'Medication or housing': Why soaring insulin prices are killing Americans

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Price gouging and other barriers to accessing insulin are symptomatic of a broken health-care system, and demonstrate the need of systemic reforms, diabetes advocates argue.

Jada Renee Louis of Newport News, Virginia, died on June 22, 2019, about a week after requiring emergency hospital care for diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication caused by a lack of insulin, and a foot ulcer. She was 24. A type 1 diabetic, Louis, who did not have health insurance coverage, couldn’t afford the cost of her insulin doses and pay her rent. She chose to skip doses in order to pay her rent.

In 1922 Frederick Banting and Charles Best, the Canadian scientists who discovered insulin, sold their patent to the University of Toronto for $1, hoping it would be a cure for diabetes. Today a vial of insulin – which will last 28 days once opened – costs about $300 in the U.S.

Black, Hispanic and Asian adults have been hit hardest by escalating prices. They are more likely to have diabetes than white adults and are less likely to be insured. One in four diabetes patients ration their insulin, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“People are literally dying over $300 like my sister did. It shouldn’t have to be like that. People shouldn’t have to choose between medications or shelter. That’s the most outrageous decision for somebody to have to make, yet people are doing it daily,” Jazmine Baldwin, Louis’s sister, told the Guardian.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/healthcare/medication-or-housing-why-soaring-insulin-prices-are-killing-americans/ar-AAHHuj7?li=BBnb7Kz

[at140]

1. I beat the soaring insulin prices by ...

following the intermittent fasting life style.

[haele]

3. Type 1 or Type 2?

Type 2 can be "fixed" by dedicated diet, excersize, stress control, fasting, supportive medication or the suppliment de jour
Type 1 like this young lady had, well, that's not so simple to "fix". Especially since I've known otherwise healthy, active people who had developed it during an equally healthy, active childhood, and have still had to give themselves daily shots well into mature adulthood.
Insulin is not like asprin or heartburn medication, a casual medication that makes life a little easier after someone overindulged.
If someone needs it, they need it at the correct dosage or their kidneys start shutting down, and they die.
My husband fixed his Type 2 diabetes through diet. While my former boss - who ran marathons and lived a pescitarian/vegitarian/no refined carbs lifestyle died of complications from Type 1at the age of 64. He still had to take his insulin every day, but back before the ACA he maxed out on insurance so they put him on an unaffordable high risk policy. He went a year without insurance - and the oversight of his doctors - as he was trying to get onto a Medicare program, and his disease just got out of control, so he died soon after a trip to the ER he also couldn't afford.
So, it's great diet and exercise worked for you. But like all health situations, it might not work fore someone else.

Haele

[cstanleytech]

4. " Type 2 can be "fixed" I wish it was so for type 1.5 diabetes as mine is essentially gone now

which is why they finally put me on a pump.
Since then my A1C went from the high 8's way down and 6 months ago it was 6.4 and in December it was 6.3 so the combo of my Dexcom CGM and pump has really helped.
Bah: apologies as I was not paying attention and did not notice how old the thread was when I found it via searching if anyone had DKA recently.

[area51]

2. We need

- comprehensive Medicare for All.

- Why a public option won't be enough.

- FAQs on single-payer.