Advice on insuring my Medtronic 640G

[kevinmartinuk_]

Good afternoon,

I am so happy to finally have an insulin pump after 10 years of using pens. Had to fight hard but last week got my Medtronic 640G

Does anyone have any advice about this pump and what is the best & cheapest insurance to go for? Don’t want to to ripped off by a really high insurance premium and want to be covered for the whole £3000 should I ever be stupid enough to lose it.

Have been advised I could add it to my home insurance instead of using a specific insurance only for the pump. Any advice will be greatly appreciated so would love to get some replies.

Kind regards,

DJ Kev (51 years old)
Diagnosed as Type 1 at 39

 

[In Response]

I have always used my house insurance. They add a little premium but it's cheaper than the dedicated pump insurers.

However, some people are concerned general insurers may be slow or reluctant to pay out and favour the pump insurers for peace of mind.

 

[j@mez]

i never liked the idea of pumps... but i hear the omnipod is wireless?


... am i rightb> is it any good 2 do a loop?

 

[j@mez]

i never liked the idea of pumps... but i hear the omnipod is wireless?


... am i rightb> is it any good 2 do a loop?

im just happy with my new libre 2, ... should builde a nightscout site

 

[Rokaab]

Does anyone have any advice about this pump and what is the best & cheapest insurance to go for? Don’t want to to ripped off by a really high insurance premium and want to be covered for the whole £3000 should I ever be stupid enough to lose it.

Have been advised I could add it to my home insurance instead of using a specific insurance only for the pump. Any advice will be greatly appreciated so would love to get some replies.

I went with these guys, after some others recommended them: https://insurance4insulinpumps.co.uk/
6.95 a month for my 670g

Haven't had any cause to use them yet though (only had a pump since the end of July), so not tested them yet

 

[sleepster]

I also use insurance4insulinpumps.co.uk
I haven't had to make a claim but they're always helpful when I have a (probably daft) question or need to update the policy.
It's £6.95 a month for my 640g.

 

[Maco]

Hi Kev, off topic but I’m guessing your UK based? If so why have they given you such an old pump from Medtronic? As far as I was aware the nhs was now supplying now pump users with the 780G some with & some without the CGM to run alongside. I started the 780 with the CGM on the 7th of January.
I know different CCGs work different in different areas but it seems stupid to be offering a pump when there’s at least 2 newer additions in the form of the 670G & 780G both with smart guard features

 

[Hopeful34]

I've got my pump and handset insured on my home insurance for £45 a year (Accu-check Combo pump).

 

[dancer]

Our house insurance (Direct Line) covers it with no extra charge.

 

[sleepster]

@Maco It's not "such an old pump", I wish people would think before they say stuff like this, particularly if the OP is a new pump user, it's like saying "why don't you want the newest phone?" when there is nothing wrong with the phones already in existence, they just have different features. I have a 640g at the moment and have a new 640g waiting for me at the hospital when I'm allowed to go and collect it. I'm more than happy using a 640g, as are plenty of other users. What use is smartguard if you don't have the CGM to go with it?

 

[Maco]

@Maco It's not "such an old pump", I wish people would think before they say stuff like this, particularly if the OP is a new pump user, it's like saying "why don't you want the newest phone?" when there is nothing wrong with the phones already in existence, they just have different features. I have a 640g at the moment and have a new 640g waiting for me at the hospital when I'm allowed to go and collect it. I'm more than happy using a 640g, as are plenty of other users. What use is smartguard if you don't have the CGM to go with it?

Well it’s certainly not a new pump is it, so there isn’t really much to think about when saying it? More & more CCGs are happily funding the CGM to go with the Medtronic pump and even if they wouldn’t fund the guardian there’s always the option to self fund it especially with Medtronic reducing the costs of it. My question simply was if Medtronic have a new pump available with new amazing features such as automode on the 780G why would they hand out pumps without the feature? I’m guessing the costs to the nhs are pretty similar between the 640 the 670 & the 780. Again I’m guessing, but if the OP had known about the 780 and the features it offers I’m sure they would of chosen that over a 640. You go on about the latest phone, if apple said you can have a free iPhone 6 or a free iPhone 12 who in the right mind would pick the iPhone 6?

Not wanting an arguement, it just annoys when CCGs can’t be universal across the country!

 

[sleepster]

You go on about the latest phone, if apple said you can have a free iPhone 6 or a free iPhone 12 who in the right mind would pick the iPhone 6?

Not wanting an arguement, it just annoys when CCGs can’t be universal across the country!

It is annoying, yes, but people need to have confidence in the insulin pump they are relying on to keep them alive and healthy, and by you saying it's "such an old pump" it's hardly helping new pump users to feel confident in the equipment they have been given.
It would be a different matter if Medtronic were giving pumps away for free, sure everybody would want the newest, fanciest model, but they're not free and Medtronic aren't giving them out, the NHS is paying for them.

 

[Maco]

It is annoying, yes, but people need to have confidence in the insulin pump they are relying on to keep them alive and healthy, and by you saying it's "such an old pump" it's hardly helping new pump users to feel confident in the equipment they have been given.
It would be a different matter if Medtronic were giving pumps away for free, sure everybody would want the newest, fanciest model, but they're not free and Medtronic aren't giving them out, the NHS is paying for them.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with having the 640, I just don’t get the thinking behind the NHS giving it out still. What I was saying was if the NHS are paying for the 780g in certain areas surely the cost to them is the pretty much the same as what they are paying for the 640G. So is it a criteria thing where only certain people get the newer pumps with different features or is it a CCG thing where they aren’t funding newer models and are slightly cutting costs by going with the older models.

 

[Rokaab]

Well it’s certainly not a new pump is it, so there isn’t really much to think about when saying it? More & more CCGs are happily funding the CGM to go with the Medtronic pump and even if they wouldn’t fund the guardian there’s always the option to self fund it especially with Medtronic reducing the costs of it.

Happily? Not for everyone - I had to fight tooth and nail to get a pump in the first place and the sensors were only going to be if my issue couldn't be controlled with just the pump (really bad DP 80% of the time)
And yes I finally got my pump within the last 8 months and sensors less than a month go, so it is fairly recent

 

[Maco]

Happily? Not for everyone - I had to fight tooth and nail to get a pump in the first place and the sensors were only going to be if my issue couldn't be controlled with just the pump (really bad DP 80% of the time)
And yes this is within the 8 months so is fairly recent

As I said, more & more. Not everyone. Especially since the 780 has come into play as they know the importance of the running it with the CGM