Type 1 diabetics say something is missing from Manitoba's new program to cover insulin pumps for young adults

Type 1 diabetics in Manitoba are upset that the province's new insulin pump program for young adults doesn't include one of the most popular, easy-to-use devices in its coverage.

On July 29, the province released a list of supplies covered by the young adult insulin pump program, which reimburses Type 1 diabetics age 18 to 25 for the cost of their medical device.

Advocates like Trevor Kirczenow, whose 11-year-old son is diabetic, were disappointed that the popular Omnipod tubeless pump is not on the list.

Insulin pumps provide a continuous flow of insulin based on blood sugar levels. Without coverage, the out-of-pocket cost is in the thousands. 

"People are upset, frustrated, worried. They're hoping that this is just some horrible mistake, that that will be corrected really quickly," Kirczenow said.

Kirczenow is one of the founding members of the Emergency Diabetes Support for Manitobans group.

One of the members of the group told him that at a recent insulin pump education class, nine out of 10 families chose to go with the Omnipod pump, which is covered by the province for anyone under age 18.

"There's a 16-year-old in our group who just started on the Omnipod last year … he's approaching that 18-year mark and he's wondering what's going to happen to him."

Omnipod is the only tubeless pump on the market, Kirczenow said. It sticks to the body with a self-adhesive backing and administers the insulin through a cannula.

The devices that are covered by the province attach via a port on a person's body, and the insulin is dispensed through tubing. Users often carry the pump around in a backpack or clip it to their waistband.

"For people who are active and for children, that tubing can really be a pain," Kirczenow said.

The tubing can detach easily during activity, and reattaching it means inserting a needle again. Pumps with tubing also run the risk of disconnecting and cutting off the insulin supply without the user noticing.

An Omnipod pump costs around $6,300. 

A provincial spokesperson told CBC News they are negotiating with the company that makes the pump, and it may be added to the list of approved devices in the future.

Kirczenow said this response doesn't make sense, because the province already covers the Omnipod for users up to age 18.

Human rights complaint

For Brian MacKenzie, not covering the cost of the Omnipod pump is only one part of the problem. The 75-year-old Type 1 diabetic said only offering coverage for Manitobans up to age 25 is "almost criminal."

When the provincial government initially revealed its plans to offer the young adult insulin pump coverage, he filed a human rights complaint citing age discrimination.

"The government has said, 'Well, hey, anybody up to 25 should have [insulin pumps].' I mean, what makes people over 25 any different?" he said.

MacKenzie gives himself insulin injections five times a day, but at his age and stage in the degenerative disease, he doesn't think an insulin pump would make a big difference in his life.

"I didn't do it for me," he said of the human rights complaint. "I did it for the people that are 25 and over, who don't have insurance, who don't have benefits at work."

It's something Kirczenow has thought about, too: What will happen to his son when he ages out of coverage?

"If every decade we [only] improve coverage by, like, a seven-year gap, it's just not good enough," he said.