A Cessnock resident living with type 1 diabetes is calling on the federal government for a medical technology subsidy to be made available to more people.

A report by JDRF Australia in 2021 found the incurable condition hits Australians in the hip pocket by a collective $2.9 billion in healthcare costs, reduced wellbeing, lower employment and additional care.

Now, Melinda Ferguson is appealing to the powers-that-be for some financial assistance.

The primary carer of her granddaughter, who lives with a severe disability, was initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the age of 54 after a motorbike accident.

However, after two weeks of hospitalisations and episodes of losing consciousness due to low blood sugar, her diagnosis was changed to type 1 diabetes.

“[It] was a big shock to the system,” she said.

“I kept passing out and going into a coma.”

However, like 70,000 other hardworking Australians, Ms Ferguson is missing out on a subsidy for Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) technology.

After spending upwards of $2,500 each year to use a CGM device, she’d like the federal government to broaden the criteria for this funding.

“I’ve signed so many different petitions over the past four years,” she said.

However, nothing has changed.”

More than 2,100 residents in the Newcastle and Hunter Valley are living with type 1 diabetes.

It is a chronic disease that requires frequent glucose monitoring and can lead to complications such as blindness, kidney damage, cardiovascular disease and amputations.

To best manage their condition, people living with diabetes must check their blood sugar levels regularly throughout the day.

This can either be done with the traditional finger-prick method where people draw blood from their fingertips or with newer CGM technology.

Ms Ferguson uses the FreeStyle Libre 2 CGM system to check her glucose levels daily by scanning the sensor on her arm with a smartphone.

“I could no longer go to work after I was diagnosed because I couldn’t manage my diabetes well enough,” the self-employed learning difficulty specialist said.

When Ms Ferguson started using CGM, she was quickly able to learn how to manage her condition better.

“It’s life-changing,” she said.

“I didn’t realise until I changed to CGM how nervous I was all the time, that if I was going to go too low during the night and I’d pass out and that no one would know or be able to care for my granddaughter.

“That has always been a big fear, but I didn’t realise how great it was.”

The eligibility criteria for the subsidy scheme currently include people with type 1 diabetes who are under 21 years of age, planning a pregnancy, pregnant, who have recently given birth, or are aged 21 years or older with valid concessional status.

This excludes most people who are currently in employment, such as Ms Ferguson.

“It’s become a really expensive exercise just to stay alive,” she said.

“Those who actually try and participate economically in this world, we’re penalised.”

NSW endocrinologist Dr Stephen Thornley said subsidising CGM for all with type 1 diabetes would revolutionise management for patients who don’t currently qualify.

“With improved control, people feel better and their capacity to work is improved, as is their efficiency at work,” he explained.

“Improved control for type 1 diabetes with CGM will have a favourable impact on reduced hospitalisation, which matters when the health system is under pressure from COVID-19.

“That has to lead to better quality of life, better outcomes in terms of fewer complications.

“Even paying a contribution towards the total cost of the sensors would help.

“Some patients would be happy to partially pay for CGM.”

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