670G

[notme 2,915]

So I heard from a little bird the 670g is coming out this month. I also heard it will be a GREAT improvement on the 630g. I honestly can't wait.

 

I really dislike this 630g.

[macksvicky 17,201]

I hope it comes out soon and works as well as you heard

[don1942 279]

I called Medtronic to confirm that my 630 was registered for replacement and was advised yes and that I would receive the 670 within 90 days.

[notme 2,915]

I should call also Don. Thanks for the heads up. I despise the 630g. What a nagging pump.

[Tony 680]

I just called to see if I'm eligible to upgrade from the 530g. Call volume must be high right now. I was on hold for about ten minutes then I was prompt to call back at another time or leave a message. 

[notme 2,915]

Ugh...... I think they are swamped with calls. I called my rep today and he was on a national call for rollout. I never heard back either. My endo said that from the feedback he got from people who were the trial guinea pigs said the pump is life changing.

 

I am praying it is all true. I was ready to go back to my 530g.

[Tony 680]

I thought the 530g was annoying from the 522, the 630g is even worse? 

[notme 2,915]

A lot worse. The 630g is a button pushing nightmare. Just to do a bolus wizard bolus it takes 11 or more button pushes. Way to many nanny button pushes. The alarms are frequent. Calibrate, no bolus given, change battery, calibrate, you are low, you are still low, your blood sugar is high, you are still high, calibrate, if you don't calibrate soon I won't be connected, you have five minutes,,, I just want to toss it out the car window sometimes. It always wants something. The 670 is supposed to be a bit more auto pilot.

 

On the good side, the sensors really are accurate and they last at the very least for five days.

 

If you go to this site, and go to the second page you can ask Karrie online your questions and she answers. I had to get a replacement pump today because this one has an issue and they connected me with the pathway line and the same thing that happened to you, happened to me. I had to leave a message. I am sure I won't get a call back either.

 

Use this link and go to the second page and ask Karrie. https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/loop-blog/

[notme 2,915]

Just got an email about ordering my 670g. It appears they are making everyone pay the 299.00 pathway and then it will be refunded according to their disclaimer. We will see. Right?

 

Anyhow, no matter what the outcome maybe this new pump will get a different name than "nagging pump".

 

So this is how we get a refund.

 

[Tony 680]

I think I will wait, not that I have a choice but, I just think they are to busy taking care of everyone who is already on the 630g. Would be nice to know If I can upgrade. I wish I waited with the 530g. I was pressured into upgrading because I was out of warranty, the rep said there wasn't anything new in the works as far as she was aware of. 

[notme 2,915]

It really is frustrating how secretive Medtronic is about upcoming technology. I know they have to keep an edge on competitors but we all knew the closed loop system was coming and they always drag their feet when you ask for some type of timeline.

 

I was not told anything about the 670g when I ordered the 630g. My new 630g came in the mail in September and I refused to open the box because I got wind of the 670g being approved by the FDA a couple of days after my new pump arrived. I did not want to pay good money for already obsolete technology. At that point they assured me that we would be upgraded at no cost when the 670g came out in the Spring. The pump is being shipped but not at no cost. We have to initially come up with $299.00 that will be refunded if you jump through hoops. Nobody ever said anything about becoming part of "priority access", we we just told we would get it in the Spring because no added training was required because we were already on their new platform. Whole thing is badly rolled out. Talk about making people frustrated that something new and exciting is available but giving priority to some and not others.

 

Seems like Medtronic was caught off guard with the quick FDA approval.

[don1942 279]

I'm on Medicare and my pump equipment is processed through a subcontractor, CCS Medical Supply. Is anyone in a similar situation and aware if the process will proceed through CCS or through Medtronics directly?

[notme 2,915]

Honestly, I am not sure Don. However if I were you! I would call CCS Medical and ask. Here is the number they give for diabetes supplies.

Insulin Pump Therapy and CGM Systems

1.800.599.7521

 

My guess is that if you are already trained on the 630g then you should be able to get in the priority access line through CCS. If not, then you will probably be able to get the 670g early fall.

[notme 2,915]

My pump is being shipped tomorrow but, because of the holiday won't be here till Wednesday. What hoops!!! Once the pump ships it will generate the order for sensors and a care link. What??? Why don't they ship them together? Probably afraid we will figure it out in our own without training. My trainer goes on vacation and won't be back until the 17th. What the heck. We have a family friend that works for Metro in as a rep. I am going to call him and ask him if he will get me up and running.

 

I only have two expired sensors left. I didn't order new ones because it would have held up my new pump. So when this sucker ships tomorrow, I will call Medtronic and ask for some "emergency" sensors till this all gets sorted out.

[notme 2,915]

So someone just asked the question about pumps that are still in warranty and the pathway program to upgrading to the 670g.  Here is the answer she gave:

 

"

Karrie Hawbaker

 

Justin, the cost to upgrade to the MiniMed 670G insulin pump would be $3,500. After returning your MiniMed 530G insulin pump, you’d be eligible for a $400 exchange, leaving the total out-of-pocket cost at $3,100."

[Tony 680]

1 hour ago, notme said:

So someone just asked the question about pumps that are still in warranty and the pathway program to upgrading to the 670g.  Here is the answer she gave:

 

"

Karrie Hawbaker

 

Justin, the cost to upgrade to the MiniMed 670G insulin pump would be $3,500. After returning your MiniMed 530G insulin pump, you’d be eligible for a $400 exchange, leaving the total out-of-pocket cost at $3,100."

That's crazy I guess I'll have to wait till my warranties up. That's kind of outrageous to pay out of pocket. Wow. I was thinking maybe be a 1,000

[notme 2,915]

It is outrageous.  The whole roll out of this pump has been absurd.  I am in the process of hooking it up myself without training.  I have no enlite sensors left because they won't let you have a few until you get training.  So, I will hook this sucker up and then get the training for the auto mode when they have all had their vacations.  

[Tony 680]

Someone had told me they will not be shipping out sensors until October.

[notme 2,915]

I have heard there are back orders on enlite sensors.  However, I got three boxes of Guardian sensors already.  

 

I hooked up the pump yesterday.  Of course I messed up the first sensor by being below 40 and trying to calibrate.  Note to self, doesn't work.  This new sensor is working better and I really like the suspend before low function.  The 630g had suspend at low and it was a pain.  It started a train of roller coaster blood sugars.  Suspend before low can be set not to alert you.  I actually like that.  You have time to recover before it starts nagging.  

 

I have not not hooked up the auto mode yet.  They make you wait a week to have the pump start to get to know your patterns before you go auto.  

[don1942 279]

I called today to confirm my approval for the upgrade. I was advised that they did not have a record of my new 630 sensor/transmitter being sent. Two months ago , I disconnected my transmitter and gave them the sn# and although they have a record of the number, they still hadn't confirmed that it had been sent to my by my Medicare subcontractor.

 

Today, I disconnected it again and confirmed the SN# and was advised that the operations department will now work on confirming the shipment. How long will this take? No idea

[notme 2,915]

Oh Don,  I am so sorry.  You should not have to disconnect your sensor to give them the sn#.  I hope you wrote it down so that doesn't happen again.  The turn around time on everything right now seems to be three times what things normally take.  But, so far I would say this pump is worth the fight.  At least for me it is.  I would keep calling them daily until you get an answer.  Don't sit and wait because they are just so busy they will forget you.  

 

I am am still not hooked up to the "auto mode" because the pump is still learning me.  Each time you change a basal setting it takes 48 hours, I believe, before you can go full auto again.  But, even in Manual mode this pump is amazing.  It takes an immense amount of trust in technology to let it run and not try to correct or fix things yourself.  Right now I am using a function called "suspend before low". The pump senses when you are heading to a low and shuts itself off.  I am not supposed to treat the low with food.  Just let the pump do its thing.  I have it set so it senses when I am going low and it shuts my basal rate down until it goes back up to my acceptable range.  Wow!!!! No more unnecessary calories or snacks.  I like that!  

 

Once i I am in Auto mode, it will give insulin as needed when I hit my preset threshold for highs.  I am stoked.  

 

There re are still an immense amount of button pushes but I have learned what I need an alarm for and what I don't.  

 

So far, so good.  

[don1942 279]

Medtronic called today to advise that they have confirmed the shipment of my transmitter and that I am back on track for the upgrade but no delivery date has been set.

 

We shall see.

 

 

[notme 2,915]

Well, here is the latest update on the 670g.  

 

It it takes a lot of work!!!  I have been eating a very very restricted diet trying to get this pump to work for me.  I have been working with another trainer and we finally both are at a loss.  I wake up in the morning and the pump shuts off auto mode because it has been giving me the minimum basal rate allowed for over 90 minutes.  Then as soon as I wake up and have one foot on the ground my blood sugar rises and doesn't stop.  The pump can't keep up with the high blood sugar. 

 

Now that hat being said, I keep a pretty tight rein on how high I am content with during the day.  The pump only corrects at 150 and it's goal is 120.  Neither number is good for me.  Not changeable.  So I am constantly drifting between 140's to 250's depending on exercise.  The temp basal for exercise does not work for me.  

 

In desperation, I am back in manual mode trying to teach the pump once again.  One of us is a slow learner.  

 

In manual mode my blood sugar has been beyond stable.  It shuts off before low and I haven't been higher than 126 all day.  We will see.   

 

Needless to say, Medtronic help line and trainers are frustrated.  Me too.