The Vibe is approved.
I say “Finally!” but I say that with excitement not grouchiness.
Kerri of Six Until Me has a sponsorship relationship with Animas and shared the news this morning on Facebook. Rather than have me repeat her words, check out her blogpost here.
I will definitely upgrade to the Vibe once I learn the details of the ezAccess Upgrade Program. When I purchased my Ping two years ago, I was guaranteed a $99 upgrade fee to the Vibe when it was released. I didn’t think that this pump/Dexcom combo would take so long to come to market and I might have purchased a different pump had I known the wait was going to be so long. On the other hand, I don’t know what pump I would have purchased instead and I am glad today to have the option of ordering the Vibe.
Although I am not as excited about the Vibe release as I would have been a year ago, there is no risk for me to upgrade. I previously wrote that the Vibe will not have the recent Dexcom software upgrade. I have also worried that the small Dexcom screen might not be big enough to show my Dexcom graph clearly and I am concerned about the difficulty of seeing the Vibe screen in the sunlight. The Dex receiver doesn’t perform well in the sunlight either, so that is probably a toss-up. If I don’t like how the Vibe works with my Dexcom, I can just disable it on the pump and go back to using my receiver. Or my understanding is that I can use both devices simultaneously. So no risk.
The Vibe will also get rid of my biggest dislike of the Ping because the recommended bolus will self-populate rather than make me scroll up to it from zero. Huge improvement! People who use the remote meter with their Ping may have to thing twice about upgrading to the Vibe because my understanding is that the new pump will not have this feature. I do not use the remote so that is a non-issue for me.
As you know, I have been one of many people working to have Medicare approve CGMS for seniors. If that does not happen by the time I get to Medicare, the Vibe eliminates the need for a CGM receiver and that will save me money. However, I don’t think it is known whether the Vibe will be covered by Medicare and the ezAccess Upgrade Program brochure states that “Medicare patients are not eligible for ezAccess.” Because I am still using private insurance and my Ping is in warranty, I am eligible at this time and I can wait to see how it plays out with Medicare.
So this is an exciting day and I look forward to my upgrade to the Animas Vibe. Although I struggled with the Medtronic Sofsensors, I really liked my years of having my CGM integrated with my pump. I like having one less thing to carry. And I like having my CGM attached to me with the tubing of my pump. I have never permanently lost my Dex receiver, but I always worry about it. I also like that my cgm receiver will be integrated in a waterproof pump.
Click here to read the news release. It indicates that the pump will start shipping in January 2015. Once again, thanks to Kerri for sharing this link on Facebook:-)
I was able to order my Vibe this morning by calling the Animas number 1-877-937-7867 and pressing Option 3. I spoke briefly with one agent and was then transferred to another representative who helped me with the upgrade. Just so you know, I will actually be charged $799 for the upgrade and receive a $700 credit when my Ping is returned. So the final cost of the upgrade is $99. For fun and excitement, I ordered my Vibe in blue.
Test Guess and Go 
“the recommended bolus will self-populate” <–HUGE boon & I had no idea.
We can almost definitely use the pump screen and the receiver screen simultaneously. I mean, I've used two receivers simultaneously w. one transmitter so…
You've got me excited!
nice summary. where did that last quote in the gray box about ordering/getting the upgrade come from? everywhere else I’ve looked has said they don’t have any information about an upgrade program yet.
After I published the post, I read on Facebook that a couple of people had ordered their Vibes. So I called the Animas number and kind of ignored the prompts. Here are the instructions I gave to someone else on Facebook. It’s possible that Animas might have changed their menu by now. “I just ordered mine! Just call Animas at 1-877-937-7867 and select Option 3. Then select the option for getting info for a new Ping (Option 2 if I remember correctly). They’ll transfer you to someone to help with the Vibe upgrade. You will actually have to pay $799 when the pump is shipped and you’ll get $700 back when your Ping is returned.”
great, thanks!
Congratulations to everyone south of the border! I’m from Canada and I have been using my Vibe for 1 week now. It’s my first pump so I can’t compare it to any others, but I do like the integrated pump and CGM. My daughter also has one, but she’s only using it as a Dexcom receiver for now. She’s starting to use it as a pump in January.
I am very excited that the Vibe has been released in the US and we can try to catch up with Canada. I live in Minnesota and hope that if Quebec breaks away from Canada that you’ll accept MN as a new province!
I’m not going to able to join you in this upgrade but I know I always enjoy getting new D-gear. It kind of re-energizes my motivation to produce in-range smooth numbers. Enjoy!
Hi Laddie … thanks for the detailed info. I used to bang on pump manufacturers for CGM integration … until I heard the Asante Snap product architect discuss it. The stats show that people only pull out their pumps a few times a day, to bolus or temp. However they do look at their CGM receiver upwards of 30 times/day. So while only having one device is cool, I don’t think I want to keep pulling out my pump to see. Also, it locks the Ping into the now-outdated s/w version of the G4. So unless they are able to upgrade (as I hear the G6 is in the works), you will have old technology automatically. That bothers me.
My money’s on the ones who believe that our data is ours … and will allow us to see all our data on our cell phones or smart watches … devices that I use way more often. I’m closely watching Tidepool … their product, BLIP, is close … and they are working with pump companies except Medtronic and Animas. I think Medtronic and Animas limit our choices … I’m not in favor of that.
I’m using the Asante Snap and really liking it … and its corporate philosophy to integrate in the cloud, with the latest technology, not outdated stuff.
It’s really a wild industry now … and who knows, we may all have beta cell implants sooner than later … or smart insulins, eliminating the need for any of these other devices!
The Snap was not an option when I selected my Ping and I would definitely consider it today. I will purchase my next pump 4 months before I go on Medicare. Do you know if the Snap is covered by Medicare? Right now going to the Vibe is an easy decision because my choice is to stay on the Ping or go on the Vibe. If I don’t like the CGM on the Vibe, I can just start using my receiver again or even use both. I suspect that in two years, my decision will definitely be more complex.
Thanks for sharing your opinions:-)
The Medicare issue is complicated and ridiculous, as you know. No CGM is covered, neither is Omnipod or Snap, since CMS relies on their definitions of pumps and bg testing on their determination/rulings which are over 10 years old. I truly do believe that they will have to adapt … and certainly hopefully within the next 2 years. Wishing you happiness with the Vibe … let us know!