February 28, 2024 – Halifax – The Government of Nova Scotia announced a historic investment to provide better access to diabetes devices such as insulin pumps and glucose monitors for Nova Scotians with diabetes. The province will be investing $5.9 million to fund sensor-based glucose monitoring supplies, and $1.3 million to expand the Nova Scotia Insulin Pump Program by removing the current age cap.
Glucose monitoring supplies will be obtained through a new income-based program and through existing pharmacare programs. While Nova Scotians living with either type 1 diabetes (T1D) or type 2 diabetes can access this new program, eligibility requirements will include the need for multiple daily injections of insulin or insulin pumps to manage their diabetes.
Nova Scotians with an annual household income of less than $60,000 will pay no deductible, while household incomes between $60,000 and $150,000 will pay a deductible between $500 and $1,000.
In Nova Scotia, it is estimated that 9,000 people live with T1D. For these Nova Scotians, daily management of this disease consists of constant monitoring of their blood glucose levels and external insulin delivered either through injections or insulin pump multiple times a day. Even with careful management, people with T1D are still at risk of significant diabetes-related complications including kidney disease, blindness, amputation and even death.
With this investment, an estimated 4,000 people will be covered for sensor-based glucose monitoring supply costs and about 450 more Nova Scotians will be able to access the Nova Scotia Insulin Pump Program.
Through its #AccessForAll advocacy campaign, JDRF Canada works to help alleviate the financial, physical, and mental health burdens associated with T1D by makingT1D technology affordable and universally accessible for all Canadians living with the autoimmune condition.
“JDRF Canada is pleased to join the Government of Nova Scotia today in announcing improved care for the province’s T1D community. We appreciate that the provincial government recognizes the unique needs of Nova Scotians living with this condition and has stepped up to increase access to life-saving technology, thereby allowing for improved health outcomes and a better quality of life,” says Jessica Diniz, President and CEO of JDRF Canada.
Studies have shown that self-management of T1D is improved by using diabetes technology. Insulin pumps grant individuals greater control to administer insulin as needed, and advanced glucose monitors provide real-time blood glucose readings allowing for more time spent in target range. When pumps and advanced glucose monitors are used in tandem, those living with the condition can benefit from its integrated technology in a hybrid-closed loop (HCL) system that allows for the automatic delivery of insulin based on real-time glucose trends.
Use of these devices has been proven to reduce hospitalizations and the risk of longer-term complications for users. They also help to ease some of the anxiety associated with living with T1D by allowing individuals to better plan activities around the condition including exercise, meals, and rest.
Since 2019, JDRF’s Access for All campaign has engaged passionate advocates from T1D communities across the country to make their voices heard at all levels of government. With support from JDRF, they have driven change in several provinces and territories to improve access to life-changing diabetes technologies.
“I am overjoyed and relieved to see that the province of Nova Scotia will now be covering the cost of CGMs and removing the age cap from insulin pump coverage. This is life changing for me and for all Nova Scotians living with T1D,” Emma Perry, local T1D advocate.
Learn more about the Nova Scotia Insulin Pump Program: https://novascotia.ca/DHW/NSIPP/
Read the government release: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/02/28/more-funding-reduce-costs-improve-diabetes-care
About JDRF Canada
JDRF Canada is the leading charitable organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research in Canada. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. Since our founding in 1974, JDRF has invested more than $80 million CDN in research funding. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, governments, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout Canada and five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our shared vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.ca.
For more information:
Ruth Kapelus
National Content and Media Relations Manager
T. 647.789.2322
E. rkapelus@jdrf.ca
235 Yorkland Blvd., Suite 600, Toronto, ON M2J 4Y8
jdrf.ca
