[bdcravens]

I had an X2 (and before that, a couple of Minimed pumps), then I switched to the Omnipod. The Omnipod is a disposable pump you swap out every 3 days, so less of an issue.

However every time I've gotten a new pump, the diabetes educators always instruct you to have a backup plan, whether that's your insulin vial you may have already brought (even non-disposable pumps require you to swap out the reservoir every 3 days, so you should have insulin with you) along with old-school injection needles, or an insulin pen with needle tips.

[cadr]

Omnipod for the win. But, yeah, I have a bunch of disposable needles in my kit as a backup.

Even so, travel is stressful. My carry on is full of backup pods/sensors. But now that my insurance is being annoying and only filling a month at a time, I don't always have an extra...

[bdcravens]

I'm fortunate to have the income to support buying backups when I had insurance issues. During the Dexcom G6/G7 switchover and the switch to the Omnipod, I had just filled a bunch of G7s but the Omnipod didn't support it yet, so I ended up having to buy G6s out of pocket. Even with coupons from the manufacturer, it was still costing me $200/month.

[officialchicken]

When I lived there (or visit family), a Costco Gold card and store pharmacy visit can help a lot - it was around $150/mo for G6 last September. I'll switch over to G7 some time this summer. The Costco plan more than pays for itself using the built-in rewards program and rx discounts if you're paying out-of-pocket.

[Trasmatta]

Also on the Omnipod, and I also always travel with both extra pods AND extra insulin pens (basal and bolus insulin). That way I can switch back to MDI if for whatever reason my pods fail or I can't use them.