Demonstrating Diabetes Leadership in Canada

Great to see the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has updated its website on DIABETES, to increase diabetes awareness and make important, relevant information even easier for Canadians to find. Check out the site at https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/chronic-diseases/diabetes.html.

The new website includes the page "What Canada's doing", reflecting Govt's diabetes-related priorities from the Framework for Diabetes in Canada. Per the infographic below, one of the priority components of the Framework is to advance efforts that improve access to diabetes devices, medicines and financial supports.

The Government of Canada could demonstrate and promote its leadership in this regard by providing all federal public service employees and dependents with insulin-dependent diabetes, including those with type 2 and gestational diabetes, with coverage for real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) devices. The vast majority of Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) members utilizing insulin, at higher risk of diabetes disability, do not have coverage for the rtCGM device standard of care today.

Modernizing PSHCP benefits policy by closing this significant gap in diabetes device access (for thousands of federal health plan members in need) would make a significant contribution towards Govt's desired outcome of "better health outcomes for Canadians". It's a person-centered diabetes care and policy approach that would not only support innovation, but also address health equity challenges perpetuated by the inequitable rtCGM coverage policy in place today.