Mitigating Airport Security With An Insulin Pump
Have you been through airport security with your insulin pump only to come into contact with an agent who has no idea what it is? I feel lucky anytime an agent recognizes what my insulin pump is, but even when they know it is related to diabetes, they still do not always understand how important it is, and that an error or malfunction of my pump could mean a medical emergency. I wear a Medtronic pump and the guidance says, “You need to remove your insulin pump and CGM (sensor and transmitter) while going through an airport body scanner. If you do not wish to remove your devices, you may request an alternative pat-down screening process.” To be honest, I have had so many arguments with airport agents that I have gone through the machine with my pump on, even though I know it’s dangerous. And I’ve heard stories from others, like Michael Aviad, whose Medtronic pump stopped working after airport security sent it through the scanner. That’s why diabetes mom Rachel Humphrey’s campaign around insulin pumps and airport security is so important. Twelve months ago Rachel Humphrey wrote an Open Letter to Dubai Airport after she was held in an airport police room for two hours because of her son’s insulin pump. Despite having all the correct documentation and information, the airport security insisted that the insulin pump, an Animas Vibe, go through the X-ray machine. A travel document on the Animas website states clearly, “Your pump should not go through the X-ray screening that is used for carry-on or checked luggage.” Only after several hours and a visit to the Airport Medical Center where a doctor confirmed that the pump couldn’t go through the machine, were they allowed to proceed. This experience and poor treatment led Rachel to launch a petition and camp Continue reading >>
- Traveling through airport security with diabetes devices (with or without #OpenAPS)
- Tackling Travel with Diabetes: Airport & Plane Food Secrets
- Relative effectiveness of insulin pump treatment over multiple daily injections and structured education during flexible intensive insulin treatment for type 1 diabetes: cluster randomised trial (REPOSE)
Flying With Devices: How To Make It Easier
This piece is written by Alexandra Root, student at Boston College and an intern in the Joslin Communications department. This article was originally psoted on February 7, 2014. “It’s my insulin pump, I’m a Type 1 Diabetic”. Seventeen years after my initial diagnoses at just three years old, I hear myself uttering similar words to the ones my parents once used when I was dependent on them for getting through airport security. Now twenty and left to my own devices, I allow myself to be lead over to a sectioned off area for yet another full body pat down. Some onlookers stare at the poor, unfortunate girl who must endure the extra attention from TSA. Little do they know, the small device that set off the metal detector, and subsequently gained looks from all of airport security, is the small device that is keeping me alive. I love traveling, and since I was young I have been doing so with family and friends. However, whether it’s a quick flight to visit my grandparents in Florida or an overseas excursion, I have always struggled with this aspect of traveling. Each time I set foot in an airport, I go through a bit of a routine: I ignore the warnings from all members of the TSA and posted signs that say remove everything metal and proceed into said metal detectors without saying anything about my insulin pump. The scanner, this intuitive piece of technology, ultimately exposes what I have hidden in my left pocket. The glaring box planted over my pocket on the scan from the metal detector will reveal what I knew was coming all along. From there, I am whisked away by TSA to comply with the security procedure. For me, a girl who wants to see as much of the world as possible, this seems like an unavoidable part of travel because of my insulin pump. My stories of awkwa Continue reading >>
How To Get Through Tsa With These 5 Diabetes Devices
Whether it is for business or pleasure, you have to pass through security before boarding your flight. The TSA allows for diabetes-related supplies, equipment and medication—including liquids—through the checkpoint once they have been properly screened by X-ray or hand inspection. If possible, pack all your supplies together in your carry-on bag so you have everything on hand. Before your screening begins, inform the officer conducting the screening about any supplies on you or in your carry-on. Here’s how you can fly through TSA with these 5 diabetes devices! 1. Insulin Pump/Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Taking an insulin pump through airport security is quite common, but it’s always a good idea to carry the Airport Information Card when traveling. You may go through the airport metal detector with your insulin pump and CGM, as these devices are designed to withstand common electromagnetic interference. However, we do not recommend going through an airport body scanner with your pump and CGM, as Medtronic has not determined advanced imaging technology to be safe for insulin pump or CGM devices. If you do go through an airport body scanner, be sure to remove your insulin pump and CGM, but do not send your devices through the x-ray machine as an alternative. If you do not wish to remove your devices, explain to the officer that you cannot remove the insulin pump as it is under your skin with a needle, and request an alternative pat-down screening process. 2. Insulin Delivery Devices Be sure to have proof a physician prescribed your insulin and needles by providing a professional, pre-printed pharmaceutical label identifying the medication. Travel with your original insulin box and glucose meter that shows the pharmaceutical label. You will need these items in Continue reading >>
Traveling Through Airport Security With Diabetes Devices (with Or Without #openaps)
tl;dr: Put your #OpenAPS or other artificial pancreas rigs through the x-ray machine; it’s a small computer and a battery. — I travel quite a bit these days, so it’s pretty routine for me to pack up my diabetes gear and backup supplies and whisk away to the airport and the next adventure. In fact, in 2016 I think I went through airport security 44+ times, in several countries. I have never had any issues with my #OpenAPS (DIY hybrid closed loop artificial pancreas) rigs – even when I carry multiples. Here are some tips on what gear should be put where, who should be told what during the security process, and how to further simplify (as much as is possible with diabetes!) the airport security experience when traveling with diabetes. 6 little pancreases went to the airport & had no problems in security, as usual. #OpenAPS #emergencybackuppancreases pic.twitter.com/eFfYru2Ivt — Dana #hcsm #OpenAPS (@danamlewis) February 14, 2017 A list of diabetes gear you’re probably packing for your trip: BG meter Test strips Lancet(s) Pump sites Reservoirs CGM sensors CGM receiver Tape for sites/sensors Syringes as back up Anti-nausea meds Depending on the length of your trip, backup pump/transmitter/meter/receiver/etc. Snacks Extra batteries to power your phone for uploading BGs (Uploader phone if you’re still using an uploader to Nightscout) Artificial pancreas rig (i.e. #OpenAPS rig, whether that’s a Raspberry Pi or Explorer Board setup, or a Rileylink) Insulin Extra insulin Juice for lows Out of that list? Here are the only things I would pull out of your bag. Insulin/extra insulin* Juice for lows** Everything else (yes, including your CGM receiver; yes, including your pancreas rigs) can stay in your bag and go through the x-ray. *If you have a single bottle of insul Continue reading >>
Is Your Insulin Pump At Risk With Tsa Policy Change?
Is Your Insulin Pump at Risk with TSA Policy Change? Posted by MJ on Travel | Dec 23, 2015 | 5 Yesterday, Wandering Aramean posted about a change to TSAs longstanding policy on opting out of Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) scanning at the airport. Some travelers opt out of AIT screening for principled reasons and some opt out because they really think the machine increases cancer risk. Others, like myself, opt out because they wear an insulin pump. Some time ago I wrote a post about traveling with an insulin pump and opting out. Its never been a real problem. However, lets take a look at the most recent policy change on AIT scanning with a specific focus on this: TSA is updating the AIT PIA to reflect a change to the operating protocol regarding the ability of individuals to opt out of AIT screening in favor of physical screening. While passengers may generally decline AIT screening in favor of physical screening, TSA may direct mandatory AIT screening for some passengers as warranted by security considerations in order to safeguard transportation security. (emphasis mine) I am not particularly afraid of AIT scanning. I could care less about privacy concerns. I do care about this information from the manufacturer of my insulin pump: Ive had more TSA agents than I can count tell me that the scanners will not harm my insulin pump while the manufacturer maintains otherwise. Further, news articles like this one and others lead me to believe that playing it safe by continuing to opt outof AIT screening is the best option. I normally get PreCheck, and just pass through a metal detector, but sometimes Im randomly selected for additional screening and directed to an AIT scanner which I politely opt out of. Will I continue to be able to do so? I dont really know, but this is Continue reading >>
Teen Blames Tsa For Broken Insulin Pump
Sixteen-year-old Savannah Barry said her $10,000 insulin pump was broken because she was coerced into going through a full-body scan at the airport. The incident occurred during a security screening at the Salt Lake City airport, when she was returning to Denver from a school trip. "Its unacceptable and I dont want other people to feel the way that I felt. I was humiliated, absolutely humiliated," said Savannah. Savannah said she approached a TSA agent with a letter from her physician in hand. That letter explained her special medical needs while traveling by air. She said she pointed out her insulin pump and the TSA agent directed her to the full body scan. "I was like, 'Are you sure that I can go through with this insulin pump? Its not going to hurt the pump at all?' And she was like, No, no, youre fine. So I went through with my pump. Some part of me knew that it wasnt OK, but when someone in a position of authority is telling you it is, you think that its right, said Barry. The teen was ushered through the scan, but said she still had to go through a full body pat-down because of fruit juice she had to control blood-sugar levels. "At that point I was really frustrated because what I really wanted was the pat-down in the first place," said Barry. "When they saw her juice, they panicked and they didnt know what to do. A diabetic is going to need a source of sugar, preferably liquid. I can assure you shes not going to blow up a 737 with an insulin pump and three Capri Sun Juice(s)," said Savannah's mother, Sandra Barry. As soon as she finished with her security screening, Savannah said she felt something was wrong. She called her mother, who called the maker of the insulin pump, Animas. "They said shes got to take that pump off as soon as she lands. And my heart just s Continue reading >>
Insulin Pumps
Please notify the TSA officer that you have diabetes and are carrying your supplies with you. Insulin pumps and supplies must be accompanied by insulin, and insulin in any form or dispenser must be clearly identified. Continue reading >>
Q&a With Katharine Gordon: Tsa Diabetes Policy
Q&A With Katharine Gordon: TSA Diabetes Policy This article was first posted on Feb. 5. 2014 Katharine Gordon is Director of the American Diabetes Associations Legal Advocate Program. This program provides assistance and information to people experiencing discrimination because of diabetes in schools, the workplace, jails and prisons, and other areas of daily life. Getting through airport security with diabetes can be a pain. Katharine Gordon, Director of the Legal Advocate Program at the American Diabetes Association, works with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to make it a little easier, safer, and more pleasant for all involved. What do you do as a Legal Advocate for the ADA who works with the TSA? Since the TSAs founding [in 2001], the American Diabetes Association has been in communication with TSA because diabetes in particular really does affect airport security screening, where youre bringing on sharp objects, youre bringing liquids, you have devices that might not be familiar. So we, from the very beginning, recognized a need to be in communication with TSA. TSA actually has a disability coalition, which is a large group of people from many different disease and disability groups. We have an annual conference and quarterly phone calls, so we have regular channels of communication. One of the things that we work on is alerting TSA staff to problems, for example, if were starting to hear multiple stories about a certain airport, we would want to approach them about that. In terms of individual assistance, we ask people to go through the TSA Office for Civil Rights (OCR) complaint process, which can often, at a minimum, lead to the retraining of employees who havent followed the procedures, or who havent treated travelers with respect and dignity. Continue reading >>
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Tsa Travel Tips: Travelers With Diabetes Or Other Medical Conditions
If you are being treated for diabetes or some other medical condition and have concerns about TSA’s screening process, please contact the TSA Cares Helpline. Travelers or families of passengers with disabilities and medical conditions can call the helpline toll free 855-787-2227, prior to traveling with any questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. Helpful information for diabetic travelers: Diabetes related supplies, equipment, and medication, including liquids, are allowed through the checkpoint once they have been screened. Passengers should declare these items and separate them from other belongings before screening begins. Accessories required to keep medically necessary liquids, gels, and aerosols cool are permitted through the screening checkpoint and may be subject to additional screening. Liquids, gels, and aerosols are screened by X-ray and medically necessary items over 3.4 ounces will receive additional screening. A passenger could be asked to open the liquid or gel for additional screening. The TSA officer will not touch the liquid or gel during this process. If the passenger does not want a liquid, gel, or aerosol X-rayed or opened for additional screening, he or she should inform the officer before screening begins. Additional screening of the passenger and his or her property may be required, which may include a pat-down. You have the option of requesting a visual inspection of your insulin and diabetes associated supplies. Passengers who have insulin pumps can be screened using imaging technology, metal detector, or a thorough pat-down. A passenger can request to be screened by pat-down in lieu of imaging technology. Screening can be conducted without disconnecting from the pump. However, it is impor Continue reading >>
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Traveling With An Insulin Pump
When I first started on insulin pump therapy last year, I was given an overload of information in the space of a day and a half. At the time, I was still trying to get my head around the strange new device that was attached to me. I took all of the information packets away with me and tucked them into my diabetes file at home. However it wasn’t until I embarked on my first flight with an insulin pump earlier this year, that I began to consider some of that information in more depth. Going Through Airport Security An insulin pump is a life sustaining medical device and I was told that under no circumstances was I to remove it or send it through the x-ray scanner. I updated the travel letter from my doctor shortly after I began pumping. I also carry a wallet card from my pump manufacturer. Expecting to set an alarm off, I informed the staff that I was wearing a pump as I approached airport security. On both occasions I was asked to remove my shoes, yet surprisingly the pump itself did not set off any alarms! My Animas Vibe is fine to pass walk through or wand. Check with your pump manufacturer if you are unsure, as you may need to opt for a pat down instead. Disconnecting During Take Off and Landing My diabetes educator told me that I might want to consider disconnecting my pump line when flying. The changes in air pressure during take off and landing could cause the pump to deliver a tiny spurt of extra insulin. This was, however, a personal preference. This issue initially harmed a child some years ago. Since pediatric insulin needs are significantly lower than adults, the extra insulin delivery likely had a far greater potency on the child than it would on an adult. I can’t say that I felt overly anxious about being harmed by my pump. However, I am a bit of a perfe Continue reading >>
Airport Security: People With Diabetes Deserve Better
Airport Security: People with Diabetes Deserve Better As airport security has become more intrusive, it has increasingly caused inappropriate inconveniences to people living with diabetes. Although the official guidelines are reasonable, they are not evenly followed in practice. Members of the diabetes community are circulating a petition to standardize TSA screenings with a goal of 100,000 signatures by May 2nd. When Dana Heffern recently traveled to Italy, she was more than prepared to protect the safety of her insulin pump with both knowledge and a doctors letter. Prior experiences had made her apprehensive: she had once been asked to store her insulin with the suitcases where extreme cold or hot temperatures could have destroyed it. After receiving a letter from DexCom in September 2012, explaining that her continuous glucose monitor should not be taken through the millimeter wave scanner (the plexi-glass X-ray box we now see in many airport security stations), she was rightly concerned. She had just recently gone through one of those devices with her insulin pump. I will not disconnect myself from the one thing that keeps me alive, Dana said, explaining why she refuses to disconnect from her pump and put it through the standard x-ray bed but, as the TSA.gov explains, this is a completely legal request on Danas part. I remember asking the security officials, Are you sure I can go through that thing [the millimeter wave scanner]? I am a type 1 diabetic and Im wearing an insulin pump. The TSA agent assured her it was fine and hurried her through the machine. After telling her healthcare team about the experience, she was informed that any body scanner uses X-ray technology, and therefore, is potentially harmful to any pumper. Dana then went to nearest airport and ask Continue reading >>
- Traveling through airport security with diabetes devices (with or without #OpenAPS)
- Tackling Travel with Diabetes: Airport & Plane Food Secrets
- American Diabetes Association® Releases 2018 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, with Notable New Recommendations for People with Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes
12/2/2013 A Message For Travelers With Insulin Pumps: Call “tsa Cares” For Help
We have Karen Anderson Hoffman, a Brooklyn mother of two and a patient at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, to thank for this good news (to some degree) story about traveling with an insulin pump—especially if you’re planning to fly over the holiday season. Karen told us about a Helpline (855-787-2227) and a program from the Transportation Security Administration called TSA CARES that escorts people with disabilities (including people with type 1 diabetes who wear insulin pumps) through airport security. When we last left this issue, there was sometimes confusion and even conflict at checkpoints between TSA agents who were telling travelers that it was fine to go through airport security wearing an insulin pump—and people with insulin pumps who were being warned by manufacturers that their devises could possibly malfunction after going through an x-ray machine, MRI or body scanner. “They treated us like criminals,” said Karen, remembering one trip in particular, when she was separated from all of her personal belongings (that went through an x-ray machine and remained unattended on the other side) while arguing with a TSA agent after disconnecting from her insulin pump. Manufacturers and clinicians alike recommend to people with pumps that they disconnect from their pump, pass it to an agent for inspection and then go through the body scanner. If you don’t want to disconnect from your pump, the other option is to ask for what the TSA refers to as a “walk through” or a “pat down.” Even so, individual TSA agents may not have received the memo about insulin pumps and airport security, which is why Karen, who recently read about TSA CARES on the diabetes blog, OurDiabeticLife.com, and decided to use the service in early October when she flew (8 months pr Continue reading >>
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Flying with your Tandem Insulin Pump If you plan to travel by air with your insulin pump, some advance planning may make your security screening go smoother. Your device is safe for use during air travel and complies with FAA wireless transmission standards. It is also designed to withstand common electromagnetic interference and can be safely carried through metal detectors. However, your Tandem insulin pump should NOT be put through machines that use X-rays, including airline luggage X-ray machines and full-body scanners. We recommend disconnecting at the infusion site and asking the security agent for an alternative screening method. If you prefer to stay connected, you can notify the agent about your pump and request to go through a standard metal detector wearing your pump. It may be helpful to provide a printout of the information below to the security agent with your pump during screening. If you have any questions about traveling with your pump, please call Tandem Customer Support at (877) 801-6901*. We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. *If you are outside of the U.S. and need to contact customer support, please call +1-858-255-6269. Dear TSA or airport representative This is an insulin pump from Tandem Diabetes Care, a life- sustaining medical device prescribed by a physician. It is designed to withstand common electromagnetic interference and can be safely carried through metal detectors, but should not be exposed to any form of X-rays. This includes airline luggage X-ray machines and full-body scanners. Please provide a screening method other than X-ray for this insulin pump. If you have any questions about this device, please call Tandem Customer Support at (877) 801-6901*. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sincerely, www.tandemdi Continue reading >>
Travel Easily With Tips From Kerri Sparling
⬅ Back to feed Heading out on vacation or away for work? Traveling with diabetes can be easy and streamlined if you’re willing to do a little prep work. A well-packed bag and proper planning can make your travel experiences fun-filled…despite being islet-free. What are my rights as a person with diabetes? You have the right to travel as a person with diabetes! And you have the right to bring what is necessary for you to travel safely. This includes your insulin pump, continuous glucose monitor, insulin, glucose meter, and any other necessary medications. If you have specific questions or concerns about air travel and diabetes, contact TSA Cares directly for assistance. What should I bring in my carry-on? It’s smart to keep any necessary medications and supplies out of your checked luggage, keeping them on-hand in your carry-on instead. That way, if your checked luggage takes longer to arrive to your final destination, you still have what you need. Keep your medications in their original packaging with the prescription label attached (not required, but can make things easier), and some people with diabetes prefer to also keep a letter from their doctor on hand stating why they need to carry these medications. In addition to keeping your insulin and glucose meter, it’s a good idea to have some fast-acting glucose sources at the ready for a low blood sugar. While many people with diabetes have been permitted to bring juice boxes and other liquid glucose treatments on board while they travel, many travelers prefer glucose tabs because they withstand air pressure changes and temperature fluctuations without issue. Can my insulin pump go through the x-ray machines, or through the full body scanner? It is not recommended that your insulin pump go through x-ray machin Continue reading >>
New Airport Tsa Screening And Insulin Pumps
Two weeks ago, the Transportation Security Administration announced they'd be implementing new "aggressive" screening methods, including full-body scans using advanced imaging technology and more invasive "pat-downs" for passengers who either set off the traditional alarm or cannot simply walk through the scanners for any reason. Almost immediately, there was an outcry across the country over invasion of privacy, and stories began flooding the media. For PWDs, this set off a flurry of conversation about how the new security measures will effect those of us wearing insulin pumps. A lot of people have pinged me about this, and though I haven't flown since the new regulations kicked in, I know I'm worried about being hassled, not just once, but every single time I board an airplane from this day forward. This issue was highlighted in the New York Times story last Thursday, about pumper Laura E. Seay, an assistant professor of political science at Morehouse College in Atlanta, a frequent traveler who was physically searched for the first time at Washington National Airport: "It definitely made me uncomfortable... it's very invasive and the thought of going through that every time I fly is discouraging." Oh man! So is it official that we pumpers will have to undergo maximum scanning and manual search every time we travel, holding us up and causing a great degree of discomfort, to say the least? I went looking for answers, and my first stop was TSA itself, which wasn't very helpful. An email query sent to them in late October received an auto-reply suggesting to check the general TSA guidance for diabetes on their website, which has not been updated any time recently and makes no mention of the new security procedures (!) Next stop was JDRF, but they promptly sent me on to AD Continue reading >>
