[IP] Endo giving me hard time over my choice of pumps
I need some advice. After raving about my endo, she's really made me mad.
Long story short: I don't have insurance, can qualify for the assistance
program through animas, can get a pump in the long run for about $2500 with
supplies. Sounds like a good deal right? Well I talked to my endo about it
and she is just fired up about minimed (no offense to you minimed folks),
found out later, she gets $400 kickback on all minimed pumps, none from the
rest of the pump folks. So, here's basically how our conversation went. Me:
I'd like to go on a pump. Her: That's great, minimed is wonderful. Me: no, I
don't want to go on minimed, I want to go with animas. Her: why is that? Me:
because first of all, I like the features, very similar to a minimed, but
much more inexpensive, you know I don't have insurance. Her: (kind of under
her breath) they're probably less expensive b/c they're going to go under.
Me: what? her: it doesn't matter, whatever you want to do is fine, I just
know that if I have 10 patients, 10 will be on minimed. Me: Well...I can't
afford minimed. Her: Well, just make sure it has the wizard feature like
minimed.
Now, since then, I've been treated (please excuse the expression, I mean no
harm) white trash. We are a Christian family of 4, my husband and I work
like dogs, the Lord absolutely blesses all the way and we have food on the
table everyday and a roof over our heads. What makes me any different than
her? Once I told her I wanted Animas b/c of the price, she just kind of
stuck her nose up in the air and the rest of the conversation was very
"snooty" on her part. When the nurse called me to set up my appt with her
for converting over to the pump she said she would get all my paperwork over
to the rep for medtronic. I said no, I'm going with animas. Oh, well we'll
just mail you your prescription and you contact Animas yourself. She was
willing to leave me completely in the dark b/c I wasn't going to get a pump
like they wanted. I finally got hold of my rep for Animas, and he said he
would handle my endo's office.
I've only been type 1 since March of this year, I'm still learning about
diabetes, how in the world am I supposed to know how to set up for a pump.
Since the process is already rolling, I'm going to stick with her through
getting the pump, but I think I may switch endo's soon. The entire visit was
hurried. I waited and waited for months to see her and have all these
questions written down, all they need is quick simple answers and she didn't
even have time for that. But I sure to pay enough in cash every visit for
her to run out the door.
I guess, I want someone to tell me I'm justified in getting irritated and
let me know if most endo's are like this. I know they have lots of patients
but dang, I wait 2-3 months at a time to see her and I have to drive 1 1/2
hours just to get there and take a whole day off from work and she can't
even give me the time of day hardly. What do you guys think?
i'll put my questions about the pump I'm getting in a different post. I'm
sorry this got to be so long.
Thanks in Advance, Dee (dx'd 3/06, novolog 70/30 + plain, prox 4 shots a
day)
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