Diabetes and Insulin Pumps

Life Health & Fitness
1

Hi all,

I am currently a senior in college and am interested in teaching English in Taiwan. I would gladly pick up and go if given the chance, but unfortunately I am a type 1 Diabetic on an insulin pump. I read that teachers with reputable schools will be on the National Health Insurance plan, but I am unsure of how much this covers, so I have a few questions if anyone knows any answers.

  1. Is humalog insulin available, and if so, is it covered by insurance? I have to have the actual humalog instead of some close substitute because insulin is very exact and can mess with your body if it’s not the right kind.
  2. Are pump supplies for a minimed pump available, and covered by insurance?
  3. Will Diabetes disqualify me in from jobs that say good/excellent physical health?
  4. Is anyone here living in Taibei/Taiwan as a Type 1 Diabetic, and if so, what has your experience been like? I lived in Beijing for 6 months, so I know that I can handle living in an Asian city, but I am mostly concerned about getting the right medicines and hopefully not paying through the nose for them.

Thanks for your help if you know any of the answers as I know this is a very specific problem. If anyone knows of any other webpages that you could point me to that would help, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again!

2

If no one knows the answer to this, does anyone know whether there’s a website out there in Chinese or English that details what the national health plan covers and doesn’t cover?

3

Sorry. I asked around, but nobody was familiar with insulin pumps here.

4

Thanks.

That’s kind of what I expected as it’s only used for Type 1, and Type 1 is not common in Taiwan from what I gather. It’s also a very expensive treatment option, so I’m guessing it wouldn’t be covered.