The year is winding down. If you have funds sitting in your flexible spending account (FSA) or a maxed-out insurance deductible, there could be a new t:slim X2 insulin pump out there with your name on it.
You can wait for the next big approval by the FDA to order your pump, or you can boost your chances of getting your t:slim X2 pump for less out-of-pocket by taking a strategic, time-sensitive approach.
With Tandem Diabetes Care, there’s no need to wait. Since today’s t:slim X2 insulin pump is built for tomorrow’s technologies, you can purchase your t:slim X2 insulin pump now and upgrade it via free software updates as new features are approved by the FDA.*
If you’d like to pay for your pump with end-of-year insurance benefits, these two things should happen:
- Your t:slim X2 pump should be ordered–at the latest–by the first week of December. We recommend December 6th as a firm deadline to make sure there’s time to process the paperwork before the end of the year.
- Your pump has to ship in 2019 in order to use 2019 benefits. Not just be ordered, but shipped.
Jazzmin Bautista is a Supervisor for Customer Sales Support here at Tandem Diabetes Care. Her team works with customers who use insurance benefits to buy t:slim X2 insulin pumps and supplies, so she knows what it takes to navigate the system on a tight timeframe. We spoke with Jazzmin about how patients should approach the process when they want to be sure their t:slim X2 pump is ordered and shipped before year’s end.
“If anyone is interested in the t:slim X2 insulin pump, I would tell them to make sure their healthcare provider supports their decision to begin the process, since document collection will require their participation. I would also tell patients to let their healthcare provider know that a document request is on the way, and to return the requested items as soon as possible to avoid any delay in submitting to insurance for authorization,” Jazzmin suggests. “Once that is confirmed, patients should complete our online patient information form or call our customer sales support line to get the process started now!”
Unfortunately, some patients will forget to order their t:slim X2 insulin pump in time, and they’ll miss the shipping deadline. According to Jazzmin, this is not an uncommon occurrence.
“This happens often, actually,” Jazzmin told us. “People don’t realize the insurance process can take anywhere from a few business days to 30+ business days based on different factors, including how quick we can get documents back from your prescriber (i.e. prescriptions, charts, labs) and have them submitted to insurance for authorization, if needed. Authorization timelines for insurance companies are non-negotiable, so getting documents submitted for approval as quickly as possible is extremely important when trying to take advantage of end-of-year benefits.”
Another angle to this scenario? Patients not realizing that their benefits won’t roll over when next year starts. They might order a pump in late December and miss the window to use their benefits, resulting in a large, unexpected copay for their pump.
“With an FSA, you either use it or lose it. If you have unused money in your FSA by the time the new year hits, you may have lost the opportunity to use those funds on your t:slim X2 pump order,” Jazzmin said.
Everyone wants a scenario where they can pay $0.00 out of pocket for their pump, so we asked Jazzmin if she’s seen it happen.
“It is very common, especially for those who max out their deductible using their DME (Durable Medical Equipment) benefits throughout the year for ongoing pump supplies.”
With the t:slim X2 insulin pump, today’s hardware is built for tomorrow’s technologies. So when the next big product is approved by the FDA, you can upgrade your pump via free software update.*
Until that time comes, you’ll have access to Basal-IQ® technology to help manage your type 1 diabetes. When used with Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), Basal-IQ technology predicts and helps prevent lows with zero fingersticks.†
* Additional feature updates are not currently available for the t:slim X2 insulin pump with Basal-IQ technology and are subject to future FDA approvals. A prescription and additional training may be required to access certain future software updates. Offer only available to customers who reside in the United States, who are in warranty at the time they update their pump and who purchased a t:slim X2 insulin pump on or before December 31, 2020. Tandem may discontinue select software and features over time at its discretion. This is a limited time offer and Tandem reserves the right to discontinue this program at its discretion.
† Zero fingersticks required when using the t:slim X2 pump with Dexcom G6® Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) integration. If glucose alerts and CGM readings do not match symptoms or expectations, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions.
