How much does an insulin pump cost?

This is one of the great mysteries of life.

It's up there with "How much does a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed cost?" For those of you not of a certain age, the Craftmatic Adjustable Bed would be advertised on television, with "discounts of up to $500" without letting you know what the original price was. Listeners were encouraged to call a phone number on the screen to arrange for a representative to come visit your home to discuss your options, with no obligation to you. Ummm... sounds like predators working over the elderly, doesn't it?

Well, I can't help but feel that way about insulin pumps.

When I check websites for pump information, I am greeted with helpful tidbits like , "trade in your old pump and earn a $300 discount."

Hmmm. If they can offer $300 for an old pump, these things must be pretty pricey, right?

Right.

I asked one of my students, who has been on the pump for years, and recommends it. He told me that WITH insurance, his pump cost about $7,000.

$7,000?!

I have just finished paying off M's braces, to the tune of $7,500. I have a child in college, which is costing me $1,600 per month. We can barley afford to drive to work at this rate!

I figured, this kid, he's really nice, but not necessarily the most on top of it. He must be mistaken. So I keep looking. Yahoo answers gives me a range of zero dollars to $8,000. Diabetes blood sugar solutions tells me that in 2008, it probably cost about $6,500. Everyone points out that in addition to the pump, one must pay for supplies. These supplies cost as much as the supplies for using needles, so all things being equal, your only additional cost is the pump, which costs about the same as a decent motorcycle.

With the economy as a convenient excuse, my husband's company is offering less and less coverage in their insurance packages. Even as we pay for the most thorough coverage they offer, I can only assume that Durable Medical Devices will fall under the category of items no longer covered or 20% covered, still leaving me with about $5,600 to come up with.

Long story short, I will need to talk to the social worker at the hospital to see if having a pump is a viable choice for my daughter, which is what all of these online resources tell me to do, anyway.

I had hoped to have a better idea of what I could be in for; I didn't want to talk to anyone official unless I was pretty sure that I could tell my daughter that she had a choice. At this point, I can't say for sure that she has one.

I loved one comment that was made about the insulin pump: "It cost $8,000, but it is worth it!" I am sure that's true.

If you have $8,000.