

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Sinned
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by Sinned »

System normal then. You should have shopped around, if you were able to. I would never buy anything that expensive until I had shopped around for the best price. Of course sometimes you only have Hobson's choice. But from what I have read on diabetes.co.uk an insulin pump isn't for everyone and then there are consumables to buy which aren't necessarily cheap. I try and get what I can from the NHS and, even though what I get may not be the most up to date, repairs and consumables are free for me. I could have a super in-the-ear hearing aid but again they don't last forever and batteries and ear moulds are free but with a private aid it would cost me for everything.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
john62
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by john62 »

There are only three pumps available in Australia they all cost between 9-10 thousand.

John
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crfriend
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by crfriend »

When looking at matters like these one needs to factor in the cost of the entire suite of products that make up "the system". Whilst the pump itself may represent a princely sum in Oz the cost of consumables -- including insulin -- may be quite low. In the US, the cost of the pump may be astonishingly low -- but the consumables could well break the bank. The UK likely has a different mix of factors.

The trick here is to look at the cost of the treatment, not just the device.

Four years ago, a vial of veterinary-grade insulin was about $150, with human-grade being several times that (the cat that my ex- got murdered was diabetic and insulin-dependent). It will only have gotten worse in the interim. Teddybear [0][1] went through a vial about every eight weeks or so (I can look it up if need be) -- and that's for a 14 pound cat. Extrapolate for the weight of a human.

If there's a disease I want to see cured it's diabetes. However, that's not going to happen because the money is not in a cure, it's in treatment.


[0] aka "Theodore Erasmus Bear".
[1] The staff at the clinic loved him, including remarking one time , "The world needs more cats named 'Teddybear.", a statement with which I am inclined to agree.
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john62
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by john62 »

Consumables are partially covered by the government, so the reservoirs/infusion lines are about $22/mth, insulin a script is $39 will last about two mths.

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Sinned
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by Sinned »

Yeah, the consumables. My GP has given me a new glucose meter because the cost of test strips for it are half the price of the ones for my current meter. I am looking to buy a cheap colour laser printer and, as well as the cost of the printer itself, I consider the cost of the cartridges and the number of pages the cartridge will print to try and balance total cost of ownership. As you say, pointless buying a really cheap model only to find that the cartridges cost the earth or only print half the number of pages.

Over here the cost of Lantus Glargine ( evening injection base level ) insulin is ~ £38 for 5 cartridges and the cost of Novorapid ( before/after meals to cope with peaks/troughs ) is ~ £28 for 5 cartridges. Test strips are anywhere between £10 and £30 for a pot of 50 strips depending upon the model of meter. My current cost £18.50 but for the new meter the cost is ~ £11.50.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
john62
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by john62 »

Sinned you certainly pay alot more for insulin, the script here is five boxes each with five cartridges. All glucose strips here are $15 per box of one hundred.

John
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Sinned
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by Sinned »

John, I don't pay anything as they are supplied free on the NHS. All my prescriptions are free on two counts - I am a diabetic and I am over 60. I just googled the approximate price of the items. Of course the "actual" price the NHS is likely to be a lot less than this. My prescription is 2 boxes of 5 cartridges of the Lantus and 1 box of 5 cartridges of the Novorapid. I use about 150 test strips a month.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
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Uncle Al
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Re: Insulin Pump

Post by Uncle Al »

We were going to switch my wife's meter to this one,
https://mydario.com/ , but now have found having her
Dr. write a 'script' for the test strips, they're free with
our insurance.

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