With the Federal Election date now set for Might 3, Australia’s main diabetes advocacy organisations are calling for election commitments to develop inexpensive entry to life altering applied sciences for folks residing with diabetes.
The associated fee-of-living disaster is hitting Australians laborious, with many individuals residing with diabetes compelled to decide on between important medical expertise and fundamental requirements. The most recent Diabetes Australia price of residing survey discovered that for 61 % of individuals, the price of diabetes medicines and applied sciences was their biggest problem.
Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain mentioned Australians residing with all sorts of diabetes ought to have equitable entry to the expertise they should reside properly.
“No one ought to must determine between good well being care and placing meals on the desk,” Ms Cain mentioned.
“The bi-partisan assist to develop steady glucose monitoring (CGM) system subsidies for folks residing with sort 1 diabetes in 2022 was welcome and far wanted, and we thank each the Authorities and the Opposition for that.
“Sadly, folks residing with sort 2 diabetes requiring a number of each day insulin injections are nonetheless being denied the identical subsidy. On prime of that, 1000’s of Australians residing with sort 1 diabetes who can’t afford prime stage personal medical health insurance aren’t capable of afford insulin pumps.
“This case can not proceed. Not solely are we falling behind the diabetes expertise offered in lots of different developed nations, however as a rustic we at the moment are failing to offer what is taken into account normal care within the administration of diabetes. There may be clear proof that entry to diabetes applied sciences reduces total healthcare prices for each the person and the healthcare system.
“An individual’s financial institution stability or postcode shouldn’t be a barrier to good well being,” Ms Cain mentioned.
In its coverage paper Equitable Entry to Diabetes Expertise, Diabetes Australia recommends a $200 million funding over 4 years to develop subsidised entry to diabetes applied sciences for key precedence teams as a primary step.
Increasing subsidies for CGM units will present entry for roughly 22,000 folks residing with sort 2 diabetes, and increasing subsidies for insulin pumps will improve entry to an extra 16,000 folks residing with sort 1 diabetes.
James Lequertier, 80, lives with sort 2 diabetes, and says entry to a CGM has helped him quite a bit. However as a self-funded retiree, he’s paying greater than $200 a month out of pocket.
Regardless of sustaining a wholesome weight and residing an lively way of life with no household historical past of the situation, James was identified with sort 2 diabetes 30 years in the past and has been utilizing insulin since 2000.
“Since I began utilizing a CGM six months in the past, my HbA1c has dropped to 7.8%. It’s as a result of I can lastly see what’s taking place with my blood glucose in actual time,” James mentioned. “Simply swapping in crispbread as an alternative of consuming common bread at lunch has made a distinction, however I wouldn’t have identified that as simply with out CGM.
“It’s unattainable to attain steady monitoring with a lancing system, generally often called a finger prick.”
He says CGM has made managing his diabetes simpler and safer, however the associated fee is a burden.
“What value do you set in your well being?” James mentioned.
James has written to each the present and former Federal Well being Ministers urging them to subsidise CGM for folks with sort 2 diabetes who’re depending on insulin.
“There’s lots of people who’ve a lot increased glucose ranges than me. They need to be capable of entry the diabetes expertise that will assist them.”
Expertise that helps the administration of blood glucose is critically necessary, given the well being issues that may come up when they don’t stay inside a wholesome vary.
Greater than 1.5 million Australians live with diabetes and 500,000 live with undiagnosed diabetes. Greater than 300 individuals are identified daily and it’s estimated the variety of folks residing with diabetes in Australia will exceed 3.1 million by 2050.
Diabetes Australia, the Australian Diabetes Society and the Australian Diabetes Educators Affiliation say the diabetes epidemic in Australia is at a disaster level. It’s time for each the ALP and Coalition events to make a public dedication to deal with the present inequity within the system that offers some folks entry to applied sciences whereas others go with out.
The rising epidemic of diabetes is without doubt one of the most advanced well being challenges dealing with our nation. The most recent Australian Institute of Well being and Welfare knowledge estimates that 10 % of all hospitalisations in Australia in 2021-22 had been related to diabetes.
There has by no means been a extra essential time to behave.
