Insulin Pump Therapy Overview

Overview

An insulin pump is a small device about the size of a small cell phone that is worn externally and can be discreetly clipped to your belt, slipped into a pocket, or hidden under your clothes. It delivers precise doses of rapid-acting insulin to closely match your body’s needs:

Basal Rate: Small amounts of insulin delivered continuously (24/7) for normal functions of the body (not including food). The programmed rate is determined by your healthcare professional
Bolus Dose: Additional insulin you can deliver “on demand” to match the food you are going to eat or to correct a high blood sugar. Insulin pumps have bolus calculators that help you calculate your bolus amount based on settings that are determined by your healthcare professional

Insulin Pump: a small medical device that is made out of a durable material (polycarbonate material—the same material motorcycle helmets are made from) that has:

Buttons to program your insulin
LCD screen to show what you are programming
Battery compartment to hold 1 AAA alkaline battery
Reservoir compartment

Reservoir: plastic cartridge that holds the insulin that is locked into the insulin pump. It comes with a transfer guard (blue piece at the top) that assists with pulling the insulin from a vial into the reservoir. Once the reservoir is filled to the desired amount, the transfer guard is removed. A reservoir can hold up to 300 units of insulin and is changed every two to three days.

Infusion Set: An infusion set includes a thin tube that goes from the reservoir to the infusion site on your body. The tubing is connected to the reservoir and has a small adhesive (sticky) patch to hold the cannula (smaller tube) in place. The cannula is inserted with a small needle that is removed after it is in place. It goes into sites (areas) on your body similar to where you give insulin injections. The infusion set is changed every two to three days.

Infusion Set Insertion Device: An infusion set is placed into the insertion device and with a push of a button the infusion set is inserted quickly and easily.

Vial of Rapid-acting Insulin: A reservoir is filled with rapid-acting insulin from a vial. Medtronic insulin pumps are labeled for use with Humalog®, Novolog®.

AAA Alkaline Battery: One AAA alkaline battery is used to operate the insulin pump. A battery should last at least one week depending on what functions you use on your insulin pump.

An insulin pump holds a cartridge (reservoir) of rapid-acting insulin that delivers the insulin through an infusion set. The infusion set consists of longer tubing that connects to the reservoir and has an even smaller tube (about the length of your fingernail) on the other end that is called the cannula. The cannula is inserted with a small needle that is removed once inserted. Before starting on the insulin pump, you will need your settings prescribed by your physician and training by an appropriate healthcare professional.

Training is provided by an appropriate healthcare professional for an insulin pump. Training can be tailored to your specific needs and many resources are available to help you be successful on insulin pump therapy. Once your physician prescribes your insulin pump, the most appropriate training process is determined.

Private Insurance

Most private insurance companies cover insulin pumps under the durable medical equipment portion of your policy. Depending on your insurance coverage, you might have to pay a deductible and/or percent of the cost (co-insurance). If your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum has been met, the insulin pump might be covered at 100% by your insurance.

Government Insurance

For government insurances such as Medicare and Medicaid, they may cover insulin pumps depending on the state and requirements. A patient's out-of-pocket cost under government insurance varies depending on the policy.

Insurance Processing

When you start the process of getting an insulin pump, you do not have to worry about the paperwork. Medtronic will help you every step of the way by verifying your insurance, providing an estimated out-of-pocket cost, collecting the documents from you and your physician, and submitting all the required documents to your insurance company.

Payment Options

If you do not have insurance or need assistance with your out-of-pocket cost, Medtronic offers flexible payment options and a financial assistance program for qualifying customers.

Myth:

You have to know a lot about technology to learn to use an insulin pump

Reality:

Successfully managing your glucose with an insulin pump is often as easy as entering your blood sugar and meal information—then pressing enter. Your insulin pump even does the work of keeping track of your insulin, so you don’t need to write anything down.

Myth:

An insulin pump will stop me from being active

Reality:

With a sturdy design and the ability to be secured to the body or even detached, insulin pumps allow you to participate in the physical activities you enjoy. In fact, because you can easily stop insulin delivery before exercising—something you can't do with basal injections—insulin pump users have greater flexibility and greater protection from dangerous lows when they're active.

Myth:

Everyone will see the insulin pump and immediately know I have diabetes

Reality:

Because insulin pumps look more like cell phones in both size and appearance, wearing an insulin pump is very discreet. Insulin pump users can even completely hide their device by wearing it underneath their clothes.

Myth:

An insulin pump is a constant reminder of diabetes

Reality:

Just ask an insulin pump user yourself, because according to a 2005 study,1 93% of them will tell you that they’re either very satisfied or completely satisfied with their insulin delivery (vs. 56% of injection users). You’ll also probably hear about how an insulin pump gave them a level of control and flexibility that injections just couldn’t match—and maybe what they’re reminded of isn’t that they have diabetes, but that they’re doing what’s best for improving their control.

Myth:

Unexpected dosing changes can happen while I sleep—plus it will be uncomfortable all night long

Reality:

Insulin pumps are developed and thoroughly tested to ensure accurate insulin delivery. You can rest assured knowing that your pump will give you the exact amount of insulin you program it to deliver while you sleep—no more, no less. As for comfort, insulin pump wearers often don’t even notice their device while sleeping—keeping the insulin pump under their pillow, next to them in bed, clipped to their pajamas, or even on their nightstand.

Myth:

Wearing an insulin pump is uncomfortable and painful

Reality:

The infusion site for your pump should cause you very little pain, and it usually doesn’t take long for insulin pump users to get used to wearing their device. In fact, most even forget they’re wearing it until they need to deliver a bolus. What insulin pump users do notice, though, is the dramatic reduction in injections—from 3 to 4 daily injections to only one infusion set change every two to three days with an insulin pump.

Myth:

Once I start using an insulin pump, I can eat anything I want

Reality:

While it is true that using an insulin pump gives you more flexibility in terms of when you can eat and the types of food you can enjoy, good nutrition is still key for avoiding weight gain and maintaining glucose control. With the help of your healthcare team, you can incorporate your favorite foods into a healthy eating plan while on an insulin pump.

Myth:

The insulin pump is going to get in my way during intimate moments

Reality:

With the ability to disconnect for up to an hour, and a range of insertion sites and tube lengths, insulin pumps are designed to adapt to every moment of your life.

References

1: Peyrot M, Rubin RR. Validity and reliability of an instrument for assessing health-related quality of life and treatment preferences: the Insulin Delivery System Rating Questionnaire. Diabetes Care. 2005;28(1):53-58.
2: Assumes 4 injections per day for a year and an infusion set change every 3 days for a year.

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Insulin Pump Therapy Overview

Overview

Components to Insulin Pump Therapy

How Does An Insulin Pump Work?

What Type of Training Do I Need?

Will My Insurance Company Cover an Insulin Pump?

Private Insurance

Government Insurance

Insurance Processing

Payment Options

Common Myths About Insulin Pumps

Myth:

Reality:

Interacting with your insulin pump can be simple

Myth:

Reality:

Stay active with insulin pump therapy

Myth:

Reality:

Using an insulin pump can be as public or private as you want

Myth:

Reality:

Insulin pumps help you focus more on life than on managing your diabetes

Myth:

Reality:

Insulin pumps are designed and tested to be accurate and comfortable 24 hours a day

Myth:

Reality:

Using an insulin pump reduces injections: 1460 injections per year vs. 122 infusion set changes per year2

Myth:

Reality:

Improve your success on an insulin pump with a healthy diet

Myth:

Reality:

Insulin pumps keep you engaged in life

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