British Columbia Expects $1 Billion In Extra Health Care Cost By 2014 Due To High Diabetes Rate

November 27, 2009 8:30 a.m. EST

Vancouver, British Columbia (AHN) - At the rate new diabetes cases are being diagnosed and confirmed in British Columbia, the province would incur an extra $1 billion in medical cost by 2014. In 1998, there were 133,000 confirmed BC diabetics, after a decade the figure has risen to 285,000.

BC's problem with the rising number of diabetics reflects what's happening in Canada where there are two million residents confirmed to have the ailment and another five million considered pre-diabetics.

The Canadian Diabetes Association estimates one BC resident is diagnosed to have problems with his insulin production every 20 minutes. The majority of them are children and young adults. This has alarmed the province's health officials.

At the rate of diabetes confirmations, health experts estimate the number of BC diabetics will soar to 390,000 by 2014. If the province could reduce its diabetes rate by one-fourth, it could cut medication cost by $200 million within 10 years.

To help diabetic residents cope with medical costs, BC started to allocate in 2008 $1.5 million yearly to provide 200 new insulin pumps to residents 18 years old and below with type 1 diabetes and provides coverage for insulin pump reservoirs for diabetes of all ages who use the pumps to manage their disease.