# Omnipod funding gone wrong



## Arch100 (Dec 3, 2011)

Hi,

I've been using an omnipod pump for the last 6 weeks or so.  The pods were provided free of charge - during a trial period and for the hospital to sort out the contract (I was the first patient to use the omnipod at the hospital).

Anyway, when I tried to order my first batch of funded pods, the PCT questioned the costs and refused to pay.  Apparently, the omnipod is ?2000 more expensive than a conventional pump over a 4 year period.

This has left me in a situation where I have to switch to a Animas 2020 on Friday next week.

Does anyone have any comments about the Animas?  Any pros or cons to think about or ask when I'm fitted?


Cheers

Dave


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 3, 2011)

Hi Dave, you either love or hate the Animas pump. I leave it up to you to decide 
As to the omnipod it quite a lot more than ?2000 dif. Here's the costings

An initial order per patient would consists of;  



1x ‘Starter Kit’ which is the PDM (personal diabetes manager) and user manual            ?360.70 ex VAT, with a four year warranty. . 

1x  Box of ten Pods, which is approx  1month supply subject to daily insulin usage     ?251.50 ex VAT.

So for consumables alone you are talking about ?14,486.40. @ today's prices

Looking at the prices for a normal pump you are talking aprox ?11,000 which includes the price of the pump in the 1st year


I know this is correct as I asked the omnipod peeps for the prices.


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## Arch100 (Dec 3, 2011)

You are right, those are the prices that Omnipod quotes and would charge an individual.

However I also know they give a discount to the hospitals; so the difference isn't that large.


Why do some love or hate the Animas? TBH, I haven't seen it as I was doing the omnipod trial. (I did love the omnipod!)


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## trophywench (Dec 3, 2011)

Just for info for my Roche Combo, I just had 10 cannulas without tubing ?63.75, 10 with tubing ?68.85 and 5 Reservoirs ?9.35 - all exc VAT.

Per month I use 15 cannulas but don't change the tubing every time but let's take the higher price anyway - 15 @ ?6.65 = ?102.75 and 2 and a bit reservoirs so 3 @ ?1.87 = ?5.61

There are odd things of course such as batteries and battery holders and the caps that go on the reservoir to screw it into the pump - I haven't changed either of the latter yet but have put new batteries in.  Don't know what the starter pack or the pump itself plus meter/remote costs; though the latter they say to insure for ?3,000.

So my annual charge for consumables is ?108.36 x 12 = ?1,300.32 x 4 years pump life = ?5,201.28

Starter pack - let's say ?500.00 
(manuals, lanyards, a skin, inserter for cannulas, 5 cannulas, 2 reservoirs, 4 batteries for  pump, 6 for meter/remote, 2 battery caps, 2 reservoir caps)

Pump + meter/remote    ?3,000
Consumables    ?5,250

Total    ?8,750 - even if we add the VAT - 20% - that only makes ?10,500.

At my clinic although you have the discussion and they give you a loan pump for a week to pump nothing so you can play and get used to the record keeping, you don't actually get your paws on YOUR pump until the funding has been confirmed.  Is what neither me nor my DSN could work out when Roche said there was a query on my funding (they kept supplying me though NP)   Turned out they were addressing all their invoices to Coventry - I'm funded by Warwick!


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## trophywench (Dec 3, 2011)

PS Sue is coming from the perspective of a person who has had the benefit of a pump with certain features that don't appear on the Animas, but they had stopped making that pump.

You know yours will be utterly different for starters because No Pod LOL

We did have a bit of a discussion about what she missed, I'll have a look and see if it was on here or another forum we both frequent, and if I find it will post a link.

I like the colour displays on the Animas.  But I would now miss the remote I have on the Roche.  That's not to say either is better than the other, or the Medtronic - they are just different.  My mate with the Animas really likes it.  And I really like my Combo.  And others I know with Medtronic love theirs too ......


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 3, 2011)

Hi jenny, the service pack as Roche calls it is ?46 + VAT.
The figures for the normal pumps I gave was top end of the market so it covers all pumps, Some were ?800 cheaper than the costing I put on.

My dislike of the animas is mainly it takes 3 times as long to do things far to much scrolling and button pushing for 1 simple task. Oh and all the missing what I would call basic features.
Besides that it's a great pump. 
From reading forums ww regarding people changing from the cozmo to the animas about 99% have a dislike for it. All have said they hope to God that next time around there's a new pump on the market.
Obviously if it's your 1st pump it's great as you know no different.


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## Arch100 (Dec 3, 2011)

So for costings, my understanding is that the pods would come to around ?10,000 ex VAT over 4 years. 

I had agreed PCT funding for a pump, just the funding didn't cover the costs of the Omnipod (an admin cock up somewhere)

With regard to the Animas, obviously, I don't have anything to compare it to.  The hospital I'm at Only has the Animas or Medtronic, and the DSN has preference for the Animas.


Which pump are you on Sue?


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 3, 2011)

Arch100 said:


> So for costings, my understanding is that the pods would come to around ?10,000 ex VAT over 4 years.
> 
> With regard to the Animas, obviously, I don't have anything to compare it to.  The hospital I'm at Only has the Animas or Medtronic, and the DSN has preference for the Animas.
> 
> ...



I have to ask who is wearing the pump you or her?

Oops missed your last question I have an animas


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## Arch100 (Dec 3, 2011)

LOL. Well there is only a choice of two at my hospital! I guess that's why I'm asking the questions.

BTW: my DSN has been perfect so far, the first person to actually discuss my diabetes in 19 years (rather than pat me on the head and see me 12 months later)


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