While diabetes can take a serious toll on a person’s health, it also carries a heavy financial burden.
The Canadian Diabetes Association estimates that by 2020, diabetes will cost the Canadian health care system $16 billion a year. People with diabetes incur medical costs that are two to three times higher than non-diabetics. A person with diabetes can face costs for medication and supplies ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 a year.
Although diabetes has traditionally been thought of as an older person’s disease, more than 50% of Canadians diagnosed with diabetes are of working age – between 25 and 64 years old – according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. As a result, diabetes rates also have an impact on employee absence, disability and benefit plan costs.
The greatest relative increase in diabetes rates is seen in the 35-to-39 and 40-to-44-year-old age groups. This increase in younger age groups is, in part, likely due to growing levels of overweight and obesity. Adults who are obese are two to four times more likely to have type 2 diabetes.
