My review of Omnipod 5

@Sam I have Gentry too. Insulet set the whole thing up including coverage check with insurance and picking a mail order pharmacy, contact them on their web site.

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Exact same process I went through.

I am hoping someone here can helped me understand the duration of insulin action (DIA) setting. I understand what it means from a biological \ pharmacological point of view but I don’t think that I fully understand how its used in Omnipod 5 (O5).

Upon, my first reading of the User Guide. It seemed like DIA was not used at all in automated mode. However, upon my second reading of the User Guide it looks like the DIA value is used during any type of user initiated bolus (meal bolus and correction boluses), however it is not used in an automated bolus given during automated mode.

I have no idea what kind of decay function is used by O5. When my son had the eros pods back in the day, I had to use a DIA of 3.5 hrs because of the linear decay function used by Omnipod eros controller. The Loop / AndroidAPS / OpenAPS codes all use 5 - 6 hrs, but they use exponentially decaying functions. (Comparing apples and oranges here).

I am thinking some of my current problems with O5 are from choosing a DIA of 6 hrs because I also thought it was using an exponentially decaying function. My basic question is what DIA value are the rest of you using?

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My NP talked to the omnipod rep and they sent it in somewhere called Aspn pharmacy— we’ll see what happens

I use 2.5 hours for Fiasp and now Lyumjev which I recently switched over to. It will depend on your insulin.

The Automode seems to use the DIA for all bolus calcs and also for the corrections it gives from the algorithm in Automode….those are handled just like a correction bolus.

@naromero I’m not an O5 person, but know the Juicebox podcast had 3 episode series (@736-738) on all things O5. I believe it was with a nurse involved with the group testing Insulet did, she sounded VERY hands-on, experienced-based, and knowledgeable, and I think she covered just about everything an O5 user needed to know. This link goes to it: Omnipod 5 — Juicebox Podcast and Arden's Day.

It should take less than hour of listening time to get what you want out of it. Good luck!

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Be prepared to call ASPN pharmacy and hound them repeatedly. I haven’t had the energy to work that hard. By the way, when I called ASPN the first time they answered as ASPN, but the second time they answered as OptumRx. Not sure what to make of that.

Here’s the long story but it’s mostly just a rant. I’ve had an experience with Insulet and ASPN pharmacy trying to get the Omnipod Dash. I started about 2 months ago with a call to Insulet, and they took my information and said that they would have ASPN pharmacy handle it, and I should expect a call from ASPN after they have gotten a prescription from my doctor and pricing from my insurance. After a couple weeks I called Insulet again, and the very nice representative initiated a 3-way call with me to ASPN pharmacy to see what’s happening. The Insulet representative also gave me the ASPN direct phone number in case we got cut off. After 20 minutes on hold I suggested that the Insulet rep drop off and help other customers. After 45 minutes on hold I also gave up. Some days later I called ASPN directly, and the person informed me that they had not received a prescription from my doctor yet, and that they had called me twice without reaching me. But I have an answering machine, and there have been no messages from ASPN, so maybe they use the phone spammer technique of just hanging up silently, rather than the approach of a real business, which would say who’s calling, who they’re trying to reach and why, and leaving a callback number. Anyway I communicated with my doctor’s office and they confirmed that they had received a prescription request from ASPN and the prescription had been sent. Eventually I called ASPN again and they said they had been unable to reach me (but again, I have no messages). They did have a 1-month prescription from my doctor, but to give me a 3-month fill they would have to get a new prescription. And that was it.

On the evidence, Insulet has no process to see whether the customers they hand off to ASPN pharmacy ever get their orders filled, and ASPN pharmacy doesn’t necessarily get the job done without repeated pushes from the patient. For myself, I’m just using my antique Medtronic 722, and maybe some day I’ll get up the energy to call ASPN a 4th time to give the process another push.

I haven’t followed up with Aspn yet, but after receiving the rx from my doc they immediately texted me a link to fill out my info and upload my insurance cards— and then they called me and left a message the next day. So, at least this far, our experiences have been different

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I originally tried to get OP5 a few months ago when I lived in WA and was denied coverage. Then over the summer I moved states and my new endo sent the Rx through ASPN they got me approved but sent it to Amazon Pill Pack for fulfillment. Previously I got my pods through edgepark, it’s definitely interesting how differently these medical distributors operate.

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I am in the middle of getting a prescription and checking on coverage myself with ASPN. Does anyone know if the omnipod 5 is considered a device like a pump with a large up front cost or just like supplies every month? Like if you get a pump typically you can’t change your mind in 6 months and say I want to switch to xxx pump, wondering if I don’t like the OM5 in months can I go nope, I’m going back to my tandem.

I was told that Omnipods are treated like infusion sets, i.e., consumable supplies, and if insurance didn’t pay anything for the PDM, then I wouldn’t be locked in and could switch to something else without losing insurance coverage.

But maybe your insurance company doesn’t have the same policy.

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The omnipod 5 as far as is i understand, for reasons I don’t, is billed as a prescription item… like a medication— not available through medical suppliers but only pharmacies.

ASPN called me and said they’re sending a one month supply of pods and a pdm for free— but that my pharmacy benefits denied continued coverage so they’re looking into prior authorization etc etc… but anyway I’ll have a one month trial.

Also said cash price would be $590-610/ month if my prescription benefits wouldn’t cover.

I also talked to the lady in my insurance office who does the prior auth. It’s a self funded member owned plan so she has some authority, and has approved non-covered things for me before— apparently there’s a clause that prevents her from doing that currently in this case, because it’s so new to market…

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That’s what I was hoping for. I want the freedom to be able to go back to my tandem. Ive never had insurance deny anything for my diabetes.I have deltec cozmo (remember them?), animas, Minimed and now tandem pumps. All great pumps paid for by insurance. It’s a shame Medtronic drove them out of business. Anyways I’m excited to try the OM5. My tandem, now that I have committed to it, has been really great. SO much better and stable sugars then doing shots, and I love just pushing a button to give insulin. I’m very excited to try the tubeless though at the same time and I think that’s the future. Now if the G7 would just come out already! Ugh. I desire a small one piece throw away sensor badly. Once I saw the tiny libre 3 I can’t stop thinking about it.

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Holy cow I just found out that the Omnipod app isn’t compatible with iPhone. I mean I just assumed… why the hell would you not have an iPhone app ready? Well that’s gonna delay me trying it out as I’m not carrying an archaic separate receiver for it. :roll_eyes: Pretty shocked. Dang I was really excited to try it too.

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Ffs. Only the most common smart phone on planet.

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From what I understand Apple has to approve code by a HUMAN for it to be in their app store, so that’s what is taking so long for OM5. And the FDA just delayed the Dexcom G7 because of security issues with their software, so that has to be fixed/resubmitted. Evidently they re-wrote the app from the ground up instead of patching the G6 software to work with the G7 and that is causing delays. Only time will tell.

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That’s a big surprise. Just two weeks ago at the Dexcom conference call they said they were very confident that they had fully satisfied the FDA’s concerns, and they expected approval of the G7 before the end of this year.

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I hope so. Every review I see makes it look totally awesome! Can’t wait.

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I’d love to be able to upgrade to the G7. But I fear that’s still going to be a long process. After the FDA approval, there are still multiple hurdles to overcome before I can use it. It has to be added to my insurance provider’s list. And Insulet will have to get the O5 to work with it. I’m not even sure how easy it is to get the pod to work with multiple different CGMs. If it is overly complicated Insulet could well decide that they will just get it to work with whatever the next generation of pod is going to be, but leave the O5 to work only with the G6.

And my expectation is that it will be complicated. Whatever software changes are required to work with the G7 will need to be tested thoroughly not only with the G7, but also with the G6 to make sure that nothing that was previously working has been broken. And of course those changes will need to be validated with each of the certified phones with both the G6 and G7. Just look at how long it takes to certify new phones on the compatibility list and it is clear that making this sort of change is going to be an extended process.

So while I would love to switch to the G7, I’ve conceded that I’m just not going to be an early adopter. That being said, my message to Insulet is “Get a move on!”

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Same with me! OmniPod never adequately controls my Dawn Effect or brings down lingering high BG! When I am NOT eating, it keeps BG stable as long as I start in range. But what is the point if the system does not control my high BGs?? I am wondering if it is at all worth the annual extra cost when while on Medicare the Tandem X2 system is no cost to me!!! I do NOT like being connected to the Tandem tube AND having to disconnect the Tandem pump when swimming BUT my BGs are MUCH better with Tandem! I am looking to switch to the Tandem Moby when it becomes available as it also can be used while swimming.

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