Earlier this fall, I sent a letter to the Honourable Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, to urge her to allow the Basic Income Pilot Project to continue until its original end date in 2020. Given the importance of this issue, I would like to share my letter with you.





September 21, 2018





The Honourable Lisa MacLeod

Minister of Children, Community and Social Services

80 Grosvenor Street, 6th Floor, Hepburn Block

Toronto ON M7A 1E9





Dear Minister MacLeod,





Diabetes Canada is proud to lead the fight against diabetes by helping those affected by the disease live healthy lives. This includes efforts to ensure all people living with diabetes have the means to access the medications, devices, supplies, and other components of their treatment regimens, such as healthy food and opportunities for exercise, that best suit their individual needs as determined with their physician.





We are disappointed that Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot Project has been cancelled and will end early on March 31, 2019. The importance of the pilot cannot be understated. Having begun in April 2017 to provide 4,000 low-income Ontarians a guaranteed annual income, data collected on the effectiveness of the pilot program would have helped inform evidence-based policy and potentially chart new methods to reduce poverty and improve the health outcomes of Ontarians while reducing administrative red tape.





Diabetes disproportionately affects individuals of low socioeconomic status. Living with low income puts one at risk of developing diabetes and creates barriers to managing it.





Type 2 diabetes is brought on by a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors. Income affects both the environments to which people have access and their behaviour. Those under financial duress may struggle to achieve life circumstances that foster health. They may be living in substandard housing in neighbourhoods that offer few low-cost opportunities for exercise, such as safe parks, trails, or bike lanes. Income also plays a key role in food security. Healthy food is more expensive and thus low-income individuals sometimes choose to consume highly processed and less nutritious food to balance their budget. Lack of physical activity and nutritionally-void diets are leading factors in the development of type 2 diabetes, which is why providing individuals with adequate income may help them mitigate some of these risk factors.





Once someone is diagnosed with diabetes, they require medications, devices, and supplies to properly manage their blood sugars and minimize the risk of developing complications. Provincial drug coverage covers the cost of some medications, but unfortunately there are often co-payments or deductibles that can be prohibitive. Furthermore, if the medication prescribed by one’s physician is not covered under the formulary, individuals must either pay out-of-pocket or forego their optimal care plan. Some Ontarians pay up to $1500-$2000 a year on costs related to diabetes care and management, and for individuals with low-income, such costs are unsustainable.





To this end, we strongly recommend that the Government of Ontario continue the Basic Income Pilot Project until its original end date, which would provide researchers with enough valuable data to determine whether assistance provided in this manner would help achieve improved health outcomes for participants, in addition to the many other outcomes the pilot is studying.





The Province of Ontario has the potential to be a world leader on this issue.





Sincerely,





Dr. Jan Hux

President and CEO

Diabetes Canada



