Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie, welcomed news that regional Victorians with type one diabetes will be among those to soon get free access to glucose monitoring devices, thanks to the Liberal-National Government’s $300 million Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Initiative.
The FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring device measures glucose levels without the use of lancets, test strips and blood. A sensor worn on the back of the arm connects to a reader or mobile phone application, which in turn stores glucose levels day and night to help people
manage their diabetes, and avoid dangerous hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia.
The government is also streamlining the eligibility criteria to increase the number of Australians, including those in regional Victoria, who can access fully subsidised glucose monitoring devices through the CGM scheme to 58,000 people, up from 37,000. An extra 21,000 people with type 1 diabetes.
Under the scheme, from 1 March 2020, fully subsidised CGM products will be available to a wider range of people, including:
- Children and young people, under 21 years of age, with type 1 diabetes.
- Children and young people with conditions very similar to type 1 diabetes, such as cystic fibrosis-related diabetes and neonatal diabetes, who require insulin.
- Women with type 1 diabetes who are planning for pregnancy, pregnant, or immediately
post-pregnancy. - People with type 1 diabetes aged 21 years or older and who have concessional status.
It's understood without government subsidy, these people would pay $92.50 every two weeks for the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system. That's over $2,400 per year.
The Liberal-National Government is committed to supporting Australians with type 1 diabetes, investing over $300 million over four years from 2019-20 in the CGM Initiative. And the introduction of FreeStyle Libre will increase the range of products available to support Australians with diabetes, within days, from 1 March 2020.