Insulin Pump Program

You will need to discuss the suitability of insulin pump therapy for yourself or your child with your/your child’s healthcare team.

To be eligible to receive an insulin pump under the program, an applicant must not be in receipt of, or be eligible to receive, any other means of reimbursement, including reimbursement via private health insurance, which may be used to assist the applicant to purchase an insulin pump. The applicant (or child on whose behalf the application is made), must be under 21 years of age on the date of application, and must hold or be listed on a current Medicare card.

Income eligibility

The applicant’s combined annual family income must be less than or equal to $117,348. This amount is based on FTB A for a family with one child and subject to annual changes made by Centrelink. Some consideration may be given for certain circumstances, please contact the IPP team at JDRF to discuss.

Applicants with an annual family income of more than $108,892 are not eligible to receive the subsidy unless they are caring for more than one child with T1D. Please contact the IPP team at JDRF for further information.

Clinical eligibility

As part of the application process, your healthcare team (diabetes educator and paediatrician/endocrinologist) will be required to confirm that you meet the following clinical eligibility criteria:

• the recipient has T1D
• the recipient will benefit from a transition to, or continued insulin pump therapy
• the recipient/carer has demonstrated willingness to check blood glucose levels four or more times per day
• the recipient/carer has demonstrated competence at injecting insulin using pens/syringes
• the insulin pump initiation will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team
• the initiating team makes a commitment to the transition and a system to ensure follow-up and ongoing support.

You will not be eligible to receive an insulin pump under this program if you have access to other means of reimbursement, such as private health insurance.

Australians with private health insurance covering insulin pumps will generally be eligible for full reimbursement of their pump by their health fund, following the relevant waiting period attached to their cover. If you have private health insurance, please contact your insurer for more information about how to receive funding through private health insurance.

The following pump is available under the Insulin Pump Program: mylife YpsoPump with CamAPS FX.

Pumps are given with approximately one-month initial supply of pump consumables

The mylife YpsoPump can be immersed to a depth of 1 m for up to 60 minutes.

We recommend that you check with the respective pump manufacturer for more information and clarification.

There are a range of CGM devices available through the NDSS. Pump recipients who wish to use CGM technology have the option to select a CGM device that works with their pump or, where a compatible device is not available, they are able to select a CGM device that works independently of an insulin pump.

The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) provides access to a large range of subsidised products to help people with diabetes manage their condition. These products include subsidised insulin pump consumables for approved persons.

Healthcare teams can complete the NDSS Registration Form and/or Insulin Pump Consumables Assessment Form as appropriate. Once your patient has registered with the NDSS, they will be able to purchase subsidised products through the NDSS. For more information, contact the NDSS on 1300 136 588; alternatively, email ndss@diabetesaustralia.com.au or visit the NDSS website.

You will receive a phone call and email from JDRF after your clinical eligibility has been confirmed, to let you know that you have been approved for a fully subsidised insulin pump under the program.

In the circumstance where your application has been assessed as eligible for subsidy and the funding for the program has been exhausted, your application will be put on a waiting list for eligible applicants and you will be informed about the status of your application by JDRF Australia.

Program recipients will be receiving their pumps fully subsidised by the program. No payments will be made to the applicants or the recipients.

You can opt out at any time of the process by contacting JDRF.

Applicants with a combined family income of up to $117,348 will be eligible to receive a fully subsidised insulin pump for each of their children living with type 1 diabetes.

Applicants with a family income of more than $117,348 are not eligible to receive an insulin pump through the Insulin Pump Program unless they are caring for more than one child with type 1 diabetes.

Please contact the IPP team at JDRF for further details.

Subject to continuing to meet the program criteria, previous recipients can apply for a new pump subsidy under the following circumstances:

• The manufacturer’s warranty (generally 4 years) on the insulin pump has expired.
• Recipients who received their insulin pumps under the Program between their 17th and 18th birthday (inclusive) can lodge an application for a new pump prior to the expiry of their pump warranty. These recipients can apply for a new pump between three (3) months prior to their 21st birthday and one (1) day prior to their 21st birthday. Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, the place of their application in the waiting list and the availability of funds, these recipients will be eligible to receive a replacement pump when the warranty of their existing pump expires.