Changes to the Federal Government’s Insulin Pump Program: FAQs

The Insulin Pump Program (IPP) is a grant program established by the Australian Government in 2008. It is administered by JDRF Australia.

The IPP provides insulin pumps to children and young adults under 21 years of age with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who meet financial and clinical eligibility requirements, who could not otherwise access this life-changing technology.

Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Aged Care undertook an open tender process to establish new insulin pump supply arrangements, following the expiry of the previous supply arrangement.

In October 2023, the Department announced the mylife YpsoPump would be the sole pump available through the IPP.

The Department has advised that while the evaluation panel recognised the value of having a choice of products, ultimately a single supplier was chosen on the basis that this would result in additional people being able to benefit from the program. This was considered particularly important as the program provides insulin pumps to people who would otherwise have no opportunity to access insulin pump therapy.

JDRF provided input about the importance of choice when it comes to diabetes management technology, however, we had no direct involvement in the conduct of the tender process, or the decisions made as a result.

The IPP is funded by the Australian Government, and decisions about the volume and range of insulin pumps available through the IPP are made by the Department of Health and Aged Care.

Since the IPP began in 2008, there have been various pumps available. These have included pumps from Medtronic, Roche, Dana, and Animas. Changes to the program occur through an open tender process.

While JDRF provided feedback as part of this review, JDRF had no input to the final decision and selection of future supplier. JDRF’s role as administrator of the IPP is to enable the delivery of pumps as selected by the Department within the eligibility criteria of the program.

The Department has advised that while the evaluation panel recognised the value of having a choice of products, ultimately a single supplier was chosen on the basis that this would result in additional people being able to benefit from the program. This was considered particularly important as the program provides insulin pumps to people who would otherwise have no opportunity to access insulin pump therapy.

The Medtronic 770g insulin pump was previously available via the IPP. Following the recent changes, the only pump now available through the IPP is the mylife YpsoPump with Cam APS FX.

JDRF Australia are working with Ypsomed and the Department of Health to provide access to the YpsoPump with Cam APS FX as quickly as possible. We have notified diabetes teams of the changes to the IPP and will work with them to prioritise pump allocations and approvals based on clinical need.

The tender process was initially expected to be completed by 30 June 2023, and ongoing delays in this process resulted in the IPP being put on hold. We understand that this has been frustrating for both T1D community members and diabetes teams.

We will keep you and your diabetes care teams updated.

If your/your child’s current pump is still under warranty, the warranty remains and the manufacturer will continue to honour it, so you don’t need to do anything.

If your/your child’s pump is out of warranty or close to being out of warranty and you’d like to receive a new one through the IPP, you need to submit a new application.

Remember, the new pump on offer will be the YpsoPump with Cam APS FX.

If you’re happy to go ahead with your application, you don’t need to do anything.

If you’ve put in a new application for yourself or your child, or still need to provide us with paperwork, keep an eye out for our emails letting you know what your next step will be.

If you’ve provided all your paperwork and have been waiting for the IPP to restart, hang tight. We’ll be contacting your diabetes team for clinical approval to go ahead with the YpsoPump. Be sure to contact your team if you have any questions regarding this change.

If you decide that you want to withdraw your application, please contact us to let us know. You can email us at pumps@jdrf.com.au or call 02 8364 0230.

If you’d like to access a pump through the IPP for yourself or your child, the first step is to speak to your/your child’s diabetes educator.

If they are supportive of pump therapy, you can fill out an application on our website. JDRF will commence the application process to determine if you/your child meet the eligibility criteria.

The pump now available through the IPP is the mylife YpsoPump, which works alongside the CamAPS FX app, available on select Android smartphone devices (more information below).

This can be used with the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and CamAPS FX app for automated insulin delivery.

The YpsoPump CamAPS FX is compatible with the same Android smartphone devices that are also compatible with the Dexcom G6 CGM.

You can refer to the Android devices on the Dexcom webpage.

If you don’t have access to a compatible device, an Android smartphone can be provided by Ypsomed to the pump recipient. Data will not be included.

Speak to your diabetes team if this is a concern for you.

There are three different ways a family or carer can view insulin, bolus and CGM trace information and/or receive alerts remotely.

1. Companions
The mylife CamAPS FX app allows you to share your data (CGM data, insulin data and alerts) with up to 10 “companions”. Companion remote monitoring mirrors the data from the mylife CamAPS FX app.

To access the Companion remote monitoring feature, carers will require a separate Android smartphone device. This can be any Android device and does not need to be on the Dexcom G6 compatibility list.

The YpsoPump only requires Bluetooth to connect to a CGM and the mylife CamAPS FX App, but mobile data and or wi-fi access is required to share data with “companions”.

2. SMS alerts
Carers who don’t have access to another Android device or don’t want to purchase a separate Android phone can access SMS phone alerts via their existing smartphone device. If this option is preferred, the child/pump user’s phone will need to have a SIM card.

3) Glooko app
Alternatively, carers can use the Glooko app to view insulin and CGM data. There will, however, be a 45-60 minute delay in the data received, as Glooko isn’t designed to be a real-time monitoring system. If this option is preferred, carers will also need to purchase a data sim for the child/pump user’s phone.

Currently, the YpsoPump can be combined with the mylife CamAPS FX mobile applications and the Dexcom G6 CGM System for automated insulin delivery.

If you have any questions or concerns about the CGM you use (or would like to use), and how it works with the YpsoPump, speak to your diabetes team.

The YpsoPump reservoirs hold 1.6ml. As they are glass, they can be prefilled and kept in the fridge. In addition, the prefilled glass insulin reservoirs are stable at room temperature for up to seven days, so users can change the reservoir on the go.

Ypsomed will also provide a storage box for the prefilled reservoirs, so they can easily be changed if needed between set changes.

If you have any concerns about this, speak to your diabetes cares team for their guidance.

JDRF Australia has been assured by Ypsomed that there is adequate supply to provide pumps and consumables committed to the IPP.

All training for the YpsoPump will be done with your diabetes team in tandem with Ypsomed Reps.

There is also an online component that will be available. If you proceed with the YpsoPump, JDRF will share a link to this training once your pump has been approved and ordered.

If you have questions about the YpsoPump and related technology, you can read more about the pump.

You can also call Ypsomed on 1800 447 042.

Outside of the IPP, other avenues for accessing an insulin pump include going through private health insurance or purchasing them directly for the manufacturer, though both options can be costly.

We recommend speaking to your diabetes teams about your best option.

We understand this was an unexpected outcome for many people and is causing some concern.

JDRF is working closely with Ypsomed and diabetes teams to ensure community members can access the YpsoPump as quickly as possible and has the support they need to start using or transition to using the pump.

If you’d like to express your concerns regarding the impact of this change, you can email JDRF at pumps@jdrf.com.au. We can forward your concerns to the Department of Health.

For anything else, you can contact Melanie Cullen from JDRF Australia’s IPP team via email at mcullen@jdrf.org.au, or call 02 8364 0230.