Advocating for insulin pump access for more Australians

Why it matters

Every person living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) manages the daily burden of monitoring glucose and delivering insulin to stay alive. Advances in technology have transformed how this can be done, but due to cost, not everyone in the community can access these benefits.

Our current advocacy campaign is focused on changing this, to ensure every Australian impacted by T1D can access an insulin pump as well as a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

Breakthrough T1D’s amazing advocates, all across the country, are helping to drive this campaign and raise the profile of the need for expanded insulin pump access.

T1D technology in Australia

Research has shown that the most effective way to manage T1D is through an automated insulin delivery system (or AID system), which combines an insulin pump with a CGM. This is considered the standard of care of T1D.

While CGMs are widely used and subsidised for every Australian with T1D, for too many people, insulin pumps remain out of reach due to their cost.

Currently, only 30% of people with T1D use an insulin pump.

Avenues for insulin pump access

There are currently 2 ways to access an insulin pump in Australia:

through private health insurance, which can be prohibitively expensive
for a limited number of people, via the Government’s Insulin Pump Program, which is administered by Breakthrough T1D and is currently restricted to people up to age 21 who meet specific medical and financial criteria.

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What we’re asking for

What we’re asking for

In 2024, a Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes recommended expanding access to pumps for people with T1D. The diabetes sector has come together to agree on what we’re asking the Government to do about this.

Similarly to how CGM subsidisation was rolled out, we are proposing expanded access to insulin pumps for people with T1D through a staged process:

Beginning with people with T1D who need access to insulin pumps most urgently
Expanding to all people with T1D, so the benefits of AID Systems can be accessible to the entire T1D community

We propose that the priority groups who make up the initial rollout include children and young adults under 21, people with socioeconomic disadvantage, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people planning pregnancy or pregnant.

Why now?

Technology works best together

Pumps and CGMs deliver the greatest benefits when combined

Equity

No one should miss out on standard of care because of cost or age

Impact

Long term, access to pumps will ensure better overall health outcomes, fewer hospitalisations and improved quality of life for the community

“Three years ago, my son was able to access a pump via the Insulin Pump Program. This life-changing support has given him the freedom he deserves as a child, allowing him to manage his T1D. As an Indigenous family in regional Queensland, we had no other means of affording such vital care.

“Now, I face an unimaginable fear when Sydney reaches the end of the current program. How will he afford an insulin pump? As a single mother relying on Centrelink, I am terrified that my son won’t survive as a young adult with a chronic illness.”

– Mum to son with T1D, age 14, diagnosed aged 2

“Being a young, single mum to 2 boys is the most important role in my life, but it’s also the hardest, especially because I live with T1D. My diabetes team recommended an insulin pump to help me manage my condition, but because the cost to get one is so expensive, I can’t afford one. This means I am missing out on the health benefits it brings in managing blood glucose levels and the improvements in my quality of life, which would allow me more time to spend with my boys.”

– 24-year-old with T1D

“One of my patients was diagnosed with T1D aged 38. He is now 67, still working full-time, and experiencing diabetes burnout and distress. He can’t afford to take out private health insurance at this stage in his life, and would need to access his superannuation to afford an insulin pump. His HbA1c has been at or around 11% for over 12 months, and he’s starting to show signs of long-term complications, such as retinopathy. Access to a subsidised insulin pump would improve this gentleman’s health outcomes significantly and improve his quality of life without undue financial burden.”

– Healthcare professional at an adult diabetes clinic in regional NSW, speaking about a 67-year-old patient