| Basic maths will show just how awfully bad this funding is, and how discriminatory it will be to obtain one with funding support. There is no policy currently that states pumps will be subsidised by $2500, only the join DA/JDRF Submission. Ontop of this, some pumps will not be supported, and some will be pushed quite hard (look at Levemir/Lantus struggle to get on PBS for reference).
Having said that, let's look at the outright cost of a pump in Australia: average around $8500.
So, $5.5million divided by $8500 = ~600 pumps (administration costs included)
Over 4 years, that means that only 150 pumps will be offered each year if subsidised at full price.
It's a VERY poor policy. Notwithstanding the good vibes of it all, it's not going to do much. The waiting lists will be long and very highly competitive as a result.
The former Liberal Government's promise of $22m alone for Insulin pumps meant four times the amount of pumps would be offered. The ease at which pumps are available through insurance is ridiculous.
This $5.5m over 4 years should be spent on expanding NDSS to fully cover pump consumables just like syringes, insulin pens and needles.
__________________ Alex Type 1 & proud - since March 1989. ALEX'S BLOG & WEBSITE: http://diabetes-youth.com/ Animas 2020 with NovoRapid since 22 May 2008. 
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