Home
You can view the current or previous issues of Diabetes Health online, in their entirety, anytime you want.
Click Here To View
See if you qualify for our free healthcare professional magazines. Click here to start your application for Pre-Diabetes Health, Diabetes Health Pharmacist and Diabetes Health Professional.
Latest Diabetes Articles
Popular Diabetes Articles
Highly Recommended Diabetes Articles
Email to a Friend
Send a link to this page to your friends and colleagues.
Medtronic Jumps in to Help Deltec Pump Users
Medtronic is offering Deltec (or any other brand) users whose pumps are still under warranty a low-cost “recertified” Medtronic Paradigm 522 or 722 insulin pump, 30 days of supplies and a two-year warranty.
When Smiths Medical announced in late March that it was discontinuing the manufacture and sales of its Deltec Cozmo insulin pumps, the company's annual sales of that product were about $36 million. In contrast, Medtronic, manufacturer of the Minimed line of insulin pumps reported sales of $727 million in the nine months from April 2008 to January 2009.
Medtronic quickly stepped forward with the "Medtronic Cares Program," an offer to give Deltec users whose pumps are still under warranty a low-cost "recertified" Medtronic Paradigm 522 or 722 insulin pump, 30 days of supplies and a two-year warranty.
The supplies include one box of infusion sets, one box of reservoirs, and one insertion device.
The cost of the Medtronic pump is $1,300. To mitigate users' expenses in shifting to the Paradigm system, Medtronic is offering a $500 trade-in allowance for Deltec pumps under warranty, for an $800 total expense.
Further, Deltec users who shift to the Medtronic device and participate in four surveys over a 12-month period will be eligible for a $200 credit per survey-a move that could reduce prior Deltec users' overall out-of-pocket expenses to zero.
(Medtronic's website has more details about the promotion, which the company has announced it will offer to current users of any brand of insulin pump that is still under warranty.)
While Medtronic's offer to the 30,000 to 35,000 Deltec users can be seen as an astute marketing move in a highly competitive market, it will probably invite special offers from the company's chief rivals, Insulet and Animas.
Diabetes Investor publisher David Kliff is skeptical that Medtronic's offer of a reconditioned pump will be all that appealing. "Leave it to Medtronic to offer Deltec patients a recertified-a fancy term for a used pump-rather than a brand new insulin pump," he told his subscribers recently.
He thinks that may leave the door open for Medtronic's rivals to offer free pumps or personal diabetes managers-a costly move upfront but one that could pay off handsomely down the road as pumping and monitoring technology advances and the number of people with diabetes swells.
Arden Hills, Minneapolis-based Smiths Medical, a subsidiary of the British conglomerate Smiths Group, suffered from both a lack of diabetes-related products that it could offer to complement the Deltec pump, and the need to compete against larger rivals, including Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson.
Categories: Diabetes, Diabetes, Infusion Sets, Insulin, Insulin Pumps, Professional Issues
You May Also Be Interested In...
-
Diabetes Health
Diabetes Health is the essential resource for people living with diabetes- both newly diagnosed and experienced as well as the professionals who care for them. We provide balanced expert news and information on living healthfully with diabetes. Each issue includes cutting-edge editorial coverage of new products, research, treatment options, and meaningful lifestyle issues.
-
Topics
- Diabetic / Diabetes Health
- Type 1 / 1.5 Diabetes
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Blood Glucose / Sugar
- High/Low Blood Sugar / Fast Acting Glucose
- Insulin- Pumps, Pens & Syringes
- Continuous Glucose Monitors, CGM, Infusion Sets
- Type 2 Medications
- Hyperglycemia
- Hypoglycemia
Comments
Animas and Omnipod have similar deals that readers might want to check on - both deals accessible from their main company homepages.
Animas, like Medtronic, will give you a recertified pump (their Ping system) and honor your current Smiths warranty (Medtronic will only give up to two years warranty for Smiths users). Animas's deal is $900 - or $200 after a $700 pump credit for trading in your Cozmo.
And Omnipod is offering a new PDM (brand new, not recertified) and a month of pods for $49.99 (without requiring trade in of your Cozmo).
I don't understand the snide "Leave it to Medtronic . . ." comment. They don't have to do ANYTHING for these purchasers of an unsuccessful competitor's pump. If someone doesn't like or appreciate the offer, or is suspicious of an ulterior motive, then they are under no obligation to accept it. Go to another manufacturer or whatever. There's really no need to be snide though.
I am disgusted with Medtronic. When my daughter (age 9) was having trouble with the Minimed pump, I called them day after day about the pump malfunctioning. They told us repeatedly to change sites, and asserted that it must be our fault. When we went to our diabetes educator, she found out that the pump itself was shorting out from static electricity when my daughter rolled over in bed... and Minimed knew about this possible problem but was keeping this information from the public. We have been delighted with the Deltec Cozmo pump... and are saddened and angered that Medtronic seems to put the almighty dollar before their diabetic patients.
Actually, I just made the switch to Medtronic and they said they will honor the Deltec warranty (mine is 3yrs, 2mo) which is great. Also, the continuous glucose is an option as well!
since medtronics lawsuit is the reason smith will no longer be making insulin pumps I refuse to go with medtronic.
I have choosen to go with the omnipod system, but it looks like the animas ping system is great too.
I got this same information from Medtronic and thought "big deal" --Smiths Medical will continue to support their pumps until the warranty expires which quite honestly for me--that's another 3 years yet. Why should I switch (and have to pay money--that's right Medtronic's "offer" isn't free) when I already have a pump. I went with the Cosmo pump 5 years ago intead of Medtronics because everything I haeard about the Medtonic pump was not good---typical BIG company who could care less about their customer base. It's a shame Smiths Medical got out of the business but it appears it was a "business" decision (sometimes you JUST CAN'T compete-no matter how hard you try) but, I know when I'm ready to replace my current pump I'll look at the whole marketplace and not just Medtronic (although my doctors' office will "push them")--wonder how much "kickback" they're getting.
Glad to see that someone gave the other companies story, too. Animas and Omnipod are also covering, so like Medtronic to want a pat on the back!
I was traveling between 2 addresses for health care and I received a voice-mail from Smith's that my Cozmonitor system (Cozmo pump with Freestyle meter module on the back that communicate by an infrared connection) was out of warrantee before I read the letter informing me they were discontinuing my pump. After 43 years, I have developed Hypoglycemia Unawareness, and am reactive to tiny (0.01units) of insulin, and I love my current equipment! I had switched from Medtronic years ago. I feel very disappointed. And I finally got all my supply ordering systems working properly after several years of stress. Nobody asked ME if I wanted to deal with this. I called Freestyle and was told they haven't set up a similar system with any other pump company.
How's this for more excitement in a diabetic life: if I keep using this pump and my paid-for supplies, one day it won't work anymore and I will be STUCK!.... literally, will have to return to injections (huh?how?) until I can arrange something new through Medicare.
Add your comments about this article below. You can add comments as a registered user or anonymously. If you choose to post anonymously your comments will be sent to our moderator for approval before they appear on this page. If you choose to post as a registered user your comments will appear instantly.
When voicing your views via the comment feature, please respect the Diabetes Health community by refraining from comments that could be considered offensive to other people. Diabetes Health reserves the right to remove comments when necessary to maintain the cordial voice of the diabetes community.
For your privacy and protection, we ask that you do not include personal details such as address or telephone number in any comments posted.
Don't have your Diabetes Health Username? Register now and add your comments to all our content.
Register...
Register your Diabetes Health Username here.
Have Your Say...