Diabetes insulin pumps for children

Diabetes: Health insurance companies reimburse insulin pumps for children

25/09/2011

In type II diabetes, children are more likely to receive an insulin pump from the statutory health insurance than adults. This reported Professor Andreas Neu in the current issue of "Diabetes Guide".

A diabetes insulin pump can make the dosage of insulin amount simpler, as Professor dr. Andreas Neu, spokesman of the Association for Pediatric Diabetology in an interview with „Diabetes Guide“ emphasized. Children usually need less of the drug than adults. With a pen, small amounts of insulin can be dosed insufficiently. This could cause the blood glucose levels to fluctuate. Instead of using a pen, parents should better handle a pump, so the recommendation. The everyday life of the child could be made much easier. „If the child wants to eat something, the parents or carers do not have to inject, but only press the button“, said new.

But the application for such a pump at the health insurance sometimes turns out to be difficult. According to the expert, the Barmer GEK and the BKK für Heilberufe have since March 2010 simplified the application for the pump for children. If the children are under the age of six, a letter from the pediatric diabetologist will be sufficient to certify that he considers pumping therapy to be necessary. This recommendation also applies to children under the age of twelve who require less than 10 units of insulin daily, as the Head of the Diabetes Outpatient Department at the University Children's Hospital Tübingen explained. Most health insurance funds are now based on the approach of Barmer GEK. „I have never seen in children that the cash register has rejected a pump“, said new. (Sb)

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