Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on June 8, 2010 at 5:46pm

I am still not sure how to deal with this for David, 17 this January 2010. Had been approved automatically to 2008 under changes in CRA rules and needed to re-apply. 2009 has passed and we are well into 2010. David's endo will not sign the T2201. She feels that the Sudbury endo's that put out the general template outlining time taken to manage diabetes on a pump are lying.

David is currently testing on average 8 fingerpokes per day and has brought his A1c down from 6.7 in January to 6.4. He thinks that he will get it down to 6 over the next two visits by adding in a couple more fingerpokes daily.

I took David to a JDRF conference in April where a doctor from the new Sprott stem cell research facility in Ottawa was speaking on stem cell research and Chris Jarvis was booked as the motivational speaker. My husband and I had the opportunity to hear Chris speak at a medtronic function before David started on his pump three years ago, but David missed the event due to illness. Taking David to the JDRF event in Kingston, was the best weekend trip that I have ever had the opportunity to schedule.

Leaving the meetings, David commented that WOW that was an eye opener and since then has been geared up to figure out how to make his diabetes care work with his daily activity levels and he is getting there.

David handles almost all of the day to day stuff. Fingerpokes, site changes, BG entries to pump, carb calculations and carb entries to his pump. Mom does a 3 a.m.BG check and wake up if less than 3.5 or bolus if more than 8.0. This has had a tremendous impact on reducing missed school days as David does not function well or at all with an elevated BG and the 3 to 7 a.m. period has typically been an issue for David. Mom also does the log book update every other day and the pump download to medtronics carelink site to review the pump download weekly.

I could push David to do the log book and pump downloads, but I don't. I don't want diabetes to become a daily issue that is too much to deal with or takes too much time. David has a learning disability that was diagnosed in grade 1 in language/math. So the time that it would take for him to keep a logbook would be about 15x the time that it takes me to keep his info, up to date.

Next year he will be moving on to adult clinic care. Do I wait until then and discuss the DTC with his endo then to apply???

Cheryl

Permalink Reply by nel on June 8, 2010 at 8:47pm

Cheryl , the good thing is that DTC is retroactive , so one solution you already asked about , is wait till you get to meet the next Endo at the Adult Clinic ....but what if ....the Endo needs more proof as well ??
Do your own record keeping is maybe the best idea ??
Do you know of others , that have qualified ?
Does your David qualify for the DTC because of his learning disability ?
Hang in there Mom Cheryl !

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on August 11, 2010 at 11:38am

Really, I did not know that ADP dollars could not be applied toward a transmitter or sensor. Our endo told us "any" pump supply so we did apply ADP dollars against the cost of a transmitter and box of CGM's for David, which we then disclosed to our private insurer who then covered David's infusion sets. That was about two years ago. Unfortunately David didn't have much success with his CGM, so no point wasting the money.

Did you check with the Ministry of Health and Long Term care to confirm that you cannot apply your ADP dollars against your CGM's?

Cheryl

Permalink Reply by nel on August 11, 2010 at 8:13am

I have left my forms to be completed by my Specialist at my Specialist's office ( who is on holidays ) and look forward to receiving them back in the mail ; then forward them to the Tax office , Surrey , BC .

Permalink Reply by nel on September 23, 2010 at 5:14pm

I finally got my signed papers off to the Surrey , BC Tax Dept.( how dare I be sooo slow !) ...waiting for the next step.

Permalink Reply by Carleton on August 11, 2010 at 8:27am

Once you hve completed the T2201, which is downloadable or printable on the CRA website by just hitting the search button, you have your endo sign it, checking off the boxes that you are on life-sustaining therapy requiring 14 hours or more a week - CRITICAL is that you do your own detailed calculations and send them in with your form to CRA - without that you are sunk. You need to detail the pump dowloads, the sensor changes, the infusion changes, the refilling of cartridges, the reviewing of your data after downloading (I said daily, 10 minutes), etc. detail it well, send it off, and you should be fine. No reason to have an accountant do it, as they will not know anything about it! It is a federal tax credit, and provincial one also, that reduces your taxable income quite a bit (about $7000 total I believe). I got mine a few months a go on my first try, and I know it was because I detailed 3 pages of info that I detailed a given day, or given week, and came up with well over 18 hours a week. Don't forget a half hour to recover from weekly lows, etc etc - they are ALL eligible, and don't hold back! No, it is specifically for insulin pump therapy ONLY, and is not cash scheme like ADP in Ontario - it is a tax creidt when you file, reducing your taxxes payable or increasing your refund

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on August 11, 2010 at 11:47am

Carleton I would love to see your 3 pager detail.

Someone early on in this discussion posted a template that their endo clinic put in place for all T1 patients, either on the pump or MDI. Our endo refused to consider the template as an accurate view of the steps/care required by a pumper to maintain tight control. Yet my 17 year old son does work very hard day after day to do just that which is reflected in his last A1C of 6.4.

Cheryl

Permalink Reply by Carleton on August 11, 2010 at 11:48am

see friend request, and your endo needs his or her head examined - I would get a new one that cares

Permalink Reply by nel on August 11, 2010 at 12:01pm

Carleton , do I understand you correctly, quote ??? : " No, it is specifically for insulin pump therapy ONLY," ...this changed in 2005 , when MDI was included .I hope the link is useful .
http://www.diabetes.ca/files/disability-tax-credit.pdf

Permalink Reply by Jeleis Nolan on August 11, 2010 at 3:38pm

I just applied for my son Brendan who is 4 and not yet on a pump for the DTC and we got approved for 18 years and the first year we received a refund and it was 6000 altogether. That is myself and my husband's refund added together. Before my kids got sick we were paying at taxtime so this is really nice. If nothing else we put half that money in a TFSA and he has alot of money by the time he is 18. We have health care that is 100 percent paid for so really our only expenses are the trips to see the team once every 3 months and the time off work to go there. Really not bad when you think of how much it costs everyone else around the world. Next year we will get 2 of these as my youngest son Jamey (2 yrs old) was diagnosed July 10,2010 with type 1 as well.

Permalink Reply by Welshman on September 28, 2010 at 6:37pm

Carleton,

Is there any place you could post an example of your "journal" justifying >14 hours a week that was accepted by the government for running the pump and CGM system?

It never ceases to amaze me how our government can invent policies then find ways to try to exclude all of those that are likely to benefit.

Permalink Reply by nel on September 28, 2010 at 8:06pm

I just came upon your response WELSHMAN ( ha, I read Weishman ...what's happening to my eyes ?? :) ) .... from my experience , I think it is our Medical Team's response on the forms ...if it's done correctly " thy should receive " .

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