Lymphoedema Sleeves

@sandramj, each state & territory has different allocations of funding for lymphoedema services and compression. Here in the ACT if you have a health care card AND meet certain financial eligibility criteria,  you can be reimbursed for 2 full sets of compression garments per year. On the other hand, SA have nothing at this point, I believe, although they are working towards something.

https://www.bcna.org.au/media/2141/bcna-lymphoedema-fact-sheet.pdf

The above fact sheet shows what assistance may be available. My private health insurance rebates up to 60% of the cost of 2 garments per year. The local public lymphoedema clinic don't have capacity to provide lymphatic massage, as all. They teach self massage, wrapping , general management strategies and do garment measuring. They also provide laser therapy. Their funding is currently under review, and not guaranteed beyond this financial year!!

The whole situation makes me so angry. There are many people out there with lymphoedema who willl struggle to pay for garments up front, and then wait for bureaucracy to reimburse them, especially for custom made garments, which, as @Afraser commented, cost around $500 for a sleeve and glove combination, which is what I require. I certainly can't afford to have more than one set on the go at a time, in spite of needing to wear them every day.  I haven't had a day without compression in well over 2 years now