Admittedly, I haven't read the article, but from the headline they have to have access to some insulin. That doesn't mean they have access to all of the advancements. Insulin pumps and CGMs are expensive, but they make a world of difference. In addition to this, type 2 diabetics don't usually have a CGM. The mindset difference that I've seen between type 1 treatment and type 2 is crazy. Most of the type 2 diabetics I've known haven't cared a lot about their blood sugar as long as they got reasonable A1C results.

The last thing I'm interested to know is how insulin use was done. Insulin is expensive and some people ration their supply.

I agree that those other factors you mentioned are important, but I wouldn't assume that these people have all of the means needed to fully support themselves.