Update: Australian Government Insulin Pump Program

Do you know about Insulin Pumps access through the Australian Government Insulin Pump Program ?

The Australian Government’s Insulin Pump Program provides pumps to families who meet the program criteria and these pumps are fully subsidised, i.e. recipients are not required to make any co-payment.

Updates to the program

The program aims to improve access and affordability of insulin pumps for limited income families who have children (up to 18 years of age) and do not have access to other means of reimbursement, such as private health insurance. To improve access to the Program, the Government has introduced a number of changes to the Program arrangements, effective from September 2018:

• The Government has established a panel of suppliers to supply pumps to the recipients under this Program. The following pumps will be available under the Insulin Pump Program: Accu-Chek Spirit Combo (Roche), MiniMed 640G (Medtronic) and Paradigm Veo (Medtronic). These pumps will be supplied with approximately three months’ initial supply of pump consumables.
• The expected number of pumps subsidised under the Program, in each financial year, is expected to increase from up to 68 pumps per year to approximately 220 pumps per year.
• Subject to meeting the Program criteria, families with a combined annual income of up to $109,610 will be able to apply for a pump under the Program.

*Eligible families will be required to discuss the suitability of insulin pump therapy with their child’s Healthcare Team and if deemed clinically suitable, would discuss which of the above pumps is best for their child.

“Thank you to the Australian Government for funding the 640G insulin pump.

Without it Savannah would still being have hypos and hypers now that Savannah is on it BGLs are a lot better Savannah was 3 years old when diagnosed with type 1 diabetes was so severe that she was in ICU for three days and end up on two injections twice a day..

In the last 3 months life has been a lot better since Savannah has been on the insulin pump with a lot more freedom”

Statement from Ashlee Bennett, Mum to Savannah Age 5 diagnosed age 3

For further information and details visit: https://www.jdrf.org.au/type-1-diabetes/insulin-pump-program

To lodge an expression of interest: https://pumps.jdrf.org.au/