Dear Prime Minister Julia Gillard,
If you want a "Healthier Queensland" as the ad says, then how about funding 100% of the cost of an insulin pump. I know you offer part of the cost to purchase an insulin pump (which is very small considering the cost of the device) through a scheme, but honestly, it is still out of reach for an everyday Australian let alone Queenslanders. Also needed would be reimbursement via insurance companies AND NDSS for Continuous Glucose Monitor sensors. These are quite expensive for ANYONE living with Type 1. In a year, these roughly cost you $4500 to purchase. Thats IF they last the 6 days advertised AND if you don't make mistakes with putting one in or having one fail - which will happen. Insurance companies see these as a luxury and will not fund them. An insulin pump and Continuous Glucose Monitor can and will greatly reduce the amount of hospital beds taken up by many people with Type 1 Diabetes by giving sufferers greater control of their disease, as well as alerting the user to rapidly rising or falling blood glucose levels before it can become a medical emergency. There is one pump in particular that works as a insulin pump and Continuous Glucose Monitor receiver which has the ability to shut the users insulin pump off in a hypoglycemia situation where the person may be unconscious and can not respond, which has the effect of hopefully bringing the patient back to consciousness. This will put at ease the minds of thousands of insulin pump users and their carers. My family have had the Carer's Allowance, which is to help me and my condition, taken away from us since I am expected to take care of myself. I can't. I need help from a CARER when I have low and high blood sugar levels. I need a CARER to make sure I count my carbohydrates in my food. I need a CARER to get the supplies I need. I could continue creating a long list but I won't. Taking away this allowance stops people accessing better treatment, as that is what the allowance is for. I, as a Type 1 Diabetic, already have to live with this disease, and I believe we should all have equal access to supplies that could help us manage our disease a whole lot better. It would help someone like me, a person living with Type 1 Diabetes, grow up to be the future generation of our country.
This is an extended version of what I posted earlier on my personal Facebook and I actually think I want to send this to our Prime Minister (Obviously with a bit more tweaking.)
(For my lovely overseas readers, Julia Gillard is Australia's current Prime Minister. She has done nothing to help anyone with Type 1 Diabetes since in power. The "Healthier Queensland" ad I talk about is an ad running in Queensland about the health of people in QLD with such ads containing healthy eating etc.)
If you want a "Healthier Queensland" as the ad says, then how about funding 100% of the cost of an insulin pump. I know you offer part of the cost to purchase an insulin pump (which is very small considering the cost of the device) through a scheme, but honestly, it is still out of reach for an everyday Australian let alone Queenslanders. Also needed would be reimbursement via insurance companies AND NDSS for Continuous Glucose Monitor sensors. These are quite expensive for ANYONE living with Type 1. In a year, these roughly cost you $4500 to purchase. Thats IF they last the 6 days advertised AND if you don't make mistakes with putting one in or having one fail - which will happen. Insurance companies see these as a luxury and will not fund them. An insulin pump and Continuous Glucose Monitor can and will greatly reduce the amount of hospital beds taken up by many people with Type 1 Diabetes by giving sufferers greater control of their disease, as well as alerting the user to rapidly rising or falling blood glucose levels before it can become a medical emergency. There is one pump in particular that works as a insulin pump and Continuous Glucose Monitor receiver which has the ability to shut the users insulin pump off in a hypoglycemia situation where the person may be unconscious and can not respond, which has the effect of hopefully bringing the patient back to consciousness. This will put at ease the minds of thousands of insulin pump users and their carers. My family have had the Carer's Allowance, which is to help me and my condition, taken away from us since I am expected to take care of myself. I can't. I need help from a CARER when I have low and high blood sugar levels. I need a CARER to make sure I count my carbohydrates in my food. I need a CARER to get the supplies I need. I could continue creating a long list but I won't. Taking away this allowance stops people accessing better treatment, as that is what the allowance is for. I, as a Type 1 Diabetic, already have to live with this disease, and I believe we should all have equal access to supplies that could help us manage our disease a whole lot better. It would help someone like me, a person living with Type 1 Diabetes, grow up to be the future generation of our country.
This is an extended version of what I posted earlier on my personal Facebook and I actually think I want to send this to our Prime Minister (Obviously with a bit more tweaking.)
(For my lovely overseas readers, Julia Gillard is Australia's current Prime Minister. She has done nothing to help anyone with Type 1 Diabetes since in power. The "Healthier Queensland" ad I talk about is an ad running in Queensland about the health of people in QLD with such ads containing healthy eating etc.)
Hi Brent - Im a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes. I looked but couldnt find your diagnosis story, perhaps thats an idea for your next blog? My baby was sick and at 8 months old he was diagnosed. We are still on MDI, im sure you can give us some great advice as we begin pumping in the future. Keep in touch. Jules.
ReplyDeleteHey Jules - I've been meaning to do a post about my diagnoses :) I have just been under a a pile of school work these past couple of months when I planned to write it. My diagnoses was very similar. They thought I had something else but really it was the Big D. I haven't been on the pump much long but it really has changed my life for the better :) I will do the diagnoses story over the weekend sometime :)
ReplyDeleteTake Care - Brent