As of April 1, the B.C. government is covering more diabetes devices and supplies, but one expert in the field says it’s not good enough.
Health Minister Josie Osborne announced expanding coverage as part of National PharmaCare in the province on Monday.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!“At the start of the month, we announced people in B.C. would no longer have to pay out-of-pocket for some diabetes medications,” said Osborne.
“We are expanding coverage so people living with diabetes have greater access to care at less cost.”
Now, people with diabetes are subject to the following quantity limits:
- lancets: 400
- alcohol swabs: 300
- blood or urine ketone strips: 100
Coverage for insulin pumps
- Patients with Type 1 diabetes who meet certain clinical criteria can receive coverage for Ypsomed AG’s mylife Ypsopump, which, when paired with the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor and used with a smartphone mobile application, creates a hybrid closed loop (HCL) automated insulin-delivery system.
- Coverage of this pump will be through existing PharmaCare plans. This includes Plan C and Fair PharmaCare. For people covered by Plans C, F and W, coverage will be 100 per cent. The pump is also covered 100 per cent under Plan B (Long-term Care).
Dr. Dale Clayton, associate director with BC Diabetes, tells 1130 NewsRadio that the expansion is significant, and it will help those dealing with the financial strain of paying for the things they need.
However, he’s not happy with the province touting language of “devices and supplies coverage.”
“It was interpreted for a slightly broader coverage of insulin pump and glucose monitor coverage in the province, which didn’t quite come through,” said Clayton.
“For the thousands of people in British Columbia living with type 1 diabetes, for whom the standard of care, by all the regulatory agencies around the world, would be automated insulin delivery. An insulin pump, which is a life-sustaining therapy and people don’t live without it, where the dose is adjusted in real time based on sensor readings.”
The B.C. government says PharmaCare covers as much as $7,000 for the insulin pump, depending on the person’s coverage plan, and the pump has a five-year warranty.
Technological research is underway to offer different kinds of pumps in B.C., but Clayton says the wait isn’t ideal.
“We were hoping for more options available for patients,” he explained.
“In other provinces in Canada, the way their systems are set up provincially, people have broad coverage for all of the available systems on the market, which there are four in Canada, with one being off-label, so five different systems available. In British Columbia, just recently, we now have one covered through PharmaCare, so I think the lack of choice is a huge issue.”
The cost to patients, Clayton explains, will depend on their PharmaCare coverage. He says he expects cost savings broadly through the annual deductible, but having an income-based system will be a challenge.
“For those middle-income British Columbians, and for whom their income-based PharmaCare deductible is sizeable and makes many people make difficult choices, in terms of medications, versus other costs in their life for a good chunk of the year, because the deductible starts at the beginning of the year and you pay through it. So, people may not get PharmaCare coverage until late in the year — or not at all, depending on their deductible.”
The provincial funding for diabetes patients is roughly $37 million and is part of the federal agreement to implement PharmaCare in B.C., with Ottawa providing $670 million over three years.
—With files from Ben Bouguerra