Evidence of meeting #124 for Health in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was access.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
So the public drug insurers chose not to cover that particular type because of the cost associated with it. But they are approved for use in Canada. Is that right?
Outreach Diabetes Case Manager, Dietitian, Diabetes Education, Horizon Health Network
Absolutely.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
So insulin generally is approved, but specific types of it, manufactured in different ways, fast- or slow-acting, are not covered, even by the drug insurer.
Do you know if private insurers cover them?
Outreach Diabetes Case Manager, Dietitian, Diabetes Education, Horizon Health Network
Private insurance has much more liberal coverage of those types of insulin. Depending on the plan—a group plan versus your own personal private plan—there will be much better coverage. Usually we can get it if they need it. If they have a private plan, it's covered.
Conservative
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
I'd like to go back to the 14 to 10 hours. It's a lifetime condition that you have to deal with. Just as a comparison, based on StatsCan and other publicly available information, the average Canadian spends about 14 hours a week on their cellphone. That's what we're talking about here. The average Canadian spends 16 hours a week playing video games. We all know people who spend way too much time doing something that is not healthy for them.
In comparison, diabetics are trying to stay productive and have a quality of life they enjoy. When we make that comparison, going from 14 to 10 hours, as I'm proposing, including the time to calculate and the stress relief that comes with it, how much of that do you think would help diabetics?
North American Coordinating Committee Member, Advocate with the 100 Campaign, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines
I think I've made my thoughts fairly clear on this topic. I don't know if I need to belabour that point.
Outreach Diabetes Case Manager, Dietitian, Diabetes Education, Horizon Health Network
I would agree that whatever we can do for people living with diabetes to enhance the criteria to meet that 10 hours would give them the benefit of the credit.
Conservative
The Vice-Chair Conservative Marilyn Gladu
I'm really sorry, but that concludes our time for testimony. We have a vote to get to.
Thank you so much for coming. Please excuse us while we do our parliamentary duty.
The meeting is adjourned.