The Cost of Diabetes

photo by Charles Earl

The test strips can cost between $75 to over $100 for a box of 100. 6 strips a day equals 2190 a year, which is 21.9 boxes or $1752 a year at an average cost of $80 per box of 100). The lancets are $10 a box for 100. 6 lancets a day also equals 2190 a year which is 21.9 boxes or $219. For a total cost of $1917. This is a monthly cost of $164.25.

Private insurance should cover 70% but your insurance program may have a limit on the amount it covers. If you don’t have private insurance, you can get support from the Ontario Monitoring for Health Program which covers “75% reimbursement up to a maximum of $920 per year. This means that you can submit up to $1227 in receipts for strips and lancets each year; the program will reimburse 75% ($920).”

FSL2 sensors are $97 for 14 days or 6.93 a day x 365 days = $2528.93, which is $210.74 a month. And these aren’t covered unless you take insulin.

For those taking insulin or using medication, there are more costs to deal with.

Since the test strips are so expensive, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that some people with diabetes do not test their blood sugar levels as often as they should. There’s really no reason why everyone with diabetes shouldn’t have free or cheap access to continuous glucose monitors or free access to test strips and lancets, as well as their meds. According to a report from Diabetes Canada dated 2019, one in three Canadians is living with diabetes or prediabetes.

 And how does this differ across the country?

According to Lisa Priest of HealthyDebate.ca in 2013: “Out-of-pocket costs for patients with Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, were lowest per year for those living in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, where it is fully covered. In the Yukon, there is a $250 deductible, then full coverage.

The next lowest provinces are Quebec ($1,546.58) and Saskatchewan ($1,870.50). The highest costs were encountered in New Brunswick ($3,426.99), Newfoundland and Labrador ($3,396.04) and Prince Edward Island ($3036.31). Ontario ($2,073.50) was considered a middle performer. That compares to the Canadian average ($1,824.97), according to June 2011 data provided by the Canadian Diabetes Association. Those figures are based on payments made by those with an annual individual income of $30,000. In many cases, the out-of-pocket increases for those with the higher incomes of $43,000 and $75,000, save for the Yukon, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, where the amounts are the same, no matter the income.”

Given the large number of people with diabetes / prediabetes, it makes no sense that coverage isn’t 100% for everyone in Canada.