Dr Ashley Ng

In Australia, you need private health insurance cover with the appropriate hospital level to pay for the cost of an insulin pump (approx $10,000). That’s the little machine in itself. Then you’ve got the dispoable consumables like cannulas and pump lines that you replace every 2-3 days. Those are the consumables. Thanks to the National Diabetes Services Scheme, people with type 1 diabetes receive subsidies for insulin pump consumables, bringing down the cost from $250-300 per month to $25-30.

Here’s the catch: your private health insurance will only cover a new insulin pump throughout its warranty period. And 4-5 years is a long time to be stuck with a piece of technology in a space that is rapidly progressing. So what do I look out for when it comes to choosing an insulin pump?

The insulin pump itself. Ideally, I’d love a patch pump – something where my kids won’t get tangled up in when we play and the freedom to wear clothes without worry about pockets to hold my pump. With a patch pump, you usually need a separate device to tell how much insulin to give. I want my phone to be able to do that, preferably on the operating system I’m already using. Otherwise, something small that doesn’t set off metal detectors at the airports and can fit snugly within my bra if needed.

The technology with the pump. I really appreciate that some companies now will give you free software upgrades while your pump is still under warranty. Particularly when most pumps have some sort of capability to automatically adjust your insulin settings based on your continuous glucose levels (automated insulin delivery aka artificial pancreas). This really helps with a bit of that fear around your pump being outdated quickly.

Availability of consumables. I’ve been having some issues with my pump consumables being on backorder for weeks at a time. I’m usually pretty organised as I get two boxes at a time and once I’m down to my last box, I’m off to the pharmacy to reoder more. Even with that buffer time, there were a few instances where I had to either change my order or prepare to pull in some favours to get more stock. I can’t deal with this additional mental burden.

Customer service. When there is an issue with the piece of technology that is keeping you alive, you need someone who will actually pick up the phone (not leave a voicemail or dial out) and can troubleshoot and problem solve with you in a calm and encouraging manner. You also want that person on the other end of the phone to be an actual human based in Australia.

Organisation ethos. This is getting picky now, but it actually means a lot when you’re with a company who makes an effort to give back or contribute to the diabetes community. It feels like you’re part of the family and I’d be happy for a company like that to have my business.

Currently, my pump has been out of warranty for over a year now. My biggest worry is that once I lock myself in for a new contract is that my unicorn set up would magically appear on the market. But as I’m looking through my options, I realise that I might actually be able to DIY a system that works for me. I just need to find the headspace and time to learn more about it. And so far, what I’m loving about the DIY stuff is their mantra of it may be a do it yourself system but you don’t do it alone. How amazing is the diabetes community! So, watch this space!