MEMBER for Calare John Cobb says he won’t back a push to subsidise Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) until he knows how many “high-risk” people need the device and how well it operates.
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Mr Cobb’s comments come after Louisa Brooks, who has type 1 diabetes, recently addressed Federal Parliament in Canberra.
Ms Brooks was seeking government funding, along with the Danii Meads Barlow Foundation (DANII Foundation), for people who cannot afford the $5000 cost of a CGM.
The CGM enables people with Type 1 diabetes to avoid finger pricks and constant checking of blood-sugar levels.
According to Ms Brooks the device allowed her to have “my first full-night sleep in 21 years”.
However, according to Mr Cobb he doesn’t know enough about the device to be able to endorse it.
“I want to make sure it does what it’s supposed to do,” Mr Cobb said.
He said he also wants to know how many people would qualify as being “high-risk” and in need of the device.
“Not everyone with type 1 diabetes is at high risk,” he said.
“I know parents of children with type 1 diabetes might be terrified their children might pass away in the night so they would be high-risk patients,” he said.
“I think all children under 16 years old are high risk and really need to be looked after.”
Mr Cobb said during his political career he had met with many people who have diabetes or had children with diabetes and he was sympathetic to their need for the device to be more affordable.
“I know for an awful lot of people this (an CGM) is out of their reach,” Mr Cobb said.
A spokesperson for the department of health said the Turnbull Government is working closely with health care professionals to manage chronic illness through the development of its National Diabetes Strategy.
“It’s important any new treatments or devices for chronic illnesses are evidence-based and any changes carried out in close consultation with patients and clinicians,” she said.
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au
