I saw on Global news that insurance providers are going to now be covering the costs of medical marijuana under health benefits, taking effect within the next six to 12 months.
I am appalled at this decision. I am the mother of a 13-year-old type 1 diabetic diagnosed at age seven. Some of my diabetic supplies are not fully covered under health benefits. For example, life-dependant insulin is not covered. How do they make the decision to not cover insulin for type 1 diabetics when they will die if they do not have their daily insulin, compared to full coverage for marijuana, which is not a life-dependant medication?
My son did not choose to have type 1 diabetes. He was just unlucky in that something killed off his cells in his pancreas, completely out of his control. Type 1 is not a lifestyle disease either, unlike type 2 diabetes. Prescriptions and medications for keeping my son alive are incredibly expensive.
I am a single parent doing what I can to keep my son healthy and alive. And then I hear that medical marijuana is going to be fully covered for people that chose that lifestyle?
In January 2015, the government also limited the amount of strips type 1 diabetics are allowed to have covered annually. Eight times a day testing is all they allow. If we go over that, we are out of pocket. Are the marijuana users going to be limited in how much they are allowed to use? I doubt it very much.
My son tests eight to 12 times daily — not because he enjoys poking his fingers and taking his blood reading, but because he has to in order to stay healthy and to stay alive.
So come October, I am going to be paying for strips because he has gone over his allotted amount. Another huge expense on top of an already incredibly expensive disease.
Who ever came up with this idea, I would like to know if they have any idea od what living with type 1 24/7 is all about?
Come talk to me. I will give you all of the facts, the financial hardships on families, the never-ending stress and the constant worry of dealing with this day in and day out.
I think this issue needs some media exposure. Medical marijuana should never be given full insurance health coverage over other diseases that are out of people’s control.
Something is very screwed up here.
Teri Kennedy
Armstrong
