The Alberta government will soon cover up to $600 in diabetic testing supplies for insulin-treated diabetics.
Health Minister Fred Horne made the announcement on Thursday morning. Starting July 1 the province will cover diabetic supplies like lancets, test strips and syringes through its Blue Cross program.
Horne said the cost of the supplies, which currently comes out of pocket for diabetics, can stand in the way of their health.
“We are giving more people the right tools to manage their diabetes on a day-to-day basis and when people don’t have those tools it means that despite their best intentions they may not be able to be compliant. “
He said with incidences of the disease rising in the province it only makes sense to extend this coverage and hopefully get a better handle on it.
“The number of diabetics in Alberta is expected to increase by 67 per cent between now and 2030.”
The program is expected to cost $13.3 million and cover 20,500 diabetics, plus another 1,000 women who develop diabetes when pregnant.
Laura Kemp, a regional director for the Canadian Diabetes Association, said the funding is very important for the people who need the supplies.
“Out-of-pocket expenses impact the ability of Canadians to manage the disease. Fifty-seven per cent of people with diabetes can not afford to comply with their prescribed diabetes management.”
She said there is a benefit to the system as a whole, because diabetics who can manage their disease well end up costing the system less in the long run.
“By improving access to diabetes medications, devices and supplies, the Alberta government has taken a step forward to address this epidemic and to prevent or delay costly diabetes complications.”
Horne said it is hard to project the cost curve when it comes to diabetes, but more importantly he does believe people will be healthier in the long run.
St. Albert resident Dr. Jeffery Johnson, who heads up the Alberta Diabetes Institute, welcomed the government’s announcement.
He said focusing the funding on insulin-treated diabetics helps to make sure that people who need the support will get it.
He was also unsure on what the cost implications would be for the system or the long-term health impacts for the patients, but said it gives patients more options.
“It is a matter of providing choices to the people and I think that is what the expanded coverage and the new drugs is, it is just providing choice for Albertans.”
The new drugs the province will also now cover are called Lantus and Levemir and are longer-lasting insulin treatments. Johnson said those treatments can help diabetics avoid low blood sugar over the course of a day.
He said the cost has generally prohibited their wider use and it will be interesting to see how they are used now that government will cover the cost.
