Notley: funding insulin pumps a matter of fairness

September 12, 2011

Alberta’s NDP Opposition MLA Rachel Notley says an NDP government would fully fund insulin pumps for Albertans after it was revealed Albertans are paying thousands out of pocket for the devices.

"Alberta families are not getting a fair deal. They’re paying the most out of pocket in the country. Alberta is one of only three provinces that doesn’t fund insulin pumps for children," Notley says. "We’re going to fix our healthcare system, and it begins by making sure no one is paying out of pocket for such basic services."

The Canadian Diabetes Association issued a report today showing Albertans are paying as much as $6,800 per family per year out of pocket for insulin pumps. Public funding for insulin pumps would save the province $10 million by 2032, says the report, because pumps lead to better health than daily injections.

"The bedrock of our health system is making sure your health is not determined by your wealth. These are unreasonable costs for families in such a fortunate province," Notley says. “I don’t want to see anybody having to take daily injections just because they can’t afford to pay for an insulin pump. It’s better for the patient and better for the health system that everyone gets access to the best equipment.

"One advantage of our publicly funded and publicly delivered health system is that we can use public dollars smartly like this to reduce the overall cost of our health system. The fact that the PC government has so far refused to improve the healthcare system by funding insulin pumps is another reason the PCs should not be trusted with our healthcare."