[Diabetes-Talk] Medicare Coverage On Insulin Pumps.

[Eileen Scrivani]

Alan, 

I am a total and am using a discontinued Medtronic Paradigm. I know my selection is now limited since they would not let me upgrade 3 months early before they discontinued the 530 model.

Last fall, when  I spoke with Medtronics they said I could upgrade in January/February when my pump would be out of the 5 year warrantee period. However, the one thing I do believe is that these diabetic supply companies know how to milk the system for every cent they can. If they are telling me my pump has to be malfunctioning in order to get a new one, then I kinda believe them. They would love to sell me a new pump and bill Medicare.

Eileen

Eileen

From: Alan Lemly via Diabetes-Talk 
Sent: Thursday, January 3, 2019 7:37 PM
To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' 
Cc: Alan Lemly 
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Medicare Coverage On Insulin Pumps.

Eileen,

I have not heard of that and like you, I thought insulin pumps out of warranty qualified for replacement under Medicare. But I also would have thought that your pump provider would be the most up to speed on the current rules since they are the ones who benefit from your replacement. I don't know what type of pump you're using or the nature of your visual impairment but be careful about getting rid of a pump that is working for you unless you are certain the replacement you have in mind will work as well.

I poked around on the Medicare.gov site but was not successful finding anything helpful about warranty replacements of insulin pumps. If anyone else goes there to research, be aware that pumps are covered as durable medical equipment and are referenced as infusion pumps as opposed to insulin pumps.

Please keep us posted on what you learn.

Alan Lemly

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk [mailto:diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Eileen Scrivani via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2019 4:16 PM
To: NFB Diabetes Talk
Cc: Eileen Scrivani
Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] Medicare Coverage On Insulin Pumps.

Hi All,

A question for those of you who have Medicare & use insulin pumps. My pump will be out of warrantee near the end of this month. The company with who I get my supplies contacted me today to make me aware that I will be able to upgrade at that time, �provided my current pump is malfunctioning.�

I had been under the impression or illusion that an upgrade would be approved if my pump is out of warrantee at the end of 5 years which it will be. However DMS is saying that is not enough for Medicare to approve a new pump, there must be a malfunction of which there is a specific list of 8 malfunctions.

Has anyone heard this before? Or, is it a new guideline?

Thanks.

Eileen


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