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Advocacy - British Columbia
REALITY CHECK: Canadians with Diabetes Speak Out
Jamie Waterlow, 24 - Vancouver, British Columbia
Jamie has lived with type 2 diabetes since 1995. He works full-time earning less than $30,000 a year. Besides the diabetes medications that are covered by BC Pharmacare, Jamie’s doctors have also prescribed two insulins that are not covered by the provincial plan. Jamie needs to pay $185 each month out of his own pocket.
Other costs such as corrective footwear to help reduce Jamie’s risk of foot injury, annual medi-alert fees, podiatry visits, and over the counter skin lotions all add up each month. Because he lives with his parents, Jamie is not faced with the financial burdens experienced by many with diabetes, though the costs still place a pressure on his family’s budget.
Like all young adults, Jamie looks forward to moving out on his own, but he worries about his ability to pay for his diabetes medications and supplies. He believes that the cost of managing his diabetes has strongly impacted his independence and ability to be self-supporting. Jamie takes daily insulin injections and oral medications. He tests his blood glucose three or four times daily. He sees his endocrinologist twice a year and has annual meetings with a dietitian and diabetes educator.
Sometimes he stretches the time between his glucose blood testings. “I know I have sometimes tested less because it’s so expensive. I would like to test more but, at a buck a piece, test strips are so expensive,” he says.