Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are 130,000 Australians with type 1 diabetes. It is a condition that is growing at the rate of 3,500 patients per year and affects many people in my electorate of Moore. I welcome the announcement by the health minister this week that the federal government will invest an extra $100 million over four years to support patients with type 1 diabetes by making continuous glucose monitoring devices available to more than 37,000 Australians. This new initiative will save families up to $7,000 per year. From 1 March 2019, eligibility for fully subsidised continuous glucose monitoring devices will be expanded under the National Diabetes Services Scheme to include: women with type 1 diabetes while pregnant, breastfeeding or actively planning a pregnancy; people with type 1 diabetes who are 21 years or older who have concessional status and who have high clinical need, such as those experiencing recurrent severe hypoglycemic events; children and young people with conditions similar to type 1 diabetes who require insulin—this includes a range of conditions, such as cystic fibrosis related diabetes or neonatal diabetes. Expanding access to these glucose monitoring devices may offer many other health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety.