primitives discuss the cost of insulin

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9117531

Corey_Baker08  (1000+ posts)        Sat Sep-11-10 09:50 PM
Original message
 
Pray For My Family- My 38 Year Old Diabetic Aunt Just Passed Away B-Cuz She Couldn't Afford Insulin!

She got laid off from her job months Ago and lost her insurance. She worked for that factory for 10 years and by the time my mom and grandma were able to get there she was laying on her floor in a coma.

The next time I hear someone trash the Health Care Bill or call it ObamaCare I will go off on them.

This isn't Right!

I loved her so much and now shes gone because she couldn't afford insulin? What the **** is wrong with this country?

dkf  (1000+ posts)        Sun Sep-12-10 02:43 AM
Response to Reply #4
 
42. I thought insulin is OTC? Does health insurance cover OTC?

Hekate  (1000+ posts)        Sun Sep-12-10 05:12 AM
Response to Reply #42
 
50. Insulin is by prescription only for the very good reason that diabetics need to be closely monitored 

HOWEVER, as with so much in our godforsaken insurance system there is absolutely no excuse for for its being priced out of reach of the poor and those without health insurance.

Youngsters with Type 1 diabetes who age out of their parents' insurance plans are particularly vulnerable because it is an expensive disease, the need for medication and medical monitoring is forever, and the consequences of lack of treatment can be deadly. This is one of the reasons the new HCR scheme will be a lifesaver -- that young people can stay on Mom and Dad's plan several years into their 20s, giving them time to get better wages and a better plan. As with the case of the OP's 38 y.o. aunt, this is not going to be a complete fix by any means.

Type 2 diabetes is also dangerous if untreated, it just takes longer.

Diabetes is the major cause of lower limb amputation in developed countries, due to poor circulation leading to infection and then to gangrene.

Anyway, Type 2 is running through my family, so I am trying to be more informed. My younger sis and bro are diabetic in their 50s, and I am pre-diabetic in my early 60s. We have several cousins who are. This was not a feature of our parents' generation until they got to be in their 70s or 80s, so I've got to tell you this really sucks. When you read that it is an "epidemic" in this country, with people becoming diabetic younger and younger and younger, think of my family. I didn't think we had a particular genetic predisposition.

Jennicut  (1000+ posts)        Sat Sep-11-10 10:41 PM
Response to Original message
 
24. I too am on insulin, 5 or more shots a day. If I could not afford it, I might go into a coma as well. It is a scary thought and one of those things that being a type 1 diabetic makes you sleep less well at night. I am very sorry about your aunt. I am 34 and have been a type 1 for 6 years.

The makers of insulin know that we are at their mercy. And the makers of the test strips know that as well. It is one of those diseases where we literally cannot skip even a daily dose, let alone all 5 of mine for snacks and meals.

I am on my husband's insurance and also have my parents as backup to help me pay for the copays now and then. Even with insurance it is over $150 a month in expenses. It is tough sometimes and sometimes I want to break down and just cry and I go though the worries about hurricanes (Hurricane Earl was a bust in Connecticut, thankfully), loss of electricity (the insulin not used has to be kept in the fridge).

I worry about so many crazy things. I don't know what is wrong with the United States. Treatment of diabetics has come a long way but very few people understand the burden of being a type 1. Forget diet, we need insulin more then anything else.

IDemo  (1000+ posts)      Sat Sep-11-10 11:29 PM
Response to Reply #24
 
31. Five per day here, too

I'm approaching 50 years as a Type 1 and have been remarkably lucky so far (A1C numbers in the 4's and 5's). But I wonder where we might wind up if the very worst happens economically. Insulin isn't something you can just grow in the backyard or store a twenty year supply in the cupboard.

Jennicut  (1000+ posts)        Sat Sep-11-10 11:38 PM
Response to Reply #31
 
32. Tell me about it. I scrounge around for the $50 a month for the Lantus and Humalog as it is. Type 1 diabetics used to be left for dead or used as guinea pigs until 1921 when the insulin cure was discovered. I suppose finding a cure and hoping the United States never completely collapses economically are two things that are out of our control.

Okay.

franksolich has what might seem stupid or insensitive questions, but really they're not.

The parents and brothers and sisters were afflicted with diabetes, although it pleased God that this cup passed from me (and still does, even though I'm long past that age when these others got it).

Even though I grew up with it in my midst, all I know about diabetes is that it's a dread wasting affliction, causing blindness, dropsy, kidney problems, and a whole lot of other things.  And that there are two ways of dealing with it; with pharmaceuticals and with syringes.

The involuntary ignorance of the deaf, growing up without hearing dinner-time conversations, riding-in-the-automobile conversations, walking-along-the-sidewalk conversations, &c., &c., &c., in which hearing people collect nearly all of what they themselves know.

So I really don't know this stuff.

How expensive is insulin? 

In the lack of insulin, is it possible to take temporary dietary measures so as to stave off disaster, even if only for a short time?

And what about diet-controlled diabetes?  I had an older brother (who died at the age of 40 years) who developed really severe diabetes.  Somewhere along the line, he decided to try to control it by diet rather than by pharmaceuticals.  He did this for about two years, and was not taking pills or injecting himself at all; just totally diet-controlling (under medical supervision).  He did really well.  I dunno what it was (we were 1500 miles apart at the time), but something caused him to fall off the wagon, and he returned to pharmaceuticals, and died two years later.

Diet-control of diabetes, to me, seemed to work. 

[NHSparky]

Youngsters with Type 1 diabetes who age out of their parents' insurance plans are particularly vulnerable because it is an expensive disease, the need for medication and medical monitoring is forever, and the consequences of lack of treatment can be deadly.

Hmmmm...seems my uncle didn't have that problem.  He's run into complications because he was never physically active, and it caught up to him in his late 50's.

And NO, DUmmies, Type I is NOT as expensive as you may think.  Ever heard of your vaunted Medicare?  The day after this person lost their insurance, they should have been at the local social services office asking to be put on state Medicaid.  If you're a diabetic (type I or II) your meds are either minimal cost or FREE based on your ability to pay.

Finally, memo to DUmmies--an A1C of over 7 is just as deadly whether it be caused by Type I or Type II.

[diesel driver]

My dad and a lot of my uncles were diabetics.  Dad was one from 43 until he died at 66.  He got his insulin, syringes, etc. thru the VA, so I have no idea how much they cost.

My sons and I are hypoglycemic, a type of diabetes where the body produces too much insulin.  My blood sugar usually runs in the 50-90 range (normal is 100-150), and I have to avoid sugar and other complex carbs like diabetics do, because my body overreacts to these foods.

My wife is also diabetic, she takes Metformin for it.  $4.00/month for generic at Walmart, test strips are $30.00 for 50.  Less than the price for a tank of gas for a month of meds and supplies.  

DUmmies just need to get over themselves.

BTW, when did we get the H5/bitchslap back?

[jukin]

If true it is a sad story that the family could not have sent her money for the insulin.

That. Is. All.

[diesel driver]

If true it is a sad story that the family could not have sent her money for the insulin.

That. Is. All.

They spent all their welfare check on cheetos and pizza.   

They are still waiting on that check from Zero for their house payment, car payment, gas for car, etc.

I'm still waiting for my pony.  If this winter is as bad as last winter, I'm gonna have to eat that sucker!   

[NHSparky]

If true it is a sad story that the family could not have sent her money for the insulin.

That. Is. All.

And again, at age 38?  There are other underlying issues here.  Even if untreated for 6-12 months, unless her diabetes wasn't well controlled to start (i.e., not checking her blood sugar, not getting followups every 3-4 months, bloodwork, urine tests for microalbumin, etc.,) she shouldn't have just up and died in that short a period of time.

Just sayin.

[BlueStateSaint]

And again, at age 38?  There are other underlying issues here.  Even if untreated for 6-12 months, unless her diabetes wasn't well controlled to start (i.e., not checking her blood sugar, not getting followups every 3-4 months, bloodwork, urine tests for microalbumin, etc.,) she shouldn't have just up and died in that short a period of time.

Just sayin.

'Course, being addicted to other, illicit drugs, might have had something to do with it.

[Ballygrl]

I worked in the medical field for 20 years, if a person is dependent on pills for Type II Diabetes? almost every physician gets samples of various medicines for Diabetes as they do for pills for other illnesses, if you lose your job and insurance you just call the Doctors office up and explain to them that you lost your job and insurance and you need some samples, we regularly kept samples aside for patients we knew had no money to pay for the meds, as for Type I Diabetes where insulin is required, testing strips etc. if you have absolutely none of this stuff on hand you show up at a clinic in a town, or a Hospital clinic, or if worse comes to worse you go to the ER, you explain the situation and they'll get you in contact with someone and contact the Pharmaceutical company and tell them you need assistance, you fill out some forms and if you qualify you get that assistance for free.

Also important is this, families need to start banding together to help those who need it, if you have 1 family member that has fallen on hard times there's no reason why everyone can't chip in to help them with needs such as food, medicine etc.

[NHSparky]

'Course, being addicted to other, illicit drugs, might have had something to do with it.

It's not even that.  Weight is an issue, and a BIG one, so to speak.  Even Type I diabetics can minimize their insulin use through diet, exercise, and weight control.

[diesel driver]

I worked in the medical field for 20 years, if a person is dependent on pills for Type II Diabetes? almost every physician gets samples of various medicines for Diabetes as they do for pills for other illnesses, if you lose your job and insurance you just call the Doctors office up and explain to them that you lost your job and insurance and you need some samples, we regularly kept samples aside for patients we knew had no money to pay for the meds, as for Type I Diabetes where insulin is required, testing strips etc. if you have absolutely none of this stuff on hand you show up at a clinic in a town, or a Hospital clinic, or if worse comes to worse you go to the ER, you explain the situation and they'll get you in contact with someone and contact the Pharmaceutical company and tell them you need assistance, you fill out some forms and if you qualify you get that assistance for free.

Also important is this, families need to start banding together to help those who need it, if you have 1 family member that has fallen on hard times there's no reason why everyone can't chip in to help them with needs such as food, medicine etc.

Unless you are related to a DUmmie.

[Chris_]

I know Medicare covers a large portion (80% or more) of the cost of insulin and testing supplies.  How difficult is it to get Medicare coverage for diabetes?  Hell, I assumed you were automatically covered.

[diesel driver]

I know Medicare covers a large portion (80% or more) of the cost of insulin and testing supplies.  How difficult is it to get Medicare coverage for diabetes?  Hell, I assumed you were automatically covered.

My wife is covered by Medicare, since she's on SS disability.  They pay for 100% of her diabetic supplies, providing the doctor writes a prescription for it.  Test strips, lancets, alcohol pads, whatever.

[Chris_]

My wife is covered by Medicare, since she's on SS disability.  They pay for 100% of her diabetic supplies, providing the doctor writes a prescription for it.  Test strips, lancets, alcohol pads, whatever.

I always assumed diabetes was one of those things automatically covered by Medicare, or very easy to get coverage for.

[franksolich]

Also important is this, families need to start banding together to help those who need it, if you have 1 family member that has fallen on hard times there's no reason why everyone can't chip in to help them with needs such as food, medicine etc.

But madam, these are primitives, remember.

The primitives not only have no concept of doing something oneself, they also have no concept of helping other people.

It's the government's job to help other people, damn it.

[jtyangel]

Frank, it really depends on the function that is left in the pancreas and what's caused its malfunction. My brother is a type 1 since the age of 6. He's been insulin dependent ever since. Diet alone will not control his diabetes since his pancreas is and has been since that age totally non functioning. No matter what he puts in his mouth, he has NO insulin production to convert those things to useful things for his body. He will die without insulin intervention, so yes, some people do need to be on insulin and in my brother's case he will be on the transplant list soon for a double transplant: kidney and pancreas.

Most of the people who control it with diet are adult onset ie type 2 diabetics since. It is generally less severe then type 1 and oftentimes can be controlled by diet alone or minimal insulin intervention. IN those cases, the pancreas is functioning, but either not to capacity or the diet is too sugar/carb heavy and overloads the pancreas.

My brother would die without the insulin, to answer your question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_1

Interestingly, my whole family has issues with the immune system. Mine manifests in previous thyroid issues and psoriasis. With my brother and 1st cousin, it is type 1 diabetes. We also suspect high blood pressure in our family is caused by an overzealous immune response to stress. Bodies are both a wonderful and perplexing thing. I'm of a mind that so many things come back to immune function and various viral attacks that impair or overreact appropriate immune responses. For example, I believe my psoriasis started when I aquired mono as an older teen. The immune system has never been the same since then and appears to overrespond.

[jtyangel]

And again, at age 38?  There are other underlying issues here.  Even if untreated for 6-12 months, unless her diabetes wasn't well controlled to start (i.e., not checking her blood sugar, not getting followups every 3-4 months, bloodwork, urine tests for microalbumin, etc.,) she shouldn't have just up and died in that short a period of time.

Just sayin.

Don't be so sure, Sparky. Some families run a pretty fierce type. My brother is only 34 and on dialysis. He is of a normal weight. My brother's diabetes was always managed by him and my parents and he still needed kidney medicine and new lenses in his eyes by age 21(and his type 1 began at age 6). He went through a couple of doctors though who my parents believe did not manage him appropriately as a young teen/older teen. They switched doctors when they realized that was the case, but the damage may ahve been done. My point is yes, there may be underlying factors, but they are not necessarily related to the patient's care of their diabetes. Even with the quack along the way, my brother's diabetes has always been difficult to manage. Once he lost all kidney function(age 30), he finally had a pump put in and now it is managed. He needed somethign more responsive to his diet because he had a totally non functioning pancreas. It needed to 'produce' or distribute insulin in response to dietary changes. This was too complicated to do via his own trying to guess units via the syringe. The pump has been effective for him. I kinda like to think that some of the more recent advances in insulin distribution probably help to eliminate some of the side effects of insulin dependent diabetes like sugar lows and highs making it a more manageable condition, but not everyone has something like the insulin pump put right in. I'm sure my brother's would have been managed better if he had the pump available when he was a kid.

I can tell you, if my brother could control it by diet, he would have already. He so badly wants a normal life--family, work, etc. I always feel so badly he's gotten sucha  virulent version of this.

[dandi]

Where was the family in all this? I'd be embarrassed to go on a website and declare a close family member had died due to not affording medicine. I'd panhandle on the side of the road before I let my aunt die from lack of insulin.

The ****ers can ride all over the country engaging in one lame-ass protest after another but they can't band together to help one another out in the most dire circumstances.

[Thor]

Insulin is way overpriced. Just for a bottle of Type R, it was $64 without a scrip (Insurance won't pay for meds without a scrip). It's kind of dumb that someone didn't seek assistance with the meds, though. It's out there.

[Chris_]

How long does a bottle of insulin last?

[VivisMom]

How long does a bottle of insulin last?

My best friend is diabetic, so what I know is from her. She takes Humalog and injects 3 times a day, so for her a vial doesn't last too long. Some diabetics only need to inject twice a day, others may have to do it more. It also depends on your dose. It can also change-in college, she only needed to inject twice, at breakfast and dinner. Because it varies so much, it's different for everyone.

I do know, however, that it is expensive. When her job was cut to part-time, she negotiated with her employer to keep her health benefits because she would not have been able to afford her insulin or her RA meds without it. She finally found another, full-time job; it paid less, but had better health insurance, and her out of pocket cost for her insulin was almost nothing.

What I don't understand, however, is why the person in this DU Tale didn't contact the manufacturer of their insulin directly. Many pharmaceutical companies have plans (or participate in plans) in which people can get their medicines for free or at a very reduced cost. I'm also pretty sure that had she contacted a free clinic, they would have been able to point her in the right direction.

[BEG]

My best friend is diabetic, so what I know is from her. She takes Humalog and injects 3 times a day, so for her a vial doesn't last too long. Some diabetics only need to inject twice a day, others may have to do it more. It also depends on your dose. It can also change-in college, she only needed to inject twice, at breakfast and dinner. Because it varies so much, it's different for everyone.

I do know, however, that it is expensive. When her job was cut to part-time, she negotiated with her employer to keep her health benefits because she would not have been able to afford her insulin or her RA meds without it. She finally found another, full-time job; it paid less, but had better health insurance, and her out of pocket cost for her insulin was almost nothing.

What I don't understand, however, is why the person in this DU Tale didn't contact the manufacturer of their insulin directly. Many pharmaceutical companies have plans (or participate in plans) in which people can get their medicines for free or at a very reduced cost. I'm also pretty sure that had she contacted a free clinic, they would have been able to point her in the right direction.

Her doctor would have also helped her with what direction she should go if she couldn't afford her medication.

[Boudicca]

I got a bottle of insulin for one of my dogs at Wal-Mart this morning-Novolin, which is manufactured for humans.  It cost me $24.88 for the bottle and said bottle contains 100 units. Dominic has to have 10 units in the morning with his b'fast and 10 units in the evening with his dinner.  My sister takes two kinds of insulin and says her co-pays are $50 a month for one prescription and $20 for the other.  We have Type II diabetes in our family back several traceable generations, but unlike little sis, I only take Metformin, sometimes.
Basically for me it works that the more exercise I do that day, the more carbs I can consume, indeed, must consume, to fuel my body without causing hyperglycemia.  The days I don't, can't, exercise, are the days I have to take some Metformin and cut back on carbs.  Also, losing 20 pounds helped alot.
Dogs are like Type I diabetics and have to take insulin right away.  I'm still trying to learn what I can to help Dom with his illness.  He developed cataracts and is now blind; fortunately he hears and smells good enough to compenstate for losing his sight.

I think people can afford diabetes treatments, if not with health insurance right now (although soon to be mandated), then with free samples or Medicaid.  The major pharamecutical companies have programs for helping folks afford their medicines.  Maybe to afford your medicine you need to cut out the Cheetos, or the booze, or the steak dinners.  Who knows.  Point is, most people have lousy priorities these days.  Cable tv, cell phones, microwaves, etc. these are  NOT necessities.

[true_blood]

if you have absolutely none of this stuff on hand you show up at a clinic in a town, or a Hospital clinic, or if worse comes to worse you go to the ER, you explain the situation and they'll get you in contact with someone and contact the Pharmaceutical company and tell them you need assistance, you fill out some forms and if you qualify you get that assistance for free.

Also important is this, families need to start banding together to help those who need it, if you have 1 family member that has fallen on hard times there's no reason why everyone can't chip in to help them with needs such as food, medicine etc.

BINGO BG!! I totally agree.
I feel bad if someone cannot get their medicines that they need to survive, but there are alternatives as BG suggested.
I agree fully with the bolded part above as well. Family must stick together during these hard times and help each other out especially, during these trying times.

[AllosaursRus]

you explain the situation and they'll get you in contact with someone and contact the Pharmaceutical company and tell them you need assistance, you fill out some forms and if you qualify you get that assistance for free.

Also important is this, families need to start banding together to help those who need it, if you have 1 family member that has fallen on hard times there's no reason why everyone can't chip in to help them with needs such as food, medicine etc.

No shi! This looks to me like her family ignored her needs and bear at least half the responsibility for lettin' this happen!

I know if our combined families, "Toots" and I, had a member in this situation we would make sure they were taken care of!

Typical! DUmmie libs, thinkin' of nothin' but themselves!