How many bureaucrats does it take to order an insulin pump?

I'm dizzy in the head from all the waiting music and bureaucratic bulldoodie. I don't even know what is happening.

On Dec. 6, I met with a pump specialist at the diabetes clinic. I chose a pump. The specialist called my the following Monday to let me know she had acquired the appropriate approval from my endocrinologist and would start the process of ordering the pump.

That's where efficiency, bedside manner, and personalization end, and the order enters the underworld of insurance bureaucracy.

Here's the information I have: MedEQUIP is the University of Michigan's medical equipment one-stop shop. They process and ship all of my diabetes supplies: test strips, sensors, lancets, etc... They apparently receive the pump order and collect the necessary paperwork to push it through to the manufacturer. It's now Jan. 15. As far as I can tell, not much has happened. There's one woman who deals with diabetes durable medical equipment orders, and she is NEVER available. She is very good and knows her stuff, but it's just really difficult to reach her. We've played phone tag a number of times, and finally she left a voicemail asking me to verify my address. I did so, and settled back into trying to wait patiently.

I called MedEQUIP this morning, and they told me that the order was placed today (well, yesterday, but too late to count). They went through the order and told me that it is now being sent to the manufacturer (OmniPod).

However, when I called OmniPod, they said they have no record or any order being placed. They told me that they deal with another company called J & B Medical Supply. They also said that there is no need to go through MedEQUIP; I can just get all the paperwork myself and go through them (OmniPod) or J & B Medical Supply.

I tried calling J & B Medical Supply, but they didn't answer after around 10 minutes holding.

I called MedEQUIP back. They have now revised to tell me that actually the order does go through J & B Medical Supply. I'm scratching my head...

While I was talking with someone in the orders department, she got a call from the one woman who deals with diabetes orders, and finally I'm patched through to her.

She explained that she had to wait for approval from the doctor to change the test strip order (change of test strip brand because the pump uses another brand for its built-in meter). The doctor approved the change, and the order is rolling again. She said that the order for the pump does indeed get processed through J & B Medical Medical Supply "because of how the contract is set up."

The pump is on its way, she assures me. J & B Medical has the inventory on hand, and will ship it out right away.

So, how many bureaucrats does it take to order an insulin pump? Well, at least I can actually get an insulin pump. Pre-ObamaCare, after I was repeatedly and categorically denied coverage because of my pre-existing condition, after I went crying to the county-level social services and begged them to put me on their plan for people who fall through the cracks, after I got to see a primary care physician--not even an endocrinologist--for 15 minutes and not a second longer, after I was denied coverage for an insulin pump because it was considered "experimental" under this coverage despite being a long staid in medical treatment, I am HAPPY to wade through the bureaucracy for my quality-of-life improving insulin delivery system.