Patients and clinicians step up pressure on government over diabetes technology funding

In response to a lack of funding commitment in the government’s protracted response to the diabetes inquiry, a new report argues that continued failure to expand access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology is shifting costs onto Australians living with diabetes, hospitals, and an increasingly strained healthcare system.

Supported by the Australian Diabetes Society (ADS), Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA), Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI), National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), Indigenous Urban Institute for Health (IUIH), and Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS), and funded by Abbott Diabetes Care, The Cost Of Inaction report sets out the escalating human and financial toll of delayed diabetes management reform.

Diabetes represents a significant and expanding national burden, with annual costs estimated at $17.6 billion. More than 1.5 million Australians are currently living with diagnosed diabetes, including 1.3 million with type 2 diabetes (T2D), with prevalence continuing to rise.

Professor Sof Andrikopoulos, CEO of ADS, argues that timely government intervention would bring Australia’s diabetes care closer to contemporary clinical standards while easing long-term system pressure.

“This report makes clear that the cost of inaction on diabetes technology access is being felt every day – by Australians living with diabetes and right across the healthcare system,” emphasised Professor Andrikopoulos. “While many Australians living with type 1 diabetes can already access subsidised CGM technology through the NDSS, other high-need populations continue to miss out despite strong clinical evidence supporting broader equitable access.”

The report estimates restricted CGM access contributes to approximately 15,720 avoidable hospitalisations each year, with associated hospital costs exceeding AU$110 million annually. That sits uncomfortably alongside the May Federal Budget, which included no new funding allocations for diabetes treatment, despite the Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes recommending improved access to diabetes technology in its July 2024 report.

Patient experience spotlights the practical reality behind those figures. Amy McLaren, described the burden of managing diabetes without CGM access during pregnancy.

“When pregnant I was performing finger prick checks multiple times a day to monitor my blood glucose, and I had to rely on a notebook to track my levels. It was stressful,” said Mclaren.

Currently, only 28% of Australians with T2D achieve recommended glycaemic targets, creating an elevated risk of acute and chronic complications, driving health deterioration and health system costs. CGM use is associated with average absolute HbA1c reduction of 1.4% and increased time-in-range from 46% to 73%, reinforcing the argument that technology access is now a core determinant of outcomes, not an optional enhancement.

On that basis, the report calls for urgent expansion of NDSS-funded CGM access in 2026 for people with insulin-treated T2D, women with gestational diabetes, and adults with insulin-dependent type 3c diabetes. It estimates these groups represent around 350,000 Australians currently excluded from subsidised access.

“We have clear evidence that broader access to continuous glucose monitoring technology can improve glycaemic control, reduce avoidable hospitalisations and support better long-term health outcomes for people at high clinical risk,” explained Professor Glen Maberly, Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. “When the evidence shows better outcomes for patients alongside reduced pressure on the healthcare system, expanding access should be an obvious next step.”

Patient, Bindi Sunderland, described being effectively locked out of technology-driven care.

“When you realise you don’t have the finances to afford a CGM, you’re sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place because you are trying to do the right thing by keeping track of your glucose levels, but it’s just harder for those living with type 2 diabetes who just can’t afford it,” she said.

The inequity is further magnified in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, where T2D continues to have a disproportionate impact, particularly in regional, rural, and underserved areas.

Susan Carbone, Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE) and advisor to NACCHO and the University of Sydney on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diabetes initiatives, said “Access to modern diabetes technology remains inequitable. Expanding access to continuous glucose monitoring technology is an important opportunity to reduce avoidable harm, improve long-term health outcomes and ensure people can access the same standard of care regardless of where they live or what type of diabetes they have.”

The report ultimately warns that continued delay in expanding equitable CGM access risks entrenching health inequities, inflating avoidable healthcare costs, and reinforcing a two-tier system in which geography and diagnosis type determine access to what is increasingly considered standard care internationally.

“The technology exists, the clinical evidence is clear, and the cost of delaying equitable access continues to grow,” stressed Professor Andrikopoulos. “Timely action to expand CGM access would improve health outcomes for thousands of Australians while helping build a more equitable and sustainable healthcare system.”

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