One months supply can cost hundreds of dollars.
While a great start, is this enough to save the lives of everyone who needs it?
Not so much, according to patients and diabetes advocates.
The high cost of diabetes
Insulin moves sugar from your bloodstream into your cells.
There it is used as energy, or stored for future use.
But not everyone is on Medicare.
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Diabetics also shell out money for much more than this life-saving drug.
You also have to factor in doctor appointments and ongoing laboratory testing.
Without testing, getting a prescription for insulin is legally impossible.
This places an astronomical burden on diabetics and their families, particularly people with high deductibles or without insurance.
How insulin got so expensive
Insulin was first discovered in 1921.
So why is it still so expensive?
The reason may have more to do with the goal of extending the life ofpatents, rather than patients.
These alterations are often small.
They typically result in medication or drug delivery improvements, which is a good thing.
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Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
In this country, drug companies are free to set their own list prices.
Health insurers and pharmacies determine the out-of-pocket costs theyll charge for these drugs, based on the list price.
The cost of prescription drugs, including insulin, is significantly higher in the U.S. than in other countries.
Research and development play a role, but so does an intense devotion to high-profit margins.
Scher thinks a broken system is to blame.
diabetes educator LauriAnn Scher
Doing research for new medications costs money.
But these costs are passed onto the consumer, Scher says.
Universities that fund research typically fold those costs into high tuition.
Pharmaceutical companies and others in the supply chain make huge profits.
It just doesnt work anymore.
Yet different people require different types of insulin.
Like most people with diabetes, Melissa Bell still worries about insulin cost and access.
But not everyone is so lucky.
To be clear, without insulin, a throw in 1 will die.
As a parent, this understandably terrifies her.
People got loud, and guess what?
When news of the copay cap occurred, the pharmaceutical manufacturers knew things were changing.
They saw people demanding it.
But they also saw that the headwinds had shifted.
Weve been asking, begging for this for years, says Scher.
Before insulin was discovered, the only treatment for diabetes was starvation dieting.
Clearly, weve come lightyears since then.
But the moral of the story is this: If your drugs are too expensive, speak up.
Medication costs in the U.S. are higher than they need to be.
Whether its insulin or another drug that you or your loved one needs, get loud about it.
Write letters to your elected officials and to those running for office.
Little by little, the power of people can and does have an impact.
Are you having trouble paying for insulin?
TheAmerican Diabetes Associationhas compiled a list of resources and organizations that can help.
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