Diabetic foot ulcers are serious wounds that are common, debilitating and one of the most feared consequences of diabetes. They are also the leading cause of all non-traumatic amputations below the knee in Canada.
As of January 1, 2023, all five B.C Health Authorities can provide total contact cast (TCC) services for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. In addition, for clients with BC Pharmacare coverage, custom orthotics and adaptive shoes will be covered for those with diabetic foot ulcers recently healed with total contact casting.
Diabetes Canada, Wounds Canada and the Canadian Podiatric Medical Association applaud this new policy from the Ministry of Health of British Columbia, the first province in Canada to provide this type of coverage for newly healed diabetic foot ulcers.
This mark significant progress, and we encourage governments to take additional steps by adding supports for upstream care in the form of screening and preventative foot care.
“Diabetes Canada has long-advocated for TCC’s to be covered by provincial health-care plans, so we are encouraged to see governments stepping up and adopting life-altering supports such as these for people living with diabetes,” says Joan King, Director of Government Affairs with Diabetes Canada.“We continue to call on provincial governments to fund and implement the diabetes framework, which will help improve the lives of even more people with diabetes, reduce the growing burden on the health-care system, and help inform these types of decisions.”
"I am pleased to see the BC government move in the direction of supporting standard of care for the treatment of active diabetic and post-healed foot wounds,” says Mariam Botros, CEO of Wounds Canada. “ I look forward to additional policies aimed at preventing diabetic foot ulcers from occurring in the first place through fully funded preventative foot care.”
“Appropriate off-loading footwear in recently-healed diabetic foot ulcers is critical to avoiding future recurrences. Ideally, we could do this (ie. funding for off-loading footwear) on a preventative basis so that the ulcers don’t form in the first place,” says Dr. John Hwang, Physician Lead of the Fraser Health Authority Complex Wound Centre.”With that being said, I think this is a great first step in the right direction.”