Diabetic patients look for solutions to high insulin prices

A major insurer announced it’s capping insulin costs at a month, but advocates say that’s not a solution to the problem. According to the Health Care Cost Institute, insulin prices have doubled from 2012 to 2016. Congress continues to hold hearings examining skyrocketing drug prices, but, in the meantime, patients with diabetes are looking for ways to afford insulin.

Insulin is necessary for those with diabetes to survive. Without enough insulin, they can develop a life-threatening problem called diabetic ketoacidosis. That’s when the blood sugar gets so high that the blood becomes acidic and the body stops function.

Adam Kozie, who has type 1 diabetes, drives from Seattle to Canada to purchase insulin. His doctor, Irl Hirsch, says he’s heard of people traveling to Europe and Asia to do the same.

For more stories from the UW Medicine Newsroom, please visit https://newsroom.uw.edu/.
Video Rating: / 5

Email This Post Email This Post