Assistance...
Diabetes is a costly disease in so many ways. Trying to fight complications can be a financial burden that often is too much to carry. Sadly it is the poorest in our world who stand the highest chance of experiencing complications. Some provinces and states in North America offer help to cover the costs of such items. That is still not enough. There are those of us in Canada who are and will continue to lobby various government agencies so that one day there is no longer this gap and everyone living with diabetes will have equal access to the best methods of care.
Government Aid in Canada
Registered Disability Savings Plan from the government of Canada. Similar in principal to an RRSP but for the assistance of medical expenses.
British Columbia offers a PharmaCare
program. Benefits and coverage under this program depend on income
level. They do extend to all insulin on its formulary as well as insulin
pump supplies for those under 25.
Manitoba
Will cover insulin pumps and supplies for children in their province. For more information, contact Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents (DER-CA) at 204-787-3011
Saskatchewan As of July 2003, Saskatchewan has expanded its drug plan for people with diabetes. It will now cover syringes and lancets. It is thought that this will benefit at least 15,000 people. Insulin pumps and supplies are covered for children up to 18 years.
Ontario
has two provincial drug programs that work the same way. The Ontario
Drug Benefits Program and the Trillium Drug Plan both offer insulin
coverage for families meeting the provincial criteria. Insulin covered
only includes those listed on the provincial drug formulary.
The Ontario government
provides assistance for insulin pumps and supplies for children and adults.
Newfoundland and Labrador Effective October 31, 2007, Newfoundland and Labrador will introduce their new "Assurance" prescription drug plan. The Assurance Plan offers protection against the financial burden of eligible high drug costs, whether from the cost of one extremely high-cost drug or the combined cost of different drugs. Depending on their income level, individuals and families will be assured that their annual out-of-pocket costs for eligible drugs will be capped at a percentage of their net family income.
| Annual Income (net) | Maximum % of Income to Spend on Eligible Drug Costs |
| $0 - $39,999 | 5% |
| $40,000 - $74,999 | 7.5% |
| $75,000 to $149,999 | 10% |
Applications are available in physician’s offices and pharmacies as well as on-line at www.gov.nl.ca/health
Insulin pumps and supplies are covered for those under 25 years of age.
Nova Scotia has recently changed its
diabetes
care program. As of January 2006, they have launched the New
Diabetes Assistance Plan which covers test strips, lancets, syringes and
insulin listed on its formulary. This plan is designed to assist
low-income families and people who are under the age of 65 and have no
other drug coverage. Registration is underway for the
Diabetes Assistance Program. Registration forms and information booklets are available by
calling the Nova Scotia Diabetes Assistance Program. Information is also
available on the Department of Health website. Forms and booklets
can also be found in doctors' offices, pharmacies, and diabetes
centres. Insulin pumps and supplies are covered for those under 25yr.
In New Brunswickfinancial assistance is for insulin coverage
is limited to those receiving income support or low-income seniors. They
only offer coverage to those insulins listed on their provincial formularies unless special
authorization is given. Insulin pumps are now covered for children up to
19 years of age.
The situation in the Yukon and other territories remains somewhat
unique. Many people living in the north receive 100% coverage of all
insulins, pumps and pump supplies under the Non-Insured Health Benefits
plan (NIHB). For those not covered under NIHB, there are different
policies for the different territories. In the Yukon for example, all
insulins except Levemir® are covered. They also cover pumps and pump
supplies. To have your pump paid for, you must have an application
filled that gives details of your case history stating your failure on
MDI, evidence of your commitment and competence to use the pumps, as
well as support for initiation and follow up therapy. Requests based on
life style choices will not be considered. These requests must be signed
by an endocrinologist. There are no specialists in the North. Patients
seeking the support of doctors such as endocrinologists must go to major
centres such as Vancouver, Edmonton, and Winnipeg to have their pumps
prescribed
Insulin Pump Assistance Programs
International Efforts to Help with Supplies
is a board-governed, all-volunteer, non-profit diabetes charity
located in Upland, CA, USA. In addition to financial donations, they
also take donations of diabetes supplies, insulin pumps, and insulin
pump supplies. They give away alldonated items for free to qualifying persons in need.
International Diabetes Federation A dollar a day will
help a child live with diabetes in a developing nation. If you know of other organizations collecting supplies please let us know and we will share that information online. If you have extra supplies that you can no longer use and would like to donate them to someone who may not be able to afford them, please let us know and we will try to connect you with a needy person/organization.
Advertisement
If you enjoy the work of Diabetes Advocacy and the information presented on this site, please consider supporting our efforts through your purchases of diabetes awareness and medical items from our Online Store.
This site does not supply clinical treatment information or medical advice. The editor of this site is NOT a medical professional. Any advice or information you may receive through this website or our mailing lists is not guaranteed and should always be discussed with your health care provider . All links are provided for your convenience and further do not signify any endorsement on our behalf.