why, why, why do we put people through this?






oh, yeah, $. So some rich fuck somewhere can add another 10 cents to his pile.

Last edited Wed Aug 8, 2018, 12:32 PM - Edit history (1)

I am also diabetic and agree whole heartedly with the young lady and her struggles to afford insulin. My guess is that neither she nor her father are getting the amount of insulin they need to stay healthy, just enough to stay alive. I have one advantage so far. I live in Minnesota where a great Democratic Governor, Mark Dayton, has managed to proactively keep health care available to the residents of his state.

Those who do damage to children hit my sh*t list and tend to stay there. I don't have the power to do what I would like to do, so I remember and use that information every chance I get. Guess you could call me vendictive.

What is there to stop small generic makers from going into the market?

Also, more on the subject from last year:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/health/drugmakers-lawsuit-insulin-drugs.html?_r=0

Chemical drug generics are biosimilar as well. The difference with insulin is that the differences may not (or may) be critical. I actually don't know if they ever do comparison studies of a generic drug versus the branded version. I suspect not. It's my personal belief that generic drugs are a scandal waiting to happen. We've been sold the notion that they are exactly the same "without a lot of money going to marketing." In fact, they are not. Some times it matters, sometimes it doesn't.

My cat is diabetic. I can get regular insulin for him for $25 per vial, and it doesn't even require a prescription in my state. However, that particular insulin doesn't work very well to control his glucose long-term. The long-acting insulin that works best for him does need a prescription, is ridiculously expensive, and has quadrupled in price since my cat's diagnosis nine years ago. Like Hattie, I obtain his insulin from a diabetic person who is prescribed the same type. That arrangement only works because my cat's dose is so tiny that he can get by with the little bit she has left over when hers is refilled, that would otherwise go to waste.

Humalog and Levemir, for those 'in the know'.

Thank gawd I have a Medicare Advantage plan.

It pays for my insulin, but I see the price for a months supply for both is around $2,195.00

We could afford the humalog, I could not do that now

Do the math.

Sugar intake has nothing to do with its cause.

Type 2 also requires insulin if your pancreas fails to keep up.

Based on insurance claims processed divided by the specific diagnosis.

Fortunately, a cat dose is small and the vial lasts a long time. And there aren't many jobs for cats out there, no matter how good-looking they are. None of those jobs offers insurance.

He's been diabetic for nearly 10 years. It's a good thing he's charming.

He's in remission right now. I don't know why and the vet has never seen it with a cat who's been diabetic so long, but I'll take it. I struggled for a long time to get him under control and he's had a couple of serious crises. But he's the sweetest cat known to mankind. If he wasn't, I probably would have taken him in for the Big Nap a long time ago.

I found a diabetic person who would give me her surplus Lantus, which was enough for him when he needed it. Insulin isn't a controlled substance, so it's all good. It's not like she was giving me Oxy.

and insurance paid by her employer. She rids the old farmhouse of varmints and in return has insurance and gets the expensive cat food she prefers. The problem is that come contract renegotiation time I can never get her to agree to a clause prohibiting the deposit said varmints on my bed when I'm sleeping. I did get her to agree to no blood, however. The thing about cats - contracts apply only when they are in the mood. They think rules don't apply to them. Get down from that table!!

The price of those two is similar to yours. As you said "thank gawd I have a Medicare Advantage plan".

but have you looked into a pump--Medtronic or Omnipod (which are tubeless and disposable)? They basil and bolus so you could get rid of the Lantus.

I have learned to control my blood sugar through strict dietary control. I am also type 2, not type 1, but need to use insulin because of other serious health issues. But thanks for the information.

There is no way such a critical drug should cost that much.

economic injustice.

WalMart here in Fl. sells ReliOn brand made by Novolin for $26 - $28 per bottle in : R - N & 70/30 types.

Was talking to a guy who I knew for a number of years from church. Ran into him at dem county Fair both...he was pretty much dying before my very eyes. One of those days where u just feel helpless....

did she have some non ACA marketplace plan before? She seems to have a new plan for 2018 that has reasonable costs, what was she on before and what is her friend from church on?

The whole point of the ACA as conceived was that there would be a baseline coverage so even the "worse" plans would ensure that stuff like this would not happen, the whole point of the pre existing condition coverage.

We really do need to figure out how to undo the crap the Repubs do, so that people like this young woman and the other patients described here are not suffering like this. This is something that immediate action NOW, while we figure out how to get to all the ideologically inspired plans, THIS is why painting incrementalism as inherently evil is so wrong. Addressing immediate, life threatening needs ARE the increments and they need to be taken care of!

From what I can tell she got her own insurance in 2016 for 2017 and the deductible was 6K before it started covering her meds. Which meant she wasn't able to afford her insulin that whole year. She only made 15K as a parttime server at a restaurant, which made her deductible out of reach for her. It appears, perhaps she didn't realize her plan didn't cover her meds the same way her previous one did when her meds were costing her $200 a month.

She says she didn't qualify to use the coupons or programs because she had insurance, which makes them not apply. She was caught in a loophole that left her in position where she couldn't pay for her very necessary medication for a year.

I thought that addressed things like office visits, hospital stays etc.

This worries me with those junk policies that Trump is pushing.

Apparently hers did, which I'm going to go out on a limb here and say she didn't understand when she chose it.

It's more of a reason we need to educate people on what to look for and how to make these decisions. Possibly limiting these plans as well, this is deadly for someone with a pre existing condition that REQUIRES daily meds.

It can be really confusing picking a policy and it's easy to make a mistake for anyone, not to mention a 19 year old on their own for the first time.

doesn't pay very, very close attention to precisely what is covered, in what amount.

(Mom of a daughter whose billed medical expenses each and every year are over $200,000)

this applies to the woman in the OP, but... I work with people in mental health who also have chronic medical conditions. The situations with my patients is that many grew up in rather chaotic, sometimes impoverished conditions. Some have cognitive issues such as attention problems, concrete thinking, etc. Dealing with the medical system is not for people who are in any way compromised. You know, like anybody who is sick. It is difficult on its face, it's almost impossible to talk to a person to get information, instructions rattled off at you on some recorded message are often unintelligible and if intelligible don't make sense, often require access to a computer and the ability to use it. If my 88 year old mother didn't have me or my sister to wend her through the process she'd never get to a doctor and she doesn't have dementia.

My point is that keeping up with your medical stuff is absolutely essential these days, because your doctor ain't gonna do it, and at the same time is difficult to impossible on a good day. For people in any way compromised...have someone with you when you try to get anything done through the healthcare system and keep strict records of everything. In triplicate.

during the narrow window remaining for open enrollment, you have a clue about health insurance. From that starting point, I can't imagine someone with a chronic illness not having some understanding of the basics of health care plans.

I completely understand not having any spoons left to deal with insurance, or not having a clue about insurance at all (I help students with chronic health issues start the learning process about health insurance all the time.) What I don't understand is someone who is not at the starting point (by virtue of the fact that they know about insurance, they know about the narrow window in which it can be obtained, and they have been on an insurance plan already (I believe this involved someone whose deductible changed dramatically)), I don't understand being caught completely unaware by obtaining a plan dramatically different from their previous plan.

and that she had help during the year from her doctor, her dad etc.

He couldn't apply himself - his doctor had to get him on the program, but it still only costs us $10 a month for two doses instead of $2500 a month that it would be under the standard pharmacy plan, and our insurance covers the rest at their cost (oddly enough, around $500 a month) as they would any normal prescription co-pay on the plan.

Her doctor probably has to get her on that plan, but if the manufacturer doesn't provide for or accept a particular doctor's prescription for that plan (may be a Medicare issue), she might not be eligible.

Haele

At least not that I read anyplace.

After you are broke of course.

They tried to "repeal" Obamacare how many times?

Instead of fixing it of course.

As long as the rich get richer it doesn't matter how much us that need health care suffer.

I hate Republicans with the white hotness of a million suns. Maybe a billion.

NOW.

You might save some in a Medicare Advantage plan for insulin, but they don’t cover, or charge a high copay, on a lot of drugs.

Even Medicare isn't that good - it should cover drugs too - all healthcare needs.

That's my biggest issue, healthcare, and then the environment. I guess basically social and economic justice. If everyone had enough - a decent job with living wages, food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, an old age pension. And, if we could live in affordable housing, drive to work on decent roads, or better yet, take efficient and carbon friendly mass transit, and be able to be safe no matter your race, ethnicity and so on.

LOL...they call me unicorn!

enough people will realize if we cut the military budget significantly and raise taxes 5%-10% or so for the better off, and maybe a little more for healthcare for some middle income folks, we can have all that. It’ll take some changes in healthcare, etc., and kicking some white wing racists’ rear ends. But it’s doable with right leadership.

Unicorns rule.

for those who can't provide for themselves, she'd better get a job. It doesn't take much to cover $550 these days. Maybe wrapping presents during the holidays or selling tickets at a miniature golf course in July while the regular person is on vacation.

IF is a big question right now, of course, as hard-core conservative authoritarians attempt to take over our government. This is NOT the time to empower them with agreement that Obamacare is too flawed to continue.

My son was diagnosed type 1 diabetic at the age of 6. He was on my company insurance until the age of 26, many thanks to President Obama and the ACA which was a godsend for us. Since then its been touch and go as he finished school and started new jobs. His first job had shitty co-pays , but I had stockpiled insulin in my refrigerator while I could and we were able to squeeze through. He's 31 today and using Humulog and a pump for delivery that costs $5k. Fortunately at the moment he has better insurance through his new company, but we live on pins and needles with the fear he should lose that coverage.

This crap will bankrupt a lot of people. Our Republican politicians don't care, and of course neither do fire breathing Trumptards. All the Republican assholes who are against Universal Health Care, against protecting guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions, who "don't want to pay for somebody else's health insurance" better pray they don't find themselves in this position one day.

Fortunately, I have excellent insurance through work.

She uses Omnipod (which she loves; tubeless, disposable pumps) and has a Dexcom G5 CGM. The Dex is amazing; hardly any finger pricks necessary and you can see your blood sugar on your phone in real time. Have you tried to get the Dex (G6 is about to be released, literally no finger pricks needed; it's self-calibrating) or Omnipod? You can contact the companies (Dexcom and Insulet) and they will fight for you with your insurance companies. Frankly, it makes sense to insurance to cover it--better health now, less spending for them later.

Whatever the case, bless you and your son. We and countless other T1D families are with you, every hour, every day.

I'm not sure he even cares about his fingers anymore. He's also a lead guitarist and between the finger sticks and finger callouses from playing music I'm not sure he feels his fingers anymore. But we are looking into the Dexcom G6 now. I sure wish we had had it when he was 6 though.

I'm sorry to hear your daughter is type 1 and wish you and her the very best of success. The good news is with good control they can live a pretty normal life.

Thanks for your well wishes too.

of friends of my parents when I was growing up in the '60's. The wife was from what eventually became East Germany. She was from Dresden, left during the bombing, and eventually ended up on the right side of the wall before marrying and moving to the US. Her parents stayed behind on the wrong side of the wall. They used to mail antibiotics to the parents in a cake. Except for the subterfuge, we aren't far off.

Type 1 diabetes since childhood, very delicately controlled with no leeway for timing or error. She aged out of her parents' health plan, and started skipping her bedtime dose. She went comatose in her sleep and died.

There is no excuse for this happening in America. None. None. None.

I hope Hattie survives.

in this country. Same exact stuff. Great service. Competent people who call you on the phone to verify things. The only problem is they don't ship in the summer months so you have to buy ahead of time. It's a real help to us.

of me figure out why more people don't get drugs this way. I had a friend who had bipolar and was spending $1800 a month on drugs. I looked into it and discovered the Canadian thing. I harassed and harassed him to try it. He finally did and it was no big deal and saved a ton of money. The drug he got (it was branded at that time) was in the original Big Pharma box and looked just like what he was paying through the nose for at the local drug store. Once he was through the supply he never did it again and I gave up. You can lead a horse to water...

only recently became foolishly expensive. Some countries sell it even cheaper than Canada and without a prescription. We trust the Canadian pharmacy, though, so it works out well. Good advice to your friend.

...face of the fight for universal coverage.

Hope it's not too 'divisive' to mention that.

And all medical costs need to be controlled. The exploitation of sick people needs to be stopped. There’s no reason the newer insulins should cost this much, they certainly don’t cost this much to produce. Older insulins are not as safe although cheaper and I believe available at walmart without rx.- you can have serious lows with them due to the timing. Many endos and doctors will give patients who are struggling to get their insulin free samples from the office, many insulin companies will also help with copays, and there are numerous groups on facebook for trading diabetes supplies and meds.

could care less about anything or anybody that (1) isn't in the womb, or(2) isn't a member of the 1%.

Hopefully her doctor or her parents can help her.

This is a bit off-topic, but THANKS TO THE REPUBLICANS REPEALING THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE IN OBAMACARE (assholes), my Obamacare health insurance may go up 30% for next year. If it goes up that much or close to that much, I have to debate whether to keep it or just go with a catastrophic policy. I'm pretty healthy overall right now (knock on wood).