Colleen Preston, who lives in Innisfail and has had Type 1 Diabetes for 51 years, shared a photo of all her Diabetes supplies. (Supplied/Colleen Preston)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

more consultation needed

UCP reverses changes to insulin pump program, Innisfail resident relieved

May 12, 2022 | 5:19 PM

Alberta’s United Conservative-led government is backtracking on proposed changes to scrap the provincial Insulin Pump Therapy Program (IPTP).

Health Minister Jason Copping says the changes, which were to come into effect August 1, are now on hold pending further consultations.

During question period in the Legislature Thursday, Copping apologized to the roughly 4,000 Albertans with Type 1 Diabetes who use insulin pumps, reports the Canadian Press.

Announced earlier this month, phase three of the UCP’s changes to diabetes-related services, was not well-received.

The plan was to have patients transition to obtaining equipment, supplies, and services through government-sponsored health benefit plans, such as Alberta Blue Cross.

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Innisfail resident Colleen Preston, who is 62 and has had Type 1 for 51 years, estimates the change, if it were to ever transpire as already put forth, would cost her upwards of $400 in new co-pay fees each quarter, plus another 25 per cent of the cost when she needs to replace her current pump.

Pumps run between $6,000 and $9,000, she notes.

“This is coming out of our pockets, unless we don’t want to use a pump anymore, which would be a terrible ordeal. The pumps are new technology and allow for much better control, which prevents long-term complications of diabetes, of which there are many,” she told rdnewsNOW a day before the UCP reversed course.

“Those complications become very costly on our health care system. It doesn’t seem like the government is looking at those long-term savings they’d have by keeping this program. I feel they’re being very shortsighted, and I’d call it a travesty.”

Diabetes Canada issued an open letter to the UCP and Minister Copping on May 10, saying it had received overwhelming feedback from distraught Albertans.

It also notes it had requested a consultation with Alberta Health on May 5, and hoped to meet again to discuss this urgent issue, the letter states.

“We ask that you suspend the plan to dismantle the IPTP by August 1 and initiate a meaningful consultation with the diabetes community. Diabetes Canada is extremely concerned about the negative impact this decision will have on the health of Albertans,” writes Russell Williams, Diabetes Canada senior vice-president.

“Diabetes Canada is receiving many calls and emails from distressed individuals who anticipate having to make tough choices if the IPTP is cancelled. The emotional impact alone on individuals affected by this decision is difficult to calculate, but impossible to ignore.”

On May 4, Diabetes Canada had issued a statement saying it was continuing to seek clarity on the changes and reasoning for them.

For Preston, there’s also the question of why the UCP announced in phase two of its diabetes-related changes that it would fund continuous glucose monitors, but only for people under 18.

These devices keep constant track of blood/sugar levels so that patients can be alerted if levels get too high or too low. Some pumps are also able to adjust a person’s levels automatically.

Reacting to the news, broken to her by rdnewsNOW on Thursday afternoon, Preston called it a wonderful update.

“I’m glad they’re listening to somebody. I’ve been working feverishly the last couple days to top off all my supplies, and I heard pharmacies were having trouble keeping up, and having to backorder things,” she shares. “I contacted my supplier and they’re already shipping me all they can. But this is really good news if they ultimately decide not to do this.”

The Opposition NDP, who’d released a statement May 9, also expressed relief.

“This is a victory for the thousands of Albertans who spoke out against the UCP’s cruel attacks on people living with diabetes, but Albertans can still not trust the UCP with their health care,” said David Shepherd, NDP Health Critic.

“The UCP attempted to hide initial plans to change to the Insulin Pump Therapy Program and released little detail on what a transition from the program would look like. They must be held accountable and scrutinized so any future changes do not leave people with diabetes behind.”

Minister Copping had stated earlier that cancelling the program would save the government about $9 million.

rdnewsNOW reached out to the Ministry of Health on Wednesday to comment on the changes, but had not received a response.

(with file from The Canadian Press)