France Study: Omnipod 5 Saves Money Long-Term for Type 1 Diabetes

A Study from France Finds Omnipod 5 May Be Worth the Cost — And Then Some

A study from France, conducted by researchers at the prestigious Institut Necker Enfants Malades (INEM) and INSERM, tackled a question that matters deeply to anyone managing Type 1 diabetes: Is the Omnipod 5 automated insulin delivery system actually worth the investment? Their answer, backed by a rigorous 50-year economic model, is a clear yes — and the findings carry important implications for American patients navigating similar coverage and cost decisions.

What the Researchers Did

The French team used the IQVIA Core Diabetes Model — a globally recognized tool also used in US health economic analyses — to compare two approaches to Type 1 diabetes management in adults:

• Omnipod 5: A tubeless, automated insulin delivery (AID) system that combines a patch pump with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and a closed-loop algorithm
• Standard therapy: Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII, or traditional insulin pump) paired with a CGM, but without automated dosing

Their data came from the OP5-003 randomized controlled trial and modeled outcomes over a 50-year horizon — essentially a lifetime of diabetes management.

Key Findings

Omnipod 5 users in the model gained 0.373 additional life-years and 1.568 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) compared to standard pump-plus-CGM therapy. In plain terms: not only did patients live longer on average, but they lived better.

While Omnipod 5 came with higher direct healthcare costs (approximately €1,240 more, roughly $1,360 USD), those costs were offset by fewer diabetes-related complications. When factoring in broader societal costs — including lost work productivity from illness — Omnipod 5 users actually cost the system €3,071 less overall (approximately $3,370 USD).

The incremental cost-utility ratio came in at just €791 per QALY (~$870 USD) from a healthcare perspective — an extraordinary value by any standard. Even in the most conservative sensitivity analysis (halving the blood sugar improvement effect), the ratio remained a highly cost-effective €2,438 per QALY (~$2,675 USD).

A Note on Blood Sugar Control

The study measured glycemic improvement using HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin). For US patients: current American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines recommend an HbA1c below 7% for most adults with Type 1 diabetes, which corresponds to an average blood glucose of approximately 154 mg/dL. Automated insulin delivery systems like Omnipod 5 have consistently shown HbA1c reductions and improved time-in-range in clinical trials, which is what drives the long-term complication savings modeled here.

Why This Matters for US Patients

In the United States, insurance coverage for automated insulin delivery systems like Omnipod 5 remains inconsistent. Many patients face prior authorization hurdles, high out-of-pocket costs, or outright denials. This French study adds to a growing global body of evidence that AID systems are not just clinically superior — they are economically justified.

Because the IQVIA Core Diabetes Model used in this study is the same platform used in US health technology assessments, the methodology translates well. American insurers, employers, and policymakers evaluating coverage decisions can look to this research as credible, internationally validated support for broader AID access.

For patients already using or considering Omnipod 5, this study provides powerful evidence to share with your care team or insurer: the upfront cost is real, but the long-term savings — in complications avoided, hospitalizations reduced, and quality of life gained — tell a compelling story.

Original Study: Riveline, Hopley, Olivieri. "Is Omnipod 5 cost effective for the management of type 1 diabetes among adults in France?" Diabetes & Metabolism (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.diabet.2025.101721. PMID: 41412524.