CFN – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is being hailed as a villain by many Seniors and patients with type 2 diabetes after it was discovered that strips used to test patients blood will be limited and in some cases not covered by Provincial health plans any longer in a bid to save the Province $25M per year.
The penny wise pound foolish move would impact over 150,000 patients. The strips cost approximately .75 cents per, but some patients test multiple times per day and costs add up, especially for seniors or those on fixed incomes.
As of August, instead of testing as prescribed by their doctors patients will be limited to 200-400 strips annually with those on Insulin granted more.
CFN received comment from Progressive Conservative Health Critic Christine Elliot;
I’m disappointed to hear yet another short sighted announcement from the Liberal government to cut millions in funding for diabetes management tools. This decision doesn’t take into account people’s desire to take control of their own health care and ultimately, the cut may end up costing the province more through increased complications and hospitalizations that could have otherwise been prevented.
What do you think Ontario viewers of CFN? Is this going to really save the Province money in the long run? You can post your comments below.
Complete bull shit. … I already have to pay for my needles outa pocket because trillium wont cover them when im on injections .. And an extra 300$every 3 months when im on my pump cuz the government only pays for so much … Now i have to pay for test strips on top of it ?!?..But if i quit my job and go on welfair all my medical is covered .Makes so much fucking sence .Keep up the good work
Shame on you Wynn !! I just want to know WHY ? WILL YOU GIVE ME,A DIABETIC ON A FIXED INCOME A SENSIBLE REASON??
Why will someone please tell me why all governments cut assistance programs that greatly affect negatively on our poor and impoverished folks. Do our governments do any strategic planning with grassroots people before making these hideous and reckless decisions? We need leaders in our country who have the balks to hit on those who endanger our environments, and are able to hire the best of lawyer
This is so disgusting to learn. My older sister has Type 2 diabetes and her blood sugar levels fluctuate a lot. She basically relies on the test strips to figure out when she needs a healthy snack. This cut will affect her in a huge way. She is on a pension income and has cut back on fresh fruits and veggies due to their cost. There has to be a limit somewhere with our government cutting back
Years ago I worked with a woman with type 1 diabetes and seeing how she was going into an insulin shock and practically a coma scared the living hell out of us in our unit. I had to ride the ambulance with her to the Civic Hospital every day (no kidding) and she couldn’t afford the ambulance anymore and we had to learn how to bring her around. Diabetes is on the rise and mighty serious.
Agreed. Poor control will lead to more long term effects and hospitalizations. There must be better places to save money than this. Drug addicts get needles and mess for free yet diabetics are being penalized yet do not choose this life. Trust me. Get your head on straight Kathleen.
.diabetic…mother of diabetic…aunt of diabetic….great aunt of diabetic.
It surprises me that a story from three years ago still evokes so much response. Or maybe people weren’t paying attention when this story was news in 2013.
I think you’re dead on Hugger.
She needs to go before she bankrupts the entire Province. Between her and Dalton McQuinty we will all end up in the poor house. We are just surviving now, and we just received a notice that our mortgage was going up. We will not be able to afford to live and take our medicine as well.
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I knew about mortgage rates going up for a long time now and every time I would say something I would be accused by Hugger of being a conspiracy theorist or a nutcase by some. Many people are behind on their hydro bills and soon water will be more expensive than oil. How are people going to afford their medications and even food. Food is outrageous in price and so are meds.
DISGUSTNG!!! My husband is a brittle diabetic, he tests his sugars 5 x a day before his 4 injections a day. His sugars used to be so much worse to the point he has permanent nternal damage as a result of high sugars. How can diabetics try to help themselves when they can’t afford the necessites
This Is Penny pinching,to the Ultimate,This Liberal Government is Disgusting,hopefully their Union Cronies will realize This and not help to get them elected again?.
Ontario has approximately a third of the population of California and twice the debt. Who in right mind would buy Ontario bonds? Bankruptcy? When a province becomes a have not province (cannot cover its debt therefore requiring transfer payments from the federal government) bankruptcy as a term could apply. Ontario since 2009 has been in that position.
Actually Jules mortgage rates continue to stay stable or fall. The rate for our mortgage has fallen .5% since we took out our mortgage. As for hydro rates it’s McGuinty / Wynne and a green plan that was designed to fail before it even saw the light of day.
Did any of you folks go on Ottawa’s toilet papers of record and read about the liberal/fiberal health minister (a woman) who spent well over a thousand dollars using some limo to drive her throughout Greater TO. Go and check it out and Winnie the Poo is cutting on people’s diabetic strips. Shameful.
Perhaps the people with stories about hardship with the cutbacks on diabetic testing strips should contact the Premier’s Office. Bitching and chewing in a newspaper comment section on a story over three years old will not accomplish anything.
Testing strips are a major part of diabetes There are going to more complications in the future which will increase hospitalizations which will take a lot more money than funding test strips. A person who has diabetes and my child on one income it is hard enough with everything else you have to pay for. I think they are just trying to kill us all off. It is not a choice to have diabetes.
I don’t know what this is about because I have always had to pay for my strips ,They never would pay for them ,it costa me 100.00 everytime I get them ,1.00 a strip ,,
Sherry Grass you said the same words that my husband said over lunch today about taking away the diabetic strips to make people die. Nothing works anymore and my husband said: “Canada is finished, totally finished. He said take a good look at the people of Ottawa how they went downhill compared to past years and no jobs” and how true that is and getting worse all the time.
Christine your medical might be covered if you go on welfare but they don’t give enough for you to survive on. You would have to live in government housing in order to survive. Rents, utilities, food, etc. are skyrocketed beyond belief and I can tell you that I knew about all of this and more years ago in great detail that makes me depressed beyond words.
Welfare / social assistance should never be a career choice, even to get benefits. But that theory seems to be out the window in Cornwall and area.
Hugger welfare runs a lot in families and that is one of the problems in society today and even in the past. There are no jobs in Cornhole at all and I said many times over and over again that people had to leave that dead town and go elsewhere even out west. Cornhole was always known as “sticky town besides stinky town” and is completely finished.
Mr. Oldham you said it right on target. Ontario is very close to bankruptcy and this is no lie this is the full truth. I would never invest in this province or any other from what I know about. OMG folks learn to do a lot of things in the old ways because we are going to need them. Like Hugger said one time here we have to go out and protest about the health care, etc.
My daughter has thyroid disease and she just had a blood test last Monday morning and she had to fast because the doctor was doing some other tests as well. My daughter is on thyroid medicine for the rest of her life and this is a real epidemic as well. Get tested folks out there and it is dangerous enough and diabetes is a great deal worse.
There are jobs in Cornwall if you’re willing to get off your ass and work. The problem is that a lot of people here have the “society owes” me attitude. Thus they won’t get off their asses to even look for work.
Hugger there are very few jobs over the service/near minimum wage level, and of those, most of them are connected to the clique. IE if you are an outsider, unless it’s specialized, your odds of getting and keeping the gig are slim.
Admin..I agree to a certain point. The point I was trying to get across was the “society owes me” attitude that runs rampant in Cornwall.
Jamie you know all too well about that clique and believe me Jamie it has always existed. I remember a man who was French Canadian and he said that he couldn’t even get into Domtar as a push button monkey unless the clique pulled him in. I had minimum wage office jobs in Cornhole and they kept disappearing and we left for Ottawa. Cornhole is finished.
Jamie and Hugger in order for Cornhole to change you all in Cornhole (every citizen) has to chase out literally the clique out of town and that is the only solution and I am telling you the truth. If you all don’t do this then Cornhole is finished forever and there is no backing down folks you have to get rid of all of them by hook or by crook.
Hugger and Jamie one time I was at Corhole’s library on Second St. and a man was teaching this older man how to read since he never had the chance of going to school. You would be surprised how many people cannot read nor write in this “so called country of plenty” and many had to leave school to help support gigantic sized families and yes welfare ran in those families.
Insulin needles are covered under Assistive Devises Program (ADP) or company benefits. Just complete the application and take to your doctor to finish completion and send it in.
Here’s the link
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/adp/adp_fm.aspx
“Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne Cuts Diabetes Test Strip Funding as of August 1st”
terry parker….this story is over three years old.
How about cutting her salary and those of all politicians. We might see some action on financial waste reduction within all government bodies then.
And, yes I am one that will be affected by this.
Hugger
hopefully you become a diabetic some day and we will see if you still feel the same way
Real mature there matt12001….wishing a disease on someone.
Jamie and Hugger even if this story is three years old people have to get off their butts and fight to have something done. If you don’t fight for your rights then you are finished. Get in touch with Winnie the Poo as I call her and fight. You all don’t know me how mighty bad I can get because I am so polite here but I can tell you nobody would put the lid over me – I can be mighty upset.
I will tell you something about me. I don’t give a rat’s keester whether it be the PM, a President, or the queen of England or anywhere else. When it comes to my rights I will fight until death. I don’t know how many of you have gone to Trillium for help and you can ask about that but quitting your job is a no no – welfare is hell on earth so forget that system.
Jamie Justin Trudeau went and gave a man Gerald Butts a good $127K to move from TO to Ottawa and he sold his house and is a millionaire. I received an e-mail just a while ago from a man who has a site (Cdn) on politics and he asked me if I signed his petition and I said yes and was very happy to. Justin gave two other people big amounts as well to move on we taxpayers account. I am mad as hell.
Ontario is bankrupt and I read a piece about the Health Minister Phillpot I think is her name is talking about the health system is in big trouble. I knew that when our doctor retired and two other doctors told my daughter and I that it is finished the way doctors see their patients and are not being paid what they should be and lots of problems with the government.
The Ontario health system is in trouble due to three reasons. One…no contract between the OMA and the government. It’s the only way the doctors can fight back. Two…the provincial government continually cutting (or delisting) basic services. Three…the federal government continues to cut transfer payments to the provinces for health care services.
In June of this year my daughter went to a dermitologist that our doctor recommended. My daughter has another skin condition besides her psoriasis. The doctor asked my daughter if she had special coverage for meds and my daughter said no and was on low income as cashier. The tiny tube of meds cost $80.00 and the doctor gave her a few samples. Medicine is mighty expensive.
we should all quit our jobs and go on welfare…welfare people can get everything free and not pay into system… I am so angry as I live on a seniors pension…
I come from a large family. Along with my parents, I have 4 older brother’s, and two older sisters. I, being the youngest. Out of all of the nine of us…7 of us have type two diabetes. I take different types of pills, plus I require insulin at 10 p.m. every night! Along with diabetes I have partial lypo dystrophy. Managing my diabetes is complicated. My test strips is my lifeline!
I worked with diabetics here in Ottawa in the federal government and many had insulin reactions. Rosemarie with whom was in my unit went into diabetic reactions and was trying to climb the walls at work and people wondered if she was drunk but no she was very old fashioned and never touched a drop.
She has to find the funding for all the drug addicts doesn’t she? Shame on all you hard working diabetics that think you are above the junkies.
If any of you knew me personally I have a hard time to go and get a tylenol or aspirin for a headache and it has to be really bad before I take it. I am 100% and more against drugs that are illegal and dangerous. No needles, etc. should be furnished by the province or any other – let the druggies die and help people who need help who are living a healthy and good lifestyle. Let the others die.