Australia has over 310,000 people living with insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes who need continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to manage their condition effectively. This device has given me and my daughter the freedom to manage our diabetes continuously and accurately.

I know firsthand that this technology saves lives, sight, and limbs. Beyond that, it could save billions of dollars in hospital costs, social services, and the broader impact of diabetes-related complications.

But here's the unfair part: my daughter, who has type 1 diabetes, has subsidised access to this device, meaning she gets it for free. We see the same health professionals, take the same medications, and manage our diabetes the same way. The only difference? I have type 2, so I don't qualify. How is that fair?

We are not asking for better treatment, we are asking for equal treatment.

Right now, CGM devices are not subsidised by the Australian Government for people with insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes or pregnant women with gestational diabetes. This means I, along with hundreds of thousands of Australians who need it, must either pay out of pocket, prick our fingers with needles or go without.

Please sign this petition to make CGMs more affordable and accessible for all people with diabetes.

Diabetes is a silent epidemic, with over 2 million Aussies living with the condition; especially as Australia's population ages, this will only grow. It is not a lifestyle choice, no one chooses diabetes. 

My grandmother had it, my daughter has it, and now I do. This device could potentially save your loved ones, your friends, your coworkers, or even you one day. If you're signing just one petition today, let it be this one. It could save a life.