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There are lots of articles about individuals in the US who have died because they were rationing or otherwise couldn't afford insulin.[1][2] How can this be the
by lancebeet 4y ago
There are lots of articles about individuals in the US who have died because they were rationing or otherwise couldn't afford insulin.[1][2] How can this be the case if first-generation insulins are cheap? Are they rationing second-generation insulin analogs instead of using the more affordable first-generation insulins? If so, why?
[1] https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/09/01/641615877/insulins-high-cost-leads-to-lethal-rationing https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/09/01/6416158...
[2] https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/another-person-has-died-from-rationing-insulin.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/another-person-has-d...
- rayiner 4y agoThe first article says $1,300 per month for insulin. That almost certainly is a second generation insulin. Wal-Mart’s first generation insulin is $25/vial for the 2-3 vials a month a typical person needs: https://diatribe.org/paying-insulin https://diatribe.org/paying-insulin As to why people try to ration more expensive insulin is I suspect the “donut hole.” The young man in the first article aged out of his parent’s insurance, which was probably paying for his second-generation insulin. He probably had no idea what other options were available, or was concerned the first generation insulin was less safe. A lot of people have limited executive functioning and our society isn’t good about helping them access the options available to them. A close family member of mine had a heart attack and was saddled with a $50,000 hospital bill. He had been eligible for Medicaid for years, but just never signed up.
- djbebs 4y agoThis.