Sky-high insulin prices leave type 1 diabetics worried for the future

By Alex Stein

SALT LAKE CITY — Type 1 diabetics are struggling to make ends meet due to price increases of Insulin over the past several years. Some Insulin has risen over 700 percent the past 20 years, making it hard for many diabetics to afford the proper amount of medication needed each month.

Not only are Insulin prices rising each year, the cost of other vital supplies for diabetics to maintain a healthy and functioning life are also on the rise. The basic necessities include a meter to check blood glucose levels, test strips, syringes, two types of insulin — most common ones being Humalog/Novolog and Lantis, and an emergency glucagon pen. Some diabetics, who can afford more advanced technology to monitor their diabetes, also use two different types of machinery:

An Insulin Pump — An insulin-delivering device that distributes insulin through a small tube or cannula.

A CGM — Continuing Glucose Monitor. This device monitors blood glucose levels continuously and also is able to detect the direction in which the blood glucose is trending. It also can alert the diabetic before they have a severe low or high.

These devices are considered a luxury to the diabetic community due to the sky-high price tag that comes along with them. Savannah Ward, a 22-year-old college student at Brigham Young University has been a diabetic for 19 years. At age four, Savannah was able to go on the pump which in return helped her manage her uncontrolled diabetes. From age 4 – 11 she continued using the pump in hopes that her family’s insurance would continue to provide coverage. “ I was on shots for a really long time. It’s hard to take care of yourself, and I didn’t want to until I got the pump.”

Unfortunately, Ward’s worst nightmare came true, when at age 11 her insurance no longer covered her pump, making it too expensive to continue using it. From age 11 – 21 Ward had to manage her unruly diabetes with injections and vials of insulin multiple times a day.

“ My mental and physical health was compromised because of it. I was always stressed out about my blood sugar numbers and then when they were high or low I would get depressed and anxious which also has an effect causing me to take more insulin which would stress me out more because we couldn’t afford to buy any more insulin.”

The cost of caring for diabetes without insurance coverage is distressing. “It’s a vicious cycle that just keeps going when you have to worry about if you get to pick up your order of insulin each month and hope that your insurance will still cover your expenses.”

Sadly, Savannah Ward is one of many that struggles each month with managing the costs of being a diabetic. Thousands of Americans also deal with the mental and emotional burdens that come from trying to pay for their supplies month to month.

Nurse Practitioner Ann Haynes has been strictly devoted to diabetes for six years now, although she has been practicing medicine since 1989. “Up to 80 percent of diabetics ration their insulin” says Haynes, explaining that there are significant risks that come with doing so.

“When diabetics ration their insulin they then have uncontrolled diabetes because of it. They risk going into Diabetic Ketoacidosis, and if not treated right away they can either go into a coma or die.” The risk that comes with saving insulin throughout the month comes with major consequences and complications don’t stop there.

Haynes explains that having prolonged uncontrolled diabetes puts major stress on the body’s organs and many diabetics are at risk for kidney failure and blindness because of it. She also explains that having a lot of variety in your blood sugar can result in amputation of extremities like toes, fingers, feet, hands, and whole arms or legs.

Although prices have drastically increased, there may be light at the end of the tunnel thanks to an up-and-coming drug company. Dan Liljenquist, the Chief Strategy Officer at Intermountain Healthcare, was fed up with medication shortages and overpriced drugs that many people need in order to survive. He and some of his colleagues developed an idea for a non-profit generic drug company called Civica Rx, expected to hit the market in early 2019. “We felt that unless we acted and did something that it would not resolve on its own,” he says. According to Liljenquist, the generic drug companies continue to monopolize the market by increasing the prices and restricting the supply which causes shortages of vital drugs and medication.

While insulin isn’t one of the drugs that will be part of the Civica launch, Liljenquist is aware of dilemma that diabetics are facing.

“Our priority is making sure essential medications are available and affordable to everyone, that’s very much on our minds. Given the complexity of insulin and the other needs, we aren’t starting with it but we certainly are aware of it and our patients deal with that every day.”

Civica Rx or similar efforts could be the solution for diabetics across the country in dire need of help. Hopefully, in the next few years, diabetics will see a dramatic decrease in insulin prices allowing them to receive the proper dosage of medication without having to worry about if they will have enough each month.