People with type one diabetes who are 26 or older can now apply for the province’s insulin pump funding program.
The government expanded the program beyond the original age cap of 25 on Friday.
“People living with diabetes should get the support they need to afford the equipment and supplies they need to better manage their diabetes,” wrote Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson in a news release.
The province committed $1.3 million to expanding the program in their 2024-25 budget, announced in February.
About 150 people currently use the program, the government says, and the province estimates the expansion will make about 450 people eligible to apply.
The average cost of an insulin pump is $6,300 with a five-year warranty, and supplies, like insertion sets, cartridges and reservoirs, tape and skin preparation, cost about $4,000 a year, the government wrote in the release.
Insulin itself is not covered under the program.
To apply, you must live in Nova Scotia, have a health card and meet certain clinical criteria. For more information, visit the program’s website.
Ben Roberts received funding under the program until he aged out, but he said rejoining is a big relief, according to the news release.
“The people who advocated for this change deserve a lot of the credit for making this happen,” wrote Roberts.
“To put it simply, having access to this technology to manage my diabetes without the financial strain is life changing.”
