30 Comments
If you wear a pump and/or CGM, did you do a free trial of your current device before you officially committed to using it?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
© 2023 T1D Exchange. All Rights Reserved.
I don’t think I knew that was an option! My warranty expired on my current pump. I may want to see if I can try the new model before I commit.
A free trial was not offered. I never thought of it as an option.
I didn’t do a free trial of CGM; I was newly dx’d, my Endo recommended Dexcom, an my on-line researchonline made Dexcom G6 the obvious leader. Ref pumps, I tried the free (fake) Omnipod for size and wearability, but Omnipod free trial wasn’t allowed due to having government insurance; I truly don’t understand why government coverage is an automatically “not allowed.” To my knowledge, T:Slim and Medtronic don’t have a free trial programs, and I’d only consider T:Slim and Omnipod as Medtronic’s reputation, other than for looping, is not on the same level.
I wasn’t offered a free trial also. But, I was a Medtronic 670G user and stepping up to the 770G was not a big change. I have been a Medtronic pump user for almost 20 years.
I was not offered a free trial but I researched CGM and Omnipod before getting them
For pump, I was an active CDE and knew everything before I started and did not need to try it out. But every person I trained then I had put saline in the pump to try it out first. Was not offered to try it out when I started but they did offer wearing it for a month without complete commitment. Within 6 days I knew I wanted to keep it. CGM, not offered but I knew I wanted it for sure.
No, it was not an option when I was searching out pump options a year ago, which is understandable. A free trial period on a pump is risky and could be like handing over car keys to a 14-year old kid. Omnipod advertises a free trial period but there were strings attached. Not literal strings, but Omnipod required a prescription, which my insurance would not fulfill for a trial period. I would have liked to try it out. As for a CGM, my endo allowed me to try out options.
We did saline trials for two pumps (while continuing MDI). The idea was to go through the motions of using a pump (pretend bolus, etc.) to get an idea of what wearing a pump an giving yourself insulin would be like.
Omnipod sent a free pod to try
Dexcom did not
I did a free trial of the CGM but not the pump.
No one offered me a free trial period either. Omnipod did give me a couple of pods to stick on just to see how it felt. If anyone is thinking about Omnipod, once you put it on, you rarely even notice it.
That was not at all true for me. Best case scenario, I could feel it on my back every time I leaned into a chair or while I was driving. Worst case scenario I had a horrible reaction to the insertion site and had to change it a day early because the pain was unbearable. I even have a scar from the corner of a pod pinching my stomach every time I bent or knelt to pick something up at work. I’m not saying it will be like that for everyone. Just saying be prepared. One size does not fit all.
Not exactly a free trial, but I am currently participating in a study that involves use of a DexcoG6, that will allow me free use of the G6 for 6 months.
Hilarious question, what world are you from?
It wasn’t offered to us (Omnipod) as it wasn’t available locally (we were living in Europe at the time). We had tried a couple of tubed pumps in the past and the tube had ripped off the site, so we decided not to go that route.
I did not do a free trial of either, but I did wear a clinic CGM first.
A free trial of the actual pump wasn’t offered. An app for my phone was available that allowed me to briefly play with the buttons. I had to pay “out of pocket” $900 co-insurance before the order was even processed.
30 years ago when I first went on the Minimed pump my clinic had a pump loaner that they let me try for a week or two before deciding. Never since have I been offered a loaner or a trial period
Pump no. Minimed CGM I tried twice about 5 years apart. I could never get them calibrated but they let me keep them.
I was not offered a trial period. I had to commit to the new devices hoping they would deliver promised benefits. (They have!)
Omnipod currently has a free trial available, but you can’t participate if you’re on Medicare. Just another example of how totally out of touch CMS is and how old and increasingly irrelevant their rules are.
I did do a free trial of Omnipod, but decided to stay with my Tandem pump, which I did not have a trial of. I also use a CGM which I did not have a trial of before purchasing.
I did not know this was possible!
my insurance only offered medtronic
I don’t remember if I did a free trial with my current Tandem and Dexcom, but I have with one of Medtronics and Dexcom.
My endocrinologist gave me an Omnipod to wear once (it wasn’t activated) so I could see if I would have any trouble keeping it on or any kind of reaction to the adhesive.
In order to better monitor fluctuations in my early-morning blood sugars four years ago, my clinic in Muscat recommended running a CGM test. The doctor placed the CGM behind my shoulder, and told me to return a week later to obtain the readings (I did not have access to a reader). When the doctor printed out the charts, I was very impressed (I had only been using test strips up to this point) and inquired further about using this device. This was the start of my journey with FreeStyle Libre, which had just been released for use in Oman. This wasn’t so much a “free” trial in that my insurance paid for the CGM test (and given that the sensor stored a full week of readings, as opposed to eight hours for off-the-shelf Libre sensors, was probably a customized unit), but it certainly convinced me to make the switch to CGM.
I participated in several clinical studies with different pumps. I was able to “test” a few before they were approved and available to the public.
Not offered free trial for Dexcom G6. When I first heard of Omnipod I wanted to try it, but health insurance would not cover it and it was too expensive. I tried asking health provider about a pump once or twice. First time I asked infusion sets seemed too costly out of pocket plus I was advised many problems with insulin pump tubes coming out at night or kinking; why pay for something so risky was my reasoning at the time. Last time I tried for an insulin pump I was interviewed and denied.
The only pump I have purchased is the Omnipod eros. I did not do a trial. However, I have been in two hybrid closed loop trials since 2018 so have gotten a good market perspective. Since the current trial is ending, I will be going back to DIY loop with the eros.