Ben Morton (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have received contact from a number of my constituents about continuous glucose monitors—CGMs. People with type 1 diabetes must monitor their glucose levels day and night. CGMs do that, continuously recording a person's glucose level and setting off an alarm if it drops below a certain point. These are life-saving devices, but they can be expensive for families and young people. This government has announced it will expand the free access to glucose monitoring devices for pregnant women, children and more adults with type 1 diabetes, saving people up to $7,000 a year. This investment of more than $100 million in additional funding over the next four years will ensure free glucose monitoring devices are available to over 37,000 people with type 1 diabetes. This government has already made glucose monitoring products available to young people under 21 with type 1 diabetes. Nearly 9½ thousand young Australians are already using these important free devices. With this funding boost, CGMs will bring peace of mind to more Australians with type 1 diabetes, improving their quality of life now and into the future.

Other measures for people with type 1 diabetes delivered by this budget include lower patient co-payments for blood glucose test strips, lower co-payments for insulin pump consumables for concession card holders, and expanding the insulin pump program for children of low-income families. This government is committed to giving all Australians better access to life-saving, life-improving medicines, treatment and prevention. Correspondence with one of my constituents best describes the difference in patients' lives in one family with CGMs: 'Thank you for funding the life-saving capacity of CGM technology for Australians under 21 with type 1 diabetes,' he wrote. Even in a few short months we know that those who have experienced CGM say it's changed their life. One constituent continued, 'My wife was hospitalised due to complications arising from her type 1 diabetes. If she had been on a CGM we would have avoided that traumatic experience. My wife and I trialled with it and she has already seen a huge improvement in her health and her results.'

So thank you to the health minister for the $100 million committed by this government to expand free access to glucose monitoring devices. As our economy continues to improve under responsible economic management, I'm fully supportive of any opportunity this government has to add fully funded CGMs for adults with type 1 diabetes to the National Diabetes Service Scheme. I want to make sure that even more patients have access—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Sitting suspended from 16:38 to 16:50