Thursday, June 2, 2011

57% of Canadian diabetics cannot afford supplies

As a valued member of the Canadian Diabetes Association, we thought you would like to know about our Compassionate Use Program, which launches on June 6.

With more than 9 million Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes, the importance of diabetes management through self-monitoring and blood glucose management has never been greater.

Unfortunately, approximately 57% of all people living with diabetes in Canada cannot afford their prescribed diabetes management routine, due to the costs associated with blood glucose testing supplies.

As a result, many of these people end up developing serious life-threatening complications, which lead to poor health, increased mortality and significantly increased costs to the health system and our overall economy.

Starting June 6, the Canadian Diabetes Association is launching a Compassionate Use Program aimed at economically challenged Canadians who are unable to afford the out-of-pocket costs for monitoring their blood glucose levels.

Through this program, the Association is looking to distribute 4,901 free blood glucose monitoring kits across Canada, consisting of:

1 OneTouch® UltraMini® System Kit
300 OneTouch® Ultra® Blue Test Strips
300 OneTouch® Delica® Lancets


If you or someone you know can benefit from this program, please visit www.diabetes.ca/meter to learn more or to apply online. You can also call 1-800-BANTING (1-800-226-8464), option 7, for more information.

Sincerely,
The Canadian Diabetes Association

Trademarks owned by Johnson & Johnson and used under license.

4 comments:

Wisewebwoman said...

As a diabetic, I applaud your participation in this worthwhile endeavour.
XO
WWW

ViewPoint2010 said...

You know WWW, what blew me away is the statistic that 57% of CANADIAN diabetics cannot afford their supplies. That is truly frightening. I know that I recently left my former employer and am on my own now. In order to maintain *basic* health insurance coverage (no dental or vision), it's costing me nearly $500 per month. I can afford it for now, but I wonder how people who can't get their supplies cope ... in some cases, I expect they get regular blood tests at the hospital or something, but still ... we pride ourselves on our great health care. Makes you wonder.

Government Funded Blogger said...

I don't know whats covered by the Newfoundland health plan but here in Ontario the cost of the test strips for my wife's monitor are covered by prescription.Before we found that out we were paying over a hundred bucks for a replacement roll. she has never had to pay for a monitor.

ViewPoint2010 said...

GFB, since I'm still on the "other side of 60" (the shallow end of the pool) I don't qualify for senior benefits just yet, so have to do the private insurance thing while being self-employed at present. The monitor companies give them away for free all the time - it's the way they hook you to buy their strips at $1 a pop.