VICTORIA, B.C. – Effective today, July 3rd, people in British Columbia will have coverage of insulin pumps for Type 1 diabetes, regardless of their age.
A release from the province states that up until this point, people 25 and over have had to choose between having their insulin pump, or losing it due to cost issues.
Patients have to meet up with their diabetes physician specialist to determine if they’re eligible to receive a pump.
Around 485,000 people in B.C. have diabetes. The province stated that it’s expected that around 830 adults over 25 will benefit from this decision.
The expansion of insulin pumps to residents, no matter what their age, is expected to cost the province about $15 million over a three-year period.
PharmaCare covers insulin vials, cartridges, insulin pens and other diabetic supplies like needles, syringes and blood-glucose strips.
Pumps can range in cost from around $6,000 to $7,000 and require replacing roughly every five years.
More details about B.C. PharmaCare can be found via this link.
