Labor welcomes the Morrison Government’s decision to heed our call to give more people living with Type 1 diabetes free access to the technology they need to improve their lives.
We went to the 2016 election with an $80 million promise to expand subsidies for Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices so that pregnant women and high-risk adults could get access to this life-changing technology.
The Government failed to match this commitment, leaving too many Australians without the means to access these devices.
After another two years of Liberal inaction, we wrote to the Government in June and urged them to do better.
Greg Hunt dismissed our plea with an angry tweet.
But five months later the Government has finally seen sense and done the right thing.
CGM devices continually monitor blood glucose levels through sensors placed under the skin, linked to hand-held devices such as mobile phones or insulin pumps.
Making these devices more widely available will provide reassurance, peace of mind and better quality of life for Australians living with diabetes – and can give them more freedom and control of their condition.
This announcement also makes economic sense, given a single severe hypoglycaemic event can cost more than $18,000 in health care and productivity costs.
SUNDAY, 25 NOVEMBER 2018