peterdc22

Hi


Can anyone provide me with any information regarding Type 1 Diabetics for UK residents moving to Canada?


Thanks

christmasoompa

Hi, and welcome to BE.

What kind of information are you after? As you've posted in the visa section, I assume you're worried about failing the visa medical due to it? That's not likely, so don't worry about that. To fail the medical, CIC would need to think you'd cost the Canadian healthcare service more than approx $6k a year in treatment, and I'd guess that would be highly unlikely? Especially as you have to pay full price for your prescription drugs yourself in Canada (not subsidised unlike the NHS), so they wouldn't be included in that $6k.

If it's general info you're after such as the cost of drugs or treatment, then let me know and I'll move your thread to the main forums.

HTH.

peterdc22

Hi thanks for the reply and information if you could please move the thread as mentioned as I would like more information on cost and stuff but to be honest any information would be helpful, because I don't know much about the subject.

Thanks

SchnookoLoly

Having just had to purchase some myself... can't speak for the insulin, but for the testing stuff:

Testing strips, a box of 100 runs you about $120 or so.
Lancets, a box of 100 runs about $15.

As Oompa said, it's not covered by provincial health care, at least not in Ontario. However my medical benefits between my work and my husband's work fully cover the cost of the materials.

I'm not on insulin, though, so I can't speak for the cost of all that and how much is or is not covered.

Aviator

Some are in BC. Pharmacare pick up the cost after ones deductible is met, costs would come into medical calculation, as some provinces cover it.

nativenewyorker

I have 2 different types of insulin and they cost $600 for 7 boxes which is roughly 3 months supply (solostar pens). Fortunately it is paid for by my husband's extended health plan.

ann m

I would budget for a couple of hundred dollars a month, and aim to find an employer who offers an extended health care plan as soon as practical!

Between my plan and my husband's plan, all our daughter's medications and supplies are covered 100%, thank god. She is already worrying about how she will afford it when she leaves education if her first jobs don't offer a health plan. And potentially it could guide her to a more traditional career that offers benefits. Or she'll go back to the UK.

In Alberta at 65 yrs, the province picks up most of the diabetic education costs.

SchnookoLoly

a friend of mine is a type 1 diabetic. When she was between jobs she took a contract position and got private benefits I think through blue cross, and that covered most but not all of her medication and equipment. Something for your daughter to look into if required.

scrubbedexpat091

Move to a province that offers better medication coverage?


How common are benefits in Canada in general? I've only worked at 1 place that offered them, and haven't been able to find anywhere that does offer them, but maybe you need to be in the higher end professional jobs for them?

Siouxie

You can get a free Accu-check tester and 100 lancets

BristolUK

My current meter was free There's usually some sort of offer around. Most usually involve a free meter if you buy 100 strips which sounds great but I remember noticing a bunch of them in Walmart and a few were under $10 with one as little as $4.

Free as long as you spend around $100 doesn't sound so good then.

Doctors/diabetic clinics can supply them too.

Before my wife died she was having a very expensive treatment and the cost of the drug used (remicade) was a ridiculous $7k every 6 weeks. It being so high (more than income) meant the province gave us both the maximum drug coverage and it included diabetic supplies.

Our testing/shooting regime meant us getting through 100 strips each every 25 days, so the monthly need was for 120.

Unbelievably, the province couldn't handle billing every 25 days and "had" to do it monthly.

So in order to supply us with 120 and with the pharmacy selling them in batches of 100, every month we were provided with 200. Each.

They couldn't even work it as 300 (200 for one and 100 for the other) to cover the need for 240 which would still have been excessive but not as excessive as 400 every month. Unbelievable waste.

Every now and then, we didn't take the monthly supply but that just seemed to create additional admin problems so we just had what was provided and stockpiled.

phasee

I just bought my supplies online. I used diabetesdepot.org

I bought 5x3ml cartridges of insulin
I was given a free pen to go with those cartridges (I was using pre-filled pens until now, but the cartridges are cheaper)
I got 2 boxes of needles (100 needles per box)
2 boxes of lancets

That ran me about $160 including delivery

Didn't have to buy test strips this time but they cost me about $75 per 100.

I don't have insurance, so pay out of pocket. Bought these mid-July. Should be good till at least the end of August.

Steve_

Depends on the province and what they cover. It does vary.