“JDRF is grateful for the leadership the BC government has shown in taking this step towards Access for All and moving to cover continuous glucose monitoring under BC Pharmacare,” said Dave Prowten, President and CEO of JDRF Canada.
British Columbia announced today that it will begin covering Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for those requiring insulin therapy aged 2+ who meet eligibility criteria. This coverage is effective as of June 11, 2021. An estimated 20,000 British Columbians are expected to qualify helping them better manage their disease.
British Columbia joins Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Yukon in covering CGM for some or all with type 1 diabetes. Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and the Yukon also cover Flash GM.
In BC, Dexcom G6 sensors and receivers will be fully covered for those whose family income is <$30K annually or who are on government assistance and mostly covered for everyone else. Eligibility criteria are fairly broad and the government expects some 20K people to qualify.
To obtain coverage people will need their health care provider to complete a Special Authority Request form and issue them a 12-month prescription for the Dexcom G6 which they can take to their local pharmacy. The Dexcom G6 will be subject to the Pharmacare deductible. Until the deductible is reached they can expect to pay $10/day. Once the deductible is reached the cost will vary depending on your Pharmacare coverage (most will pay $3/day on average)
Adds Monica Kocsmaros, VP External Relations: “We’re pleased with today’s announcement, and it is our hope that in the future other CGM products and the Flash GM will be covered in BC as well. Diabetes is a very individual disease that affects different patients differently. We believe in choice when it comes to treatment options, and for patients in consultation with their health care providers to decide on their best course of treatment. Today was an important step towards Access For All.”
For Canadians living with type 1 diabetes, self-management is accomplished through careful measurement of blood glucose and administration of insulin. CGMs and Flash GMs rely on sensors attached to the body which measure glucose in the interstitial fluid just below the skin, replacing the traditional finger prick method. The glucose reading is sent to the screen of a reader device, a smartphone or an insulin pump, providing users with an up-to-date reading of glucose every few minutes – readings which help the user calculate insulin dosage. These devices can also include alarms that alert the user and/or their caregivers if blood sugar levels are rising or dropping rapidly and require urgent action.
Studies show that use of diabetes technologies such as insulin pumps, CGMs and Flash GMs help improve self-management of diabetes, including important measures such as overall blood glucose (HbA1C) and time in target range (TIR), keeping more people out of hospital.
Improving access to advanced glucose monitoring devices and insulin pumps for all Canadians living with type 1 diabetes is the goal of JDRF’s Access for All campaign. Type 1 diabetes devices help those living with the disease have better self-management, leading to improved health outcomes and better quality of life.
To learn more about JDRF’s #AccessForAll campaign please visit jdrf.ca/accessforall.
