[ad_1]
TRENTON, NY – Due to soaring insulin prices, some people with diabetes have to make an effort to cover the cost of life-saving medicines.
Other patients forget to take doses or use lower doses than necessary, and sometimes end up in emergency rooms, recently declared patients and advocates for their congressional interests.
About 7.4 million Americans use insulin to maintain their blood sugar levels at safe levels. Insulin requirements vary by patient as well as costs depending on the insurance coverage.
In the midst of the public rumor about costs, drug manufacturers and some prescription plans are beginning to offer patients larger discounts. Express Scripts and its parent company, insurer Cigna, have just started offering a month-long insulin amount to eligible patients at a price of $ 25 a month. Express Scripts now aligns with other insurers whose prescription plans it administers.
For most insulin-based medications and other diabetes medications, manufacturers offer vouchers to reduce monthly fees.
The American Diabetes Association connects patients to support programs via www.insulinhelp.org, although not everyone is qualified.
"We do not want anyone to skip or ration doses," says Dr. William Cefalu, scientific lead for the advocacy group.
If you're having trouble buying insulin, talk to your doctor, says Cefalu. They could perhaps recommend a free clinic or patient support plan, or suggest less expensive options.
If costs are a problem, here are other ways to save money:
TRY THE OLD PEOPLE OF INSULIN
Talk to your doctor about switching to an older, less expensive insulin, suggests Dr. Robert Gabbay, chief physician at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. A dangerous fall in blood glucose is more common in these patients because they do not control it as closely as the new, more expensive insulins. Patients who use older products such as Novolin and Humulin R need to measure their blood glucose more often and more thoroughly the moment they inject insulin before meals, Gabbay says.
GO TO VALUES
Patients who use insulin pens – injection devices containing multiple doses of insulin – may opt for insulin vials. They are cheaper but less practical. Insulin must be removed from the vial and placed in a syringe, making the doses less accurate and abdominal injections a little worse. Another option is Basaglar, a cheaper copy of the popular Lantus long-acting insulin pens.
CHECK INSURANCE
Review the list of drugs covered by your insurance company for insulin treatment with the lowest co-payment; coverage and copayments often change in January and there may be cheaper choices. Other economic options include obtaining a 90 day supply instead of 30 day refills.
COMPARE THE PRICES
Check prices in different pharmacies. Prices can vary widely for insulin, other antidiabetics, test strips and lancets needed to control blood sugar. Patients can view drug prices at several pharmacies and get coupons for significant discounts at the pharmacy counter at www.GoodRx.com. Or try www.healthwarehouse.com, which sells drugs at the cash price, which can be cheaper even if you have insurance.
Medicare and Medicaid patients can not combine the coupons with their insurance, but a single coupon could be the cheapest option.
The three leading insulin manufacturers offer savings, including:
• The Sanofi ValYOU Insulins Savings Program offers uninsured and cash-paying patients a $ 99 insulin vial or an insulin pen at $ 149 per month. Starting in June, it will offer up to 99 vials and / or pens containing most of its insulins for $ 99. Sanofi Patient Connection provides uninsured, low-income patients with free insulin.
• Eli Lilly will soon sell Insulin Lispro, a half-price version of its best-selling insulin, Humalog KwikPens, for $ 265 a month. Lilly's Diabetes Solutions Center helps patients find affordable options.
• Novo Nordisk has long sold older insulin, ReliOn, through Walmart for $ 25 a vial. It is now available via CVS Health and Express Scripts. Novo Nordisk offers Copay Savings Cards for Tresiba and other insulins, as well as patient badistance with generous earnings limits on www.NovoCare.com.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
Source link
