Extend CGM funding to give all Type 1 Diabetics access to this life saving technology
The issue
Every Type 1 Diabetic should have access to the life saving technology that is Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM).
The Turnbull Government has pledged to assist 4000 Type 1 Diabetic children under the age of 21 with access to CGM if re-elected. In Australia there are approximately 120,000 Type 1 Diabetics so while this is a great step forward, this really will only benefit approximately 3.3% of the Australian Type 1 Diabetic population. That leaves over 96% of Type 1 Diabetics no better off. Type 1 Diabetes does not discriminate, it does not go away with age, it is a lifelong condition that must be managed to ultimately stay alive and prevent long term complications.
As at 15 June, Labor has responded and pledged 80 million toward CGM if elected to extend this to other high risk groups such as during pregnancy and the hypo-unaware over 21. This will benefit 6000 Australian Type 1's or 5% of the total Type 1 population. This is a great step forward for the Type 1 Diabetes community however there is still a long way to go for all Type 1's (the remaining 95%) to have access to this life saving technology that would prevent Diabetic related complications and ultimately for the government would reduce the costs of Type 1 Diabetes in the health care system in the long term.
Type 1 Diabetes is an auto immune disease. Unlike Type 2, Type 1 is not brought on by poor lifestyle choices. Type 1 occurs when the body's immune system attacks part of its own pancreas. Scientists are not sure why. But the immune system mistakenly sees the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas as foreign, and destroys them. Therefore Type 1 Diabetics must give themselves insulin either by injection or insulin pump therapy. Management is by monitoring blood sugar levels and treating them accordingly. There is no choice or alternative to insulin injections or pump therapy, there is no prevention and there is no cure. Management of T1D never stops.
CGM is a technology that is available yet it sadly is not accessible to the majority of those who need it the most due to the high cost. CGM measures glucose levels in real-time throughout the day and night. A tiny sensor is inserted under the skin, this measures glucose levels in tissue fluid and checks the blood glucose level every 5 minutes. It allows the user to look at the screen of their wireless device at any time and see what blood sugar levels are doing. If the level of glucose is increasing or decreasing at a concerning rate, the CGM will sound an alert can then be treated as required. To have this control without CGM technology would mean a blood sugar test every 5 minutes using a needle/test strip which is just not possible. This technology is a proactive approach to reducing the long term complications of the disease, reduce deaths and improve the day to day lives of Type 1’s.
Why am I writing this petition?
My motivator in writing this petition is my experience with CGM when I was pregnant. I was fortunate to have access to CGM every day of my pregnancy from approximately 10 weeks gestation. My baby was born without complication and I honestly believe that I gave my baby the best start to life because of CGM. It is not only pregnant women, children and the hypo unaware who would benefit from this technology but every Type 1 Diabetic would have better control with CGM. Better control means reduced complications which ultimately means less tax payer dollars spent on Type 1. It's a win win for all!
What does a normal day with Type 1 Diabetes look like for me?
A day in my life as a Type 1 Diabetic without access to a CGM includes testing my blood sugar levels when I wake up, treating these with insulin if need be. Testing before I eat breakfast, counting the carbohydrates I am about to eat for breakfast, giving myself insulin as required, testing again approximately 2 hours following breakfast. I then repeat this at lunch time and again at dinner. If I were to have a snack during the day then I would follow these steps also. If I exercise, I will test my blood sugar levels before and if need be, during and then again after. I test my blood sugar levels before I go to bed and when I wake overnight. This may seem like a lot of testing which it is but it still only provides a very small snap shot into the overall picture. If my blood sugar levels are low, I must treat them immediately. I can’t walk out of the house without testing my blood sugar levels or at least have some sort of sugar hit in my bag, just in case.
My Story
I am a 30-year-old mother living with Type 1 Diabetes since I was 4 years of age. In November 2014, I delivered a healthy baby boy and I believe I was able to do this without complication because I was fortunate to access Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM).
Until pregnancy, I had not considered CGM as an option for managing my diabetes due to the high cost involved. Like many other Type 1 Diabetics it is not accessible due to the financial restrictions.
I was extremely fortunate to have a supportive family who stepped in and allowed me to access CGM for the most part of my pregnancy. The total cost of CGM during my pregnancy was $3,900 as the sensors that are inserted under the skin are $75 each and they only last for 6 days.
I had always known that pregnancy for me would be a very challenging stage in my life. Early in the pregnancy before having access to CGM I was testing my blood sugar levels more than 30 times a day by needle/test strip to ensure they did not exceed target. The control required during pregnancy is much tighter than day to day control. It was an all consuming 9 months in terms of managing my Diabetes.
The risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects are increased when diabetes isn't well-controlled. The risks for me if my glucose levels were not well managed included an increase in the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetic eye problems, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and preeclampsia. The risk for my newborn was an increased risk of having low sugar, low calcium, and high bilirubin levels in the blood. Therefore, during my pregnancy it was crucial for me to have even greater control over my diabetes to avoid those possibly severe complications.
Using CGM allowed me to stay on top of my blood sugar levels simply by looking at the screen of my insulin pump. To have this control without CGM technology would mean a blood sugar test every 5 minutes using a needle/test strip.
CGM also alleviated the risk of low blood sugar levels overnight, where the insulin pump automatically sounds an alarm, switches off and ceases insulin delivery if blood sugar levels become dangerously low. This is a dangerous scenario for all diabetics, pregnant or not, due to the risk of unconsciousness, coma and potential death. Hormones cause blood glucose levels to fluctuate unexpectedly and during pregnancy my life and the life of my baby were potentially saved a number of times when that little alarm sounded to warn I was slipping towards a hypo.
Our son was born on 20 November 2014 without complication. He was 2 weeks early and he weighed a healthy 7 pounds 13 ounces. To this day, Jack is a happy and healthy little boy and he was able to have the best start to his life because of the existing Australian technology of CGM.
While there would be a cost to the tax payer to fund subsidies for CGM, the savings in hospital stays and long term complications will be significant. CGM will reduce the number of Type 1 Diabetic complications CGM technology is a cost-effective measure to manage blood glucose levels, and pre-empt occurrences of hypoglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis. The early detection can result in better clinical outcomes with a reduction in health costs in both the short and longer term. Diabetes complications substantially increase the cost of providing healthcare to a person with diabetes. Evidence shows the cost of providing healthcare to a person with diabetes related complications rises by $11,287 per annum compared to a person with diabetes and no complications. CGM is a proactive approach to managing the condition and would minimise these long term costs.
Please sign and share if you agree.
The issue
Every Type 1 Diabetic should have access to the life saving technology that is Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM).
The Turnbull Government has pledged to assist 4000 Type 1 Diabetic children under the age of 21 with access to CGM if re-elected. In Australia there are approximately 120,000 Type 1 Diabetics so while this is a great step forward, this really will only benefit approximately 3.3% of the Australian Type 1 Diabetic population. That leaves over 96% of Type 1 Diabetics no better off. Type 1 Diabetes does not discriminate, it does not go away with age, it is a lifelong condition that must be managed to ultimately stay alive and prevent long term complications.
As at 15 June, Labor has responded and pledged 80 million toward CGM if elected to extend this to other high risk groups such as during pregnancy and the hypo-unaware over 21. This will benefit 6000 Australian Type 1's or 5% of the total Type 1 population. This is a great step forward for the Type 1 Diabetes community however there is still a long way to go for all Type 1's (the remaining 95%) to have access to this life saving technology that would prevent Diabetic related complications and ultimately for the government would reduce the costs of Type 1 Diabetes in the health care system in the long term.
Type 1 Diabetes is an auto immune disease. Unlike Type 2, Type 1 is not brought on by poor lifestyle choices. Type 1 occurs when the body's immune system attacks part of its own pancreas. Scientists are not sure why. But the immune system mistakenly sees the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas as foreign, and destroys them. Therefore Type 1 Diabetics must give themselves insulin either by injection or insulin pump therapy. Management is by monitoring blood sugar levels and treating them accordingly. There is no choice or alternative to insulin injections or pump therapy, there is no prevention and there is no cure. Management of T1D never stops.
CGM is a technology that is available yet it sadly is not accessible to the majority of those who need it the most due to the high cost. CGM measures glucose levels in real-time throughout the day and night. A tiny sensor is inserted under the skin, this measures glucose levels in tissue fluid and checks the blood glucose level every 5 minutes. It allows the user to look at the screen of their wireless device at any time and see what blood sugar levels are doing. If the level of glucose is increasing or decreasing at a concerning rate, the CGM will sound an alert can then be treated as required. To have this control without CGM technology would mean a blood sugar test every 5 minutes using a needle/test strip which is just not possible. This technology is a proactive approach to reducing the long term complications of the disease, reduce deaths and improve the day to day lives of Type 1’s.
Why am I writing this petition?
My motivator in writing this petition is my experience with CGM when I was pregnant. I was fortunate to have access to CGM every day of my pregnancy from approximately 10 weeks gestation. My baby was born without complication and I honestly believe that I gave my baby the best start to life because of CGM. It is not only pregnant women, children and the hypo unaware who would benefit from this technology but every Type 1 Diabetic would have better control with CGM. Better control means reduced complications which ultimately means less tax payer dollars spent on Type 1. It's a win win for all!
What does a normal day with Type 1 Diabetes look like for me?
A day in my life as a Type 1 Diabetic without access to a CGM includes testing my blood sugar levels when I wake up, treating these with insulin if need be. Testing before I eat breakfast, counting the carbohydrates I am about to eat for breakfast, giving myself insulin as required, testing again approximately 2 hours following breakfast. I then repeat this at lunch time and again at dinner. If I were to have a snack during the day then I would follow these steps also. If I exercise, I will test my blood sugar levels before and if need be, during and then again after. I test my blood sugar levels before I go to bed and when I wake overnight. This may seem like a lot of testing which it is but it still only provides a very small snap shot into the overall picture. If my blood sugar levels are low, I must treat them immediately. I can’t walk out of the house without testing my blood sugar levels or at least have some sort of sugar hit in my bag, just in case.
My Story
I am a 30-year-old mother living with Type 1 Diabetes since I was 4 years of age. In November 2014, I delivered a healthy baby boy and I believe I was able to do this without complication because I was fortunate to access Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM).
Until pregnancy, I had not considered CGM as an option for managing my diabetes due to the high cost involved. Like many other Type 1 Diabetics it is not accessible due to the financial restrictions.
I was extremely fortunate to have a supportive family who stepped in and allowed me to access CGM for the most part of my pregnancy. The total cost of CGM during my pregnancy was $3,900 as the sensors that are inserted under the skin are $75 each and they only last for 6 days.
I had always known that pregnancy for me would be a very challenging stage in my life. Early in the pregnancy before having access to CGM I was testing my blood sugar levels more than 30 times a day by needle/test strip to ensure they did not exceed target. The control required during pregnancy is much tighter than day to day control. It was an all consuming 9 months in terms of managing my Diabetes.
The risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects are increased when diabetes isn't well-controlled. The risks for me if my glucose levels were not well managed included an increase in the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, diabetic eye problems, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and preeclampsia. The risk for my newborn was an increased risk of having low sugar, low calcium, and high bilirubin levels in the blood. Therefore, during my pregnancy it was crucial for me to have even greater control over my diabetes to avoid those possibly severe complications.
Using CGM allowed me to stay on top of my blood sugar levels simply by looking at the screen of my insulin pump. To have this control without CGM technology would mean a blood sugar test every 5 minutes using a needle/test strip.
CGM also alleviated the risk of low blood sugar levels overnight, where the insulin pump automatically sounds an alarm, switches off and ceases insulin delivery if blood sugar levels become dangerously low. This is a dangerous scenario for all diabetics, pregnant or not, due to the risk of unconsciousness, coma and potential death. Hormones cause blood glucose levels to fluctuate unexpectedly and during pregnancy my life and the life of my baby were potentially saved a number of times when that little alarm sounded to warn I was slipping towards a hypo.
Our son was born on 20 November 2014 without complication. He was 2 weeks early and he weighed a healthy 7 pounds 13 ounces. To this day, Jack is a happy and healthy little boy and he was able to have the best start to his life because of the existing Australian technology of CGM.
While there would be a cost to the tax payer to fund subsidies for CGM, the savings in hospital stays and long term complications will be significant. CGM will reduce the number of Type 1 Diabetic complications CGM technology is a cost-effective measure to manage blood glucose levels, and pre-empt occurrences of hypoglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis. The early detection can result in better clinical outcomes with a reduction in health costs in both the short and longer term. Diabetes complications substantially increase the cost of providing healthcare to a person with diabetes. Evidence shows the cost of providing healthcare to a person with diabetes related complications rises by $11,287 per annum compared to a person with diabetes and no complications. CGM is a proactive approach to managing the condition and would minimise these long term costs.
Please sign and share if you agree.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 17 May 2016