Michaela Meade
A Craigieburn mum is one of thousands of diabetic Australians who miss out on a subsidy that gives them access to modern glucose monitoring technology.
In February 2020, it was announced that the Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) initiative would fully reimburse Flash Glucose Monitoring (Flash GM) – sensor technology that can help measure glucose levels without pricking a finger – expenses for 58,000 of the 120,000 Australians living with type 1 diabetes.
Renee Tishler, 38, said she recently had to go full-time at work to afford Flash GM; Ms Tishler said she is not eligible for the subsidy as her wage is just above the qualifying threshold.
Ms Tishler said being able to afford Flash GM improved her mood and overall wellbeing.
“When I was part-time, I could only afford [Flash GM] sometimes,” she said.
“I found when I wasn’t using it, it did make me more depressed, and I couldn’t control [my diabetes] as much.
“[Flash GM] is very simple to quickly make sure that I’m all right.
“It’s just easy just to quickly check before I go in the car.”
Craigieburn-based diabetes educator Michelle Robins said a subsidy for all people living with type 1 diabetes would be “so good”.
“It just would be remarkable,” she said.
“I find it really very stressful that there are so many patients that I see each day that would benefit so much from the technology and simply can’t afford it.”
Ms Robins said it was “unfortunate” that a limited number of people qualified for the subsidy.
“Many of my patients with type 1 diabetes are on minimum wage, or they’re underemployed,” she said.
“And it’s a real dilemma for them to choose between paying for the device each fortnight or paying for the gas bill.”
