For Immediate Release August 24, 2013
PORT DOVER – Diabetics are starting to pay the price for the billions of dollars the government wasted on scandals like Ornge air ambulance and eHealth.
Effective Aug. 1, the Ministry of Health implemented changes that restrict the number of glucose monitoring strips for diabetes patients. Used with a blood glucose meter, the strips are an important method of monitoring blood sugar for diabetics.
“It frustrates me when we have excellent technology to deal with a health care issue – in this case diabetes – and the money the government wasted could have prevented cutbacks to these vital measures,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett. “On top of that, remember Ontario residents pay a health care tax this government implemented. Since then, what Ontarians receive for their health care dollar has decreased,
not increased.”
Barrett also questioned if this decision was short-sighted. The strips are an important monitoring tool for the management of diabetes. Properly-managed diabetes results in less severe complications such as heart disease and blindness which cost more to treat in the long run.
According to media reports, the change will save $15 to $25 million per year.
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For more information contact
MPP Toby Barrett at 1-800-903-8629 or 519-428-0446