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A type 1 diabetic who recently moved to Nova Scotia says he paid hundreds of dollars out of pocket trying to apply for provincial programs that help cover the cost of insulin and supplies.
Bec Marie, 28, moved to Bridgewater, North Carolina, earlier this year from British Columbia, where they were covered by insurance because of devices such as an insulin pump and glucose monitoring device.
Marie, who did not have a primary care provider at the time, said applications for insurance coverage in Nova Scotia for pumps and sensors required approval from specific health care professionals based in the province.
“I have all my records from British Columbia and Ontario that show I've been using this exact insulin pump for 10 years. It's like it's not rocket science. I'm diabetic. It's not going anywhere,” Marie said.
According to Marie, the problem was access to a specialist. They said they were told the wait time to see an endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in treating diabetes, was 18 months.
Instead, Marie spent four months visiting pharmacies, emergency rooms and clinics to find someone who could help, while paying up to $800 a month to cover the cost of insulin and devices.
“I was just calling a lot, going places, going to the pharmacy after work, seeing who was available, waiting for appointments, getting messages back and forth, making a lot of phone calls,” Marie said.
Marie said a nurse at the clinic was able to provide insulin and supplies for six months, but they still need approval from a specialist, such as an endocrinologist, for ongoing coverage.
Devices improve quality of life
Nova Scotia offers two programs to help cover insulin pumps and glucose monitoring devices. They require separate applications.
Insulin and devices are not covered by Nova Scotia's provincial pharmaceutical assistance program because they operate in British Columbia, which is one of three provinces and one territory in the country that are signatories to the agreement. pharmaceutical assistance agreements with the federal government.
According to Diabetes Canada, cost is the biggest barrier to access to pumps and sensors, but the devices have become a standard of care and significantly improve the quality of life for those who use them.
“[People] have better diabetes-related outcomes. They are less likely to end up in hospital. They have a longer life expectancy,” said Laura O'Driscoll, senior policy manager at Diabetes Canada.
Early last year, the federal government announced a universal pharmaceutical care plan that would cover diabetes medications, but it has yet to materialize.
O'Driscoll said the national plan will increase access to pumps and monitors and make life easier for many Canadians living with diabetes.
“It's just exhausting”
Marie would like to see a national plan developed, but at the same time they believe Nova Scotia's programs launched last year could be improved.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness declined CBC News' request for an interview.
In a statement, a spokesperson said provincial diabetes programs were designed to help Nova Scotians without support from primary care providers.
There are diabetes centers across the province and anyone who is having difficulty accessing support can contact the provincial diabetes program, the statement said.
Marie said when they tried to contact the program, they were unable to contact anyone. They said that when they finally got to the hospital's diabetes center in Lunenburg, there was only one health worker there and they told Marie that they did not have the authority to sign the application.
Managing diabetes can be challenging, but accessing support doesn't have to make it more difficult, Marie says.
“All these barriers to getting into the program for the devices I need for my life, it's just exhausting,” Marie said.
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